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David Crosby
Shepherds Bush Empire, London
THE VETERAN and much-venerated singer-songwriter David Crosby — of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fame — has been in Britain playing a couple of shows before the release of his new album Here If You Listen.
It’s the 77-year-old Crosby’s fourth solo album in just under five years and it takes his folk-tinged rock further down a road he’s been pursuing for the best part of six decades.
Showcasing his latest creative renaissance, his London set takes the audience on an 18-track odyssey which touches on new and old delights, mixing politics, protest, a bit of banter and some good-old calls for the change that has been a long time coming.
He takes the stage to cheers and opens with In My Dreams. The band is tight, the music more so, and on top is his voice, full of emotion and backed by harmonies that fill the room. The reception is rapturous, leaving Crosby to simply utter: “Oh golly.”
Jumping across his catalogue from newer songs to older classics, Crosby keeps the audience entertained for the next hour, not just with his music but with a message. What Are Their Names is a simple protest song ending with the line: “Peace is not a lot to ask” but Crosby comments wryly: “I’ve been singing this song all over and it’s done no good at all.”
Deja Vu brings the first half to a close and after the interval the second set continues in similar vein, although Crosby increasingly allows his band to take centre stage. But it's Crosby’s voice that continues to thrill and there’s big applause for Homeward Through the Haze, charting his recovery from addiction, and the Byrds' classic Eight Miles High.
Crosby saves the best to last. Almost Cut My Hair, with the simple message of not conforming, is followed by Ohio about the 1970 massacre of four students in the Kent State shootings. It prompts a respectful singalong, highlighting how protest, politics and challenging authority are as relevant now as back in the 1960s.
He may seem like a cuddly granddad figure in his blue shirt, woolly hat and white walrus moustache, but Crosby's unique voice brings a serious message.
It's based on long experience of challenging authority that resonates wider than the room and, as he departs, his unique voice has hopefully sown more seeds for the counterculture to continue to bloom.
David Crosby’s new album Here If You Listen is released on BMG on October 26.
