Pete Yorn - King Tut's Wah Wah Club, Glasgow, 17/5/2011

  by Tony Gaughan

published: 18 / 5 / 2011

intro

Tony Gaughan at a packed King Tut's watches acclaimed New York-born singer-songwriter Pete Yorn play an extraordinary set at his first show in Glasgow in seven years

It had been seven years since New York born Pete Yorn last graced Glasgow, and he was in town to promote his highly acclaimed latest release, which is simply titled 'P.Y'. His back to basics lean 4 piece band replicated the sparse but solid sound that producer Frank Black brought to the latest record. The opener surprisingly was a downbeat cover of the Smiths' classic Panic, which put the packed venue in the mood, particularly when the band launched into 'Precious Stone', a splendidly sing-a-long anthem followed by 'Life on a Chain', the opener from his 2001 debut album 'Musicforthemorningafter',so the show was only 10 minutes old but already shaping up to be a cracker. The new record was always going to feature and 'The Chase','Sans Fear' and 'Always' were delivered to a very receptive audience who were singing along to every song. Yorn took time to engage the audience and introduced 'Relator' from his 2009 collaboration album 'Break Up' with actress Scarlett Johansson, and jokingly apologised for her not being there to perform with him. A couple of oldies from his debut release, 'Strange Condition' and the brilliant For Nancy (Cos It Already is)' stole the show and were a fitting closer, although encores of 'Crystal Village' and 'Closet' proved there were plenty more where that came from, leaving the crowd happy but also talking of all the great songs he had chosen not to play tonight.

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