Willy Mason / Elvis Perkins

I don't suppose that as a reviewer you should really admit that you're a fan, or not, of the band. I don't really care though because I love Willy Mason. The first time that I saw him was a few years ago supporting Ben Kweller at Islington Academy. Having not heard any of his material it was unusual for a support act to make such an impression on me. I bought his homemade ep, had it signed and I was an immediate convert.

Over last couple of years I've followed Willy around numerous nooks and crannies of London. The tiny Barfly Enterprise in Camden. A secret show in a basement somewhere in Soho. The Bedford Arms in Balham. A surprising support slot for Radiohead on two consecutive nights at Hammersmith Apollo. You get the message. I can't get enough of Willy Mason.

And all of this despite the fact that I don't believe he's put together two exceptionally strong records. On both of his albums he has produced some strong folk/country tracks but there are also some weaker, slightly more tedious patches. It is live that Willy Mason is at his best.

Having seen Willy brilliantly command a crowd in intimate venues on numerous occasions, I felt an element of sadness that Shepherd's Bush Empire was just a little too big for him to hold the attention of everybody in attendance. From the general chatter throughout most of the concert it is fair to say that people weren't as gripped as they should (or could) have been. His usual stories and tales were not received as well as they usually are and the connection with the crowd was just not quite there. His whiskey-smooth deep voice and super laid back attitude just didn't quite cut it with the London crowd. I bet he'll go down a lot better with a more raucous crowd in Glasgow!!

Saying this, there were a plenty of sublime moments. Backed by a band of 4 people ("a group of friends") including his brother called Sam on drums, Mason was able to create a fuller live sound than he has been given resource to do so in the past. New songs, and in particular his two new singles, 'Save Myself' and 'We Can Be Strong' were high points. Viola player Nina Violet gave a rootsy country feeling to many of the songs and took the lead vocal for the chorus for 'We Can Be Strong'. When Mason eventually joined in on the final chorus of the song the harmony created was exquisite - far better than the album version . Also, 'The World That I Wanted' was one of the few songs that the crowd gave Mason the respect that he deserved.

Mason's signature tune, 'Oxygen', was kept until the very end and it was a moment worth waiting for. On the whole though, Mason's (usually charming) rambling banter was quite weak and slightly embarrassed ("So, do you come here often??") and his band were possibly a little too laid back to captivate such a large audience. For all I care I hope he returns to a more intimate stage again because it's there that he's at his best.

A special mention to Elvis Perkins who was (despite his father dying of AIDS and his mother dying as a passenger on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center) an exceptionally confident and entertaining country storyteller. His tunes were all easily accessible and a couple had an 'out of control ' big-band feel to them. Worth investigating. His bass player also looked spookily like a lanky younger version of Jack Bauer (I'm watching you...).

FUTURE GIGS