The Opry is an odd place, albeit a massive novelty, but with this large a crowd it’s difficult to appreciate the super kitsch stereotypical American backdrop. However, it’s definitely a place you should go, it’s fun and no huge hassle on your bank balance. The latter doesn’t really apply to the majority in attendance tonight as a heavily middle aged audience gather to watch a duo currently riding high off a Mercury nomination.
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins through are not what you would immediately expect from the overly hyped award ceremony, the duo have charm a plenty as Scottish folk hero Creosote teams up with London electronic wizard Jon Hopkins to bringone of the most comfortingly chilled records of the year.
The crowd is not exactly what you expect for this duo, where you expect a casual relaxed audience instead we get tense frustrated audience as they struggle to come to terms with the venue and the slightly odd bar queue, a queue that causes me to miss the majority of support Francois and the Atlas Mountains but I’m not complaining gigs at the Opry are few and far between.
You’d ideally like to be sat down in a nice space to let Creosote’s gentle sombre lyrics wash over you, an almost perfect early festival slot in daylight and sunshine, but there’s no such luxury as people cram in and moving becomes difficult.
As the duo take the stage KC wastes no time in quipping about the Mercury (which PJ Harvey won last night) and introduces his partner in crime, tonight on piano and keys duties. There’s a nice vibe coming from KC has he comfortably chats with the packed room in front of a desert landscape and American flags. The duo settle into their set comfortably with carefully caressed piano behind cooed soft folksy tones courtesy of KC and it lets the majority of the crowd drift into a dazed stillness.
I say majority of the crowd, there’s always one exception, a man down the front constantly shouting drunken lines towards KC such as “I’m your dad”, the singer brushes these comments off nicely with a mix of engaging the man or simply shhing him. By the end of the set the man’s actions have surpassed humour and become a drag, as a audience member on the balcony makes clear shouting “kick him out, he’s ruined the whole show”.
KC is comfortable in this setting as he plays with lyrics and jokes about nearly losing William Hill 50 grand before going into his “hit”, ‘Not One Bit Ashamed’, which lifts the set to near rousing levels pulling at the heart strings as percussion is introduced and rightfully remains for the majority of the remainder of the set.
Towards the end of the set KC jokes of playing the set again without the drunken man, who appears to have been removed, but instead charms the crowd once more with a delightful cover of Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares To You’ before leaving everyone to head home.
This may not have been the most entertaining show seen at the Opry, last time I was here Errors near blew everyone’s eardrums in a highly energetic, stack mounting fashion, still the duo have the power to push a what was tense audience to a awe filled daze, give us a seat and no queue this’d be perfect, still you can’t have everything.
Photos: Jenny Anderson
More photos of show (including shots of Francois and the Atlas Mountains)
