Chris Smither

I saw this guy for the very first time this year, in the Club Tent, at Cambridge Folk Festival. I walked in, mainly because there was nothing imminent that I wanted to watch on the other main stages, and immediately I knew something good was about to happen! The place was heaving, to start with, and there was a buzz of anticipation.
Chris was brilliant and I have to say, he was also brilliant at Topsham last night!
A driving guitar style which owes a lot to Lightning Hopkins, Mississippi John Hurt and, I reckon, Mance Lipscombe with the thumb thumping away on the bass. Rhythm foor, as Michael Chapman used to call it, to accompany everything...great, witty song-writing, very dry and engagingly pithy patter in-between...a GENIUS of an entertainer, and I broke my solemn golden rule not to buy CDs at gigs (because they are invariably awful when you get them home)by purchasing his double CD career retrospective which I really look forward to listening to on the car CD-player next time I go for a drive! AWESOME!