Ryan Adams

My husband is a Ryan Adams freak, so last week we journeyed up to Brisbane, to his little piece of heaven, a concert with Ryan unplugged, supported by Jason Isbell (from the Drive by Truckers).

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Yes that is correct, two and half weeks after the op (which I wasn't going to talk about again) I cheerfully endured a six hour round trip to see a man sing. We ensured that I was drugged up with the necessary pain relief and padded with pillows on my reclining seat. It was like a hospital on wheels! But as you know, "I no complaaiin!"

As far as the gig went it was fabulous! It is the first time I have been to see a show in a 'real' purpose built the-a-tre. My experience has previously been limited to thousands of  loud and distorted, albiet exciting, gigs in small smokey rooms, which left my ears ringing.

As I am in my dotage and an invalid to boot, the show was custom built for me. Crystal clear sound and wonderful atmospheric Ryan Adams music, which was enhanced by the absence of superfluous stage lights. For you see Ryan  doesn't like flashy lights, he's not a flashy fella, and so the whole show was unplugged and bathed in a soft red spotlight. Very calming. It warmed the cockles of my heart.

For most of the show I lounged with my eyes closed, feeling the music. We were right up the back of the theatre, but the sound was so good, so crystal clear,  that with eyes closed you would swear that Ryan was a mere metre in front of you. My husband and I both came away exclaiming, yes, exclaiming, that we didn't know that music could sound so good live!

Ofcourse we got carried away and bought T-shirts from the Merch desk that are way too small for us, and disturbingly black metal inspired, but they may be an incentive to lose some weight, eh?