Marshall Crenshaw Played London For The First Time In Decades… We Got The Setlist

Iman Lababedi|November 26, 2014

The Jazz Cafe

“The Café is renowned for hosting the biggest names in the jazz and soul world before they become famous, so pay attention to the support act – it might be the next big thing. The restaurant, on a raised platform above the stage, offers the best seats in the house” it says here, and the Jazz Café in Camden in London as the picture shows, is a nice looking place.

What interest us though is that Marshall Crenshaw performed his first UK concert in NINETEEN YEARS there, something I would have really loved to have seen. The Crenshaw fanatics came out of the woodwork for this one, some travelling as wide as Ireland and as far as Japan for the return of the great roots, rock, modern day Buddy Holly and premiere songwriter of his generation.

The concert was on November 20 2014 and featured Marshall with Neill MacColl on guitar, Henrik Irgens on bass, and Michael Blair, who came over from Stockholm and played drums. Michael introduced Neil, Kirsty’s half-brother and Ewan’s son, to Crenshaw, and the two totally hit it off . Neil has played with everybody from the Wonder Stuff to David Grey and it is cool Crenshaw had such a quintessential English guy in the band.

The setlist is interesting in what it doesn’t do. In the land of Beatles, Marshall delved deep into his own catalog, and while Marshall is known for his covers which make him like the rock and roll Rick Ross… whatever song he takes he makes his own, he chose to give the people what they had waited to hear with the exception of the Holly track, Crenshaw songs.

Looking at the setlist here is a question, why always “Dime A Dozen Guy” and not the sublime “Right There In Front Of Me” ?? And check out the middle, two masterpieces off his EPs with a haunting number in the middle. The opening is typical Crenshaw and you knew you were getting “Someday Someway”

I’d have loved to have been there, I have so many friends in the city… still since I can’t, my thanks to Mr. Crenshaw for sharing his setlist. I guess the inclusion of “Valerie” was a nod to Ground Zero this night?

There She Goes Again

Calling Out for Love

Live and Learn

Driving and Dreaming

Cynical Girl

Someone Told Me

Better Back Off

Favorite Waste of Time

I Don’t See You Laughing Now

Television Light

Stranger and Stranger

Passing Through