Photograph
Academy 2 (Main Debating Hall)
28th June 2005

Photo: Ged Camera
Story: Clive Cass

Aside from the fact that I consider Antony Hegarty to be one of the finest and most unique contemporary singer songwriters, this was one of the most extraordinary gigs I have ever been to, and at 55 years of age I have been to close to 1,000 gigs in the past 38 years since seeing Bob Dylan in 1978 on a trip from school I had organised.

Throughout the gig something was niggling me that I could not put my fingure on and it only recently it clicked.

I noticed that the Johnsons were all sitting at unusual angles to the audience and at least a couple of the group had their backs to me, which I thought was strange. In fact they were all facing Anthony who was sat towards the back left corner (as I looked at the stage).

In the same way that I was totally spellbound by Anthony’s performance so too were his own band.

I do not believe this anomaly was simply to catch their leader’s musical instructions as no other groups have to do this merely to play their instruments and I am now utterly convinced this was in respectful and deserved supplication to their maestro.

I have been to a few gigs that I can honestly say were 'I was there' gigs (like Dylan at Blackbush - still the biggest concert ever in the UK - and I was first through the gate), and seeing Antony is perhaps always like this, but this early show at a small venue is perhaps my greatest 'was there..

Typical setlist from this period:

My Lady Story
Cripple and the Starfish
Everything is New
Crackagen
The Lake
For Today I Am a Boy
Man is the Baby
Loneliness
The Guests (Leonard Cohen cover)
I Fell in Love With a Dead Boy
Dust and Water
You Are My Sister
Be My Husband (Nina Simone cover)
River of Sorrow
Soft Black Stars (Current 93 cover)
Bird Gerhl
Hope There's Someone