Bruce Cockburn

Press, 21 October 1983, Page 4

Bruce Cockburn

Brace Cockburn, at the Christchurch Town Hall auditorium last evening. Reviewed by Nevin Topp. Bruce who? It’s that kind of a problem for Bruce Cockburn, (pronounced Coburn) outside Canada. The work of a singer-songwriter is really only known by the aficionados, and this was reflected in the numbers at last evening’s show, with the auditorium about two-third’s full , > _ : ’ A; person, coming, into. the concert during a song might have thought the audience was unappreciative. There was no clapping to the rhythm of the songs and virtually no movement But at the end of every song the applause was tremendous as Cockburn almost made his guitar talk and maintained the interest with his .spell-

binding lyrics. He said it was the first time in five years he had played solo before an audience, but he came across so easily on stage that it seemed, as if he was always at home playing alone, even having a little fun by injecting a “saxophone” solo with his voice in one song. The variety of styles was also there, from the folk strains of “Candy Man’s Gone,” the bluesy “Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long,” and the rock-influ-enced “Tropic Night”

Cockburn is a Christian but he does not preach. You listen. Most of the songs he played last evening were not religious but dealt with a variety of topics, including relationships, nuclear igar, and the inhumanity of

man. One new song he introduced was about the presence of Americans and Russians in Central America, written from a native’s point of view. Those at the concert would have found their own highlight One of these was the song, “Put Our Hearts Together,” possibly one of the best released this year, with its lilting reggae rhythm and most unChristian everyday words which guarantee it will not be played on-radio. On the matter of a backing band; Cockburn said it was a-choice of his coming alone or not at aIL Playing was preferable and it was the audience’s gain as welL The guitar playing was superb and the vocals clearly understood. It was a shining