Francis Dunnery - Leeds City Varieties 9 November 2000

I sort of new what to expect, but having not seen him like this before I wasn't too sure. To start with, his guitar playing is still phenomenal. His singing is much better than when I saw him last with It Bites. He appears to be so very relaxed on stage, and his rapport with the audience is brilliant. I thought that all these things were true, but seeing him at the City Varieties in Leeds confirmed it. He was excellent!

He casually walked on stage in a jumper, looked bemused that there were any people in the audience at all, and proceeded to play an Ovation acoustic like his life depended on it. Speed, control, "natural rhythm" and wonderful melodies flowed just like I remembered from the It Bites gig. He even did some of his trademark double handed tapping (like he used to do on his tapboard) and long flowing hyperquick runs. His playing is perhaps a bit more ragged than earlier in his career, but he still generates so much energy.

The set was great. It Bites stuff, his own tracks and new stuff from his forthcoming album. There was a small acoustic band playing with him, drum machine/keyboards, electric bass and second guitar (all great musicians). The sound was spot on - crystal clear. It was nice to hear a gig where you could actually hear everything the bass was playing. The vocals were excellent. Precise three part harmonies which were perhaps as tight as I have ever heard live.

His solo tracks included "Heartache Reborn", "Too Much Saturn", "Only New York Going On" and "Riding on the Back", all played to perfection. Lots of solos from all the musicians and it seems Frank's ego is small enough not to mind another guitarist playing better than him! Not quite but he was a damn good guitarist. Frank also unplugged his guitar and came and sat in the audience to play "Sunflowers" to a girl sat on her own! So cool, but to say she was embarrassed was an understatement.

He played lots of stuff from his new album which is out next year. Great songs as we have come to expect. In addition, the It Bites tracks were "Underneath Your Pillow", "Hunting the Whale", "Still Too Young To Remember" and an epic performance of "You'll Never Go To Heaven". The solo at the end was wild. He slightly overused a sample-and-hold pedal (or something) but as I said before, the energy and emotion he can generate from a guitar does make him a genius of the instrument. Although I can't help feeling that playing the guitar solos isn't as effortless as it used to be for him. I'm probably wrong but that's what my ears are telling me.

His between song banter was as witty as ever. Lots of "Deep Cabaret" moments, as he calls them. In other words, lots of psycho-babble that would make Frazier proud. A vain attempt to educate us in the workings of our own minds! "I'm only a carpet fitter Frank!" was one comment directed at the stage. Interesting stuff though, in a "at least I know what that songs is about now" sort of way.

Hecklers! Don't you just hate them? One bloke from the balcony never stopped shouting meaningless (dare I say drunken, 'cos if that what he's like when sober I pity the poor sod) comments all night. It got more and more irritating all night. Frank laughed it off to start with but that just encouraged the bloke. Other members of the audience told him to shut up and then we had the bloke heckling and making threats to the audience as well. Git! Anyway, it didn't spoil the show for me. It just added to the atmosphere, but I feel sorry for the people near the heckler, and the bloke who tried to shut him up.

If you ever get the chance to see him live, please go and see him. If you're easily offended then be prepared to hear some bad language, but nothing you don't hear on the TV these days. He is one of the best singer/songwriter/guitarists this country as ever produced. It was one of the most enjoyable feel good concerts I've ever been to.

(Copyright David Hopton -  13 November 2000)

Francis Dunnery Photograph Copyright FrancisDunnery.com