Tim Rogers @ Black Heart, Camden (London)
19 October 2015
Fresh from his civic duty playing to throngs in Paris, and casually observing Rickie Lee Jones from the 32nd row, comes the Tim Rogers you always wondered about.
Stripped away from roaring electric guitar, wild windmill arm swings and vodka soaked vocals, Tim’s an honest man on his acoustic shows. But be warned, that doesn’t mean he can’t handle a heckler or two. One punter found that out after being told: “Don’t draw attention away from Mr Rogers – it won’t end well”.
Rogers’ acoustic shows are a pure dalliance for him and a delight for UK fans, with his band You Am I set to release a new album, Porridge and Hot Sauce, and play a stack of dates back home in November.
So, we polished up our German shiny enough to be able to order a beer and gathered in the intimate upstairs live room at Camden’s Black Heart.
It’s a Monday night and to reward us for coming out we hear a back catalogue of You Am I greats like ‘Berlin Chair’ and ‘Heavy Heart’ and also brilliant covers of Alex Chilton’s (covering Loudon Wainwright’s) ‘Motel Blues’.
Also proudly on display is Tim’s Jimmy Durante impersonation, observations on social media (“don’t be a mean Tweeter!”) and his now comfortable relationship with his past. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll covered a sensitive, intensely observant man for the bulk of You Am I’s body of work. But with the boys and substances taking a back seat, Tim’s songwriting is nakedly on display and we see just how far Rogers took the blues with a mean country lean from Applecross near Perth to the stages of the world.
