They used to say good things come to those who wait, that patience between events was the virtue in which to aspire; a hangover from the Victorian era in which we are still reaping the disaster of the times from; the painful way of believing that self denial is a good thing when it comes to appreciation. They used to say a lot of things but hardly any of it is relevant in 21st Century, especially the Victorian’s attitude to the poor and the destitute, the infirm and those to whom Government decisions effect negatively.
If patience is its own reward then a highlight of watching We Shall Overcome at Sound Food and Drink is the music of Kevin Critchley, a man who could start a fire for warmth with his bare fingers such is the intensity of his fret work and the speed at which he performs, intricate and serene, a sheer delight to watch but almost impossible to keep up as the music becomes endowed with even greater spirit and desire.
Patience is not suffering from the thought of just how much you can miss musicians like Kevin Critchley in between shows, in between events, the fortitude to say to yourself that it is O.K. to catch a talented musician every so often; patience be hanged, musicians like Kevin Critchley should be enjoyed as often as possible. They should be employed solely to entertain and enthral, to educate on their craft, but life is not like that, we fool ourselves into believing that time between what we love is good for us; that the instant thought of gratified pleasure is to be greedy. In a world that can take you out and kick you down in the blink of an eye, if it nourishes the soul then it should be enjoyed as often as it can be found.
Kevin Critchley’s set was such that you could see the knives and forks being gently abandoned, the coffee cups and pints of lager being stowed and housed in temporary abandon; music was King at Sound Food and Drink on the day and Mr. Critchley its benevolent benefactor.
With a set that comprised the songs Sit And Wait, Insomnia, the superb Unravel, Ghosts, the new track of Wilderness and the obliterating Stand Together, Kevin Critchley was not only in fine form but he also made the audience’s hearts race so fast that they could have feared being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Usain Bolt.
Patience is a virtue, Kevin Critchley one of the rewards, a great set for the best of causes.
Ian D. Hall