Wreckless Eric at Boheme Coffee Lounge and Bar, 307 Ashley Road, Poole BH14 9DZ on 31.10.2023
This is novel. I never knew this little coffee place in Upper Parkstone, Poole had live music. I’ve been in once before while at the second hand record shop up the road.
It’s a sell out – the windows are dark with blinds down on this rainy night and I wondered if it was even open. Inside it’s the sort of place that looks over busy if 10 people are in. By the time Eric appears I count 21 people. I’ve been to small gigs before (thinking in particular of The Winchester Arms, Salisbury for The Ramonas and The Railway, Winchester for Kirk Brandon acoustic) and badly attended gigs – now there’s conversation starter – but not sell out gigs for 21 people.
With an old school mate tonight, from early 80s gig-going days, and we grab two comfy seats and a few bottles of ale, pretty much in front of the corner of the lounge that is the stage.
Wreckless Eric came to my attention in 1977 when he was on the Live Stiffs Tour with the likes of Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello and Ian Dury (not that I saw it). An album with highlights of that tour was released in 1978, which I still have – that included Wreckless Eric’s Semaphore Signals and Reconnez Cherie. Later in 1979 I bought his Hit and Miss Judy EP, my young mind maybe wooed by the 12″ orange vinyl. Then, nothing: my radar was blank and I never went looking.
When I saw he was going on tour I looked for a possible date – he is one of the few artists I have bought records by, still playing, that I hadn’t seen live. Nothing doing, until I got a message from a mate who’d seen a Poole date added….in this coffee bar. Unmissable.
So here I am, waiting for a 69-year-old Wreckless Eric, having been doing some gig revision with his 2023 Leisureland album – this includes the track Standing Water, my favourite, which he plays tonight.
The small venue concentrates minds and brings intensity. This is overlaid with Eric’s humour and commentary – between song explanations that are often quite poetic and run in and out of the tracks, enhancing the lyrics.
Sometimes he doesn’t stop for applause but uses his intricate guitar riffs to join the songs.
He’s been playing live throughout the decades – largely in America and with many different and unfamiliar bands to me (I always thought he sounded American). His 2015 album AmERICa is worth a listen… well they all are.
Born in Newhaven, East Sussex he went to Hull to art college – this was a source of his inspirarion for his irony laden song, Gateway to Europe, about the Humber Bridge, which he explains was the bridge to nowhere. Then they all wanted out of Europe up round there anyway he chortles hopelessly.
Of course, he plays a huge, well crafted version of his best known song, from 1977, Whole Wide World to finish. Loved it. A really engaging and relaxed evening amongst respectful and curious music enthusiasts.
I bought a copy of his Construction Time & Demolition album, which includes Gateway to Europe and of course got the opportunity, in this intimate environment, to get it signed.
As I said, a novel one and hopefully I will be back here and catch Eric again somewhere. It’s been a while but he’s back on my radar.
Gigs with Ivan 