Review : "The Independent"

Donovan, Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells 

By Pierre Perrone

Published : 19 May 2005


Like many artists from the Sixties, Donovan Leitch suffers at the hands of golden-oldies stations' programmers who seem content to reduce his output to the epochal "Catch the Wind", the sugary "Mellow Yellow" and his era-defining rendition of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier".

In a two-hour-plus set, the singer-songwriter, who was once tagged Britain's answer to Bob Dylan, succeeds in pleasing an audience spanning fans old enough to remember scoring cannabis in "Sunny Goodge Street", as well as keeping the attention of their children and grandchildren.

But Donovan also keeps his muse happy and performs six new songs from Beat Café, his most recent album, issued last year, as well as playing several gems from a rich back catalogue.

The virtual Beat Café format is little more than a couple of chairs, a table, the obligatory candle in a wine bottle and a tour manager masquerading as a bongo player on a couple of occasions, but it enables Donovan to drift in and out of his Sixties heyday, and to pay tribute to Beat heroes Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs - whose portraits adorn the stage - and even Dylan Thomas, whose "Do Not Go Gentle (Into That Good Night)" poem he recites over a jazzy backing in tribute to his late father.

Following his daughter, Astrella Celeste, the bohemian minstrel appears with just an acoustic guitar, harmonica and his fine, tremulous, occasionally quivering voice for the first 30 minutes, and instantly demonstrates how much Marc Bolan stole from him.

However, Donovan's secret weapon, deployed after a short interval, turns out be a superior backing band comprising Tom Mason on double bass, Joe Atkinson on keyboards, and a very familiar-looking and -sounding drummer who rains down on the tom-toms during a fabulous "Sunshine Superman" and drives "Wear Your Love Like Heaven", which sends shivers down the spine. The sticksman turns out to be Chris Miller, in another life Rat Scabies, formerly of The Damned, the first British punk band to release a single and album before majoring on covers of Barry Ryan's "Eloise" and Love's "Alone Again Or".

Or course, Miller is right at home providing the backbeat on the groovy "Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love Is Hot)", the 1969 track on which Donovan arguably pioneered the blind alley that became baggy.

The songwriter also showed John Lennon the finger-picking style that the Beatle(s) used to create "Dear Prudence", but tonight he doesn't draw attention to that fact. He doesn't need to. Having divided the audience along gender lines to sing "Happiness Runs", he closes with "There is a Mountain", encores with "Mellow Yellow", and proves that there's a way out of the Sixties nostalgia mire after all. Quite rightly. 

Touring to 11 June (www.donovan.ie/beatcafe) 

Beat Café…the album

Beat Café is available on Appleseed Recordings APRCD 1081 Distributed by RSK Entertainment

“Beat Café,” was the first new Donovan CD for grown-ups since 1996’s “Sutras” (“The Pied Piper,” a children’s CD, was issued in 2002). While “Sutras,” produced and released by Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, the Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mick Jagger) emphasized Donovan’s folk roots, “Beat Café” is an extension of the heady rock/folk/pop/jazz/blues/world music brew that has become Donovan’s trademark.

Beat Café the album and the show captures the spirit of the Bohemian café happenings dating back to 1840s Paris that combined philosophy, poetry and free thought.

From a simple stage layout that suggests the period Donovan will perform tracks from Beat Café and also songs from his extensive canon of work that sees the great man celebrate forty years in the music business.

The Tour Line Up

Donovan - Vocals & Guitar 
Tom Mason - Double Bass
Joe Atkinson – Keyboards 
Chris Miller - Drums

Support Act. Astrella Celeste 

The middle daughter of Donovan Leitch, Astrella Celeste has been performing on stage since childhood.

Her formative years have been spent in acting schools and dance troops. Until she was 17, Astrella attended Red Roofs Theatre School and worked with Donovan on several extensive world tours as well as providing backing vocals on several Donovan releases.

Her career has been richly developed by working with other musicians in recording sessions, performances and/or home jams, amongst them David Gillmore, Brian Setzer, Donovan, Mark White, Happy Mondays, Graham Nash to name but a few.

Astrella’s career continues to flourish as an adult, for the past two years Astrella has developed and written an album of songs entitled ‘Echolalia.’ 

Work on the album continues with co writer Kevin Hunter (of Sheryl Crow fame) and UK producer Jez Coad (Simple Minds). The release date is set for the summer of 2005.

On stage with Astrella will be Kevin Hunter – Guitar, Joe Atkinson - Keyboards

Donovan’s web-site www.donovan.ie

Beat Café was originally released on August 24 worldwide. 

Label Appleseed. 
CD Number APRCD 1081
UK Distribution by RSK/BMG

ENDS 

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