Josh Rouse – Ramsgate Music Hall– Sunday 7th July 2024

For the last date of this 2024 UK solo tour, Josh Rouse made his first visit to Ramsgate and the intimate setting of the Music Hall. After an excellent opening set by local singer songwriter Ty Watling playing songs from his latest album The Satisfaction Of Knowing, Josh appeared from the trap door on the side of the stage to rapturous applause.

Settling on a chair for the first few songs, our host displayed a relaxed charm in the delivery of his anecdotes as well as the delivery of his timeless songs. Free from the obligations of promoting a new record, he was able to jump between most of his records with a third of the tracks dedicated to his landmark LP’s from the early noughties, 1972 and Nashville. Some lesser known tracks such as Crystal Falls recounting the time he lived in California in his teens or a a trio of songs from the underrated Love In A Modern Age (include a sparse Salton Sea stripped down to its bare bones that was a thing of beauty).

Not afraid to reference the songwriters that inspired him, Rouse peppered his sets with a quartet of covers including Nick Lowe’s Cruel To Be Kind and Bob Dylan’s Lay Lady Lay. The singalong opportunities offered by Come Back were seized by the Music Hall crowd with enthusiasm (including some impressive falsetto from a gentleman at the back) and an off mike Love Vibration closed the main set on an upbeat note. Returning for a couple of tracks Rouse chose the beautiful Sad Eyes and a cover of Buddy Holly’s Everyday to send us off !

Josh Rouse online: Website / Facebook / Instagram

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