Nick Lowe – De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhill On Sea – 10th February 2025

For someone who is operating under the radar for the best part of 40 years, Nick Lowe managed to attract a very good turnout at the De La Warr Pavillion on a rather bleak Monday evening.

AN ODD COMBINATION?

Promoting the recently recently released Indoor Safari, Lowe was backed by his YepRoc label mates Los Straitjackets. What seemed a rather odd combination at the start (instrumental surf band sporting Mexican wrestling masks + ageing gracefully English songwriter) has turned out to be a mutually beneficial collaboration as The Straitjackets are reaching bigger audiences and Lowe has found new wind for his sails after losing two of his close associates ( his drummer Bobby Irwin and his co-producer/tour manager/sound engineer Neil Brockbank). 

On sharply at 8 with a sprightly take on So It Goes, the band was straight in the groove despite having only played one show in three months. The garage vibes of Indoor Safari followed with the stomping Went To A Party. The track shows that Lowe and the Straitjackets are now a true unit with Lowe writing material that suit their style.

MAINSTAYS

Two mainstays of the Lowe live catalogue followed with the ever mournful Lately I’ve Let Things Slide (“I wonder how many of you associate with the character in this song?” our host quipped) and I Live on a Battlefield recorded on his 1994’s The Impossible Bird. The rocking Tokyo Bay described by Nick as an “exquisite rocker” and it was off to the aisles for the Bard of Brentford for a cup of tea and a shirt change. The Straitjackets kept us on our toes for 20 minutes with an energetic (and humourous set).

Returning refreshed and with another splendid shirt, Lowe kept his left food on the pedal with the catchy Trombone and some catchy eighties rockers like Without Love and Ragin’ Eyes and Half A Boy And Half A Man. The Straightjackets backed him to perfection on a reworked What’s So Funny About Peace, Love And Understanding and the the reflective House For Sale from 2011’s The Old Magic. No Nick Lowe show without Cruel To Be Kind while a few Rockpile nuggets were kept for the end of the show including the excellent When I Write The Book.

Nick Lowe online: Website / Facebook

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