By: Jim McGuire
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Eric Bogle - Publicity photo from his website
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You don't see many reviews here of Australian Folk artists, but it's not often that Eric Bogle comes through town. He and his mate, John Munro, played two long sets at the Cedar Cultural Center on Friday and it's a shame if you missed it.
If you haven't heard of Eric Bogle you've almost certainly heard of his songs. He's written some of the best anti-war songs ever, and they've been covered many times. For example, you may not have ever heard Bogle's version of "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda", but you've probably heard it by The Pogues.
On Saturday, Bogle and John Munro started out with a whimsical musical introduction of the band; Munro was clear to mention that, "I'm the band." Bogle played his acoustic guitar, Munro sang in the introduction that he played guitar, banjo and mandolin adding, "And I can play the bagpipes, but I won't."
The two continued on a musical journey for over two hours with just a short intermission. The first set included material from Bogles’ 30+ years of songwriting. He's been occasionally brilliant, but not every song is at that level. A friend, who always uses baseball analogies, likened Bogle to a "singles hitter who occasionally cranks out a home run.” "If Wishes were Fishes" is an example of one of Bogle's many
singles. He closed the first set, however, with a musical version of one of Mickey Mantle's famously long home runs - "No Man's Land," about his visit to the grave of one Willie McBride, a WWI soldier who was killed at the ripe old age of 19. It's been covered by many, usually under the title "Green Fields of France", but it was exhilarating to hear it from the horse's mouth, so to speak.
The second set was much stronger. I'd say that somewhere along the line Bogle beefed up and he's been hitting more long balls. Sprinkled amidst light banter between Bogle and Munro were a number of songs of the highest caliber, including a warning that Xmas season is coming ("Santa Bloody Claus"), a jab at politicians that are "just a waste of air and space" (I missed the title), and a follow-up to “No Man’s Land ("Hallowed Ground") written 30 years later when he returned to the graveyard where he wrote the original song.
The duo closed with the song that has become Australia's unofficial national anthem "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" - yet another WWI themed anti-war song. Bogle and Munro returned for a brief encore, finishing up with “Leaving Nancy," a song Bogle had written about the last time he'd seen his mother. Songwriters like Bogle don't give you that uplifiting "fight the power" spirit and send you back on your way. Bogle helps you explore your darker sides and sets you on your way feeling melancholy and introspective. And that's how I felt as I wandered out into the nght to catch my bus home.
Location Info:
Cedar Cultural Center
Artist Info: Eric Bogle
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