HOMEWARD BOUND

HOMEWARD BOUND

Garfunkel and Simon at the Civic Theatre

24.05.12

One of our best-respected tribute artists – already a hit here with his Real Diamond back in March – John Hylton brought us his Paul Simon at the height of last week's heatwave.

Wearing a red baseball cap obscuring his Diamond hair and most of his face, he brought with him to the Civic a four-piece backing band and, of course, his Art Garfunkel, aka Allen, his son.

There was some half-hearted banter, but it was the music the fans had come for, and they were not short-changed, starting with A Hazy Shade of Winter and ending in party mood with Cecilia.

In between, most of the favourites – 59^th Street Bridge Song, The Boxer, a nice Mrs Robinson, a rather muddy Scarborough Fair, an excellently realised Sound of Silence and Bridge Over Troubled Water, with the long intro from impressive keyboard man J Black - upright piano and primitive Korg Triton.

Some unexpected treats, too: the Everlys' Bye Bye Love, Bert Jansch's hit Anji, and Father and Daughter, with a great guitar intro from Gary Millen. But, alas, not So Long Frank Lloyd Wright, which the lady in the front row would dearly have loved to hear ...

For me, these "proper songs, with real lyrics" might have been better appreciated without the stadium-strength sound system that seems to come as standard these days; but there was no doubting the excellent musicianship of father and son, not to mention their even more laid-back band, and the enthusiasm of the audience for what is probably the nearest we'll ever get now to this legendary duo live in concert.