Last May NYC got David Ford for three nights (spread out – Piermont, Manhattan, and Brooklyn) but this year it’s a short tour with only one night in NYC. There were pleas to buy tickets because if we didn’t then David might never come back to the US. And you know we couldn’t let that happen so rtb, violaleeblue, and I each bought a ticket. violaleeblue couldn’t make it so she gave her ticket to mollyT, who is always fun. And this was her first time seeing David in concert so we knew that would be a treat.

Rockwood Music Hall has expanded and David was playing in the new room with a small stage. The place was packed. I had found a spot leaning up against the railing but the stage wasn’t that high so my view was blocked by a lot of people both tall and not so tall. There were also a lot of people who seemed to love David but found it vital to speak during the quieter songs. I don’t get that at all.

David got up on stage and started playing. It was one of the newer songs and I was dancing and enjoying myself so much that I forgot to write down the title. Since all I could see was his head I couldn’t tell when he was looping but I soon realized that the drums weren’t looped and then I saw the drummer behind him. I’m sorry I didn’t catch his name – he really gave the songs something extra. We don’t get to see David with a band like they do in England so it was a special treat.

“The Ballad of Miss Lily” started off with a Santana guitar cry and Latin beat. The vocal inflections and lyrics immediately made me think of Tom Waits. Next was “Waiting for the Storm” and “Requiem.” When David and the drummer started clapping for “Decimate” and the audience started clapping along he asked us not to and to leave it to the professionals. One guy said he was a musician so David invited him up to clap along with them. “Decimate” led into the first verse and chorus of “You Shook Me All Night Long” and when the audience sang the chorus David realized that the musician and his girlfriend could both sing so he brought them up to lend their Canadians harmonies to AC/DC.

The next song was another new one – “Baby Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me” (I think). Then “Philadelphia Boy” for which he gave a short intro. We had heard the full story when he played The Rock Shop last year – the nervous breakdown on stage in Philadelphia and how the crowd (and some individuals) got him through the performance. So his heart belongs to Philly. But NYC still loves him madly.

Then we got a bunch of the old favorites – “Go to Hell” “I Don’t Care What You Call Me” “To Hell with the World” “State of the Union” There wasn’t quite the manic energy that we usually get with “State of the Union” but I don’t think the small stage could have supported that much action.

David ended with “Every Time,” which is his answer to “Why aren’t you more successful?”

He hadn’t planned on an encore but we demanded it and our reward was “Song for the Road,” which is always a pleasure.

I don’t like using my flash at shows so these photos are not great. But I kind of like the look of them.

By Carene Lydia Lopez