Not that many people actually saw a band. The line-up of the Woven Hand suspects from left to right (from the viewer's perspective): Daniel McMahon, Paul Fonfara, Ordy Garrison and David Eugene Edwards. The greater part of the audience focussed on the extreme right of the stage, on that square meter of cheap Persian rug where David's seat was. What went on on the left side of the stage remained unnoticed for the most part.

No new songs about tractors tonight as during the three preceding shows. No crib too for the lyrics of Phyllis Ann, tonight's inaugural song, but that note wasn't necessary anymore. David had done his homework and knew the words by heart now :-). A solemn start of the show that managed to instantly catch everyone's attention. It is relatively risky to start a show with a new song, or semi-new song because it's a variation on Phyllis Ruth, but it worked well. During Phyllis Ann, David, besides his own plucking of strings, is only accompanied by an ecclesiastical droning organ.

Cello and drums join them for My Russia. And those instruments add another dimension to the at times scanty and thin Woven Hand album sound. Ordy's imaginative yet simple drumming provides a firm foundation. He doesn't indulge in ego-boosting Hey-Look-At-Me rolls. Admirably, he just plays a supporting role, meanwhile keeping an eye on David. His drums give the sound more depth and counterpoise the higher sounds of the acoustic guitar, banjola and whatever else David is playing. The overall sound is more balanced this way.

The cello's warm deep brown resonance also covers the lower regions of the sonic spectrum. Further magnifying Woven Hand's impact. And adding to the notion that most songs of the album would have blossomed if they had been recorded by a band (and a certain name comes to mind :-). Even Ain't No Sunshine sounds rather decent with this band. You've guessed it, that cover choice is not a personal favourite. It's not much of a trick to make a cheerless song sound cheerlesser. It would have been if they had done that with Shiny Happy People, but I'm digressing.

The first 40 or so minutes of the show are great. After Story And Pictures there's a slight sag in the set. When I Come Back is new song. Perhaps hastily written to have more material. The mock-Apocalyptica cello intro is an indication it was co-written with cellist Paul, who doesn't quite know what air to assume, especially if he's not playing. The intro seems detached from the rest of the song. And that rest of the song is a bit too artificial for my taste and has too much (a little is too much :-) of Arrowhead's men in tights, damsels in gowns velvet feel. Glass Eye remains too close to its high-pitched original.

David walks over to the other side of the stage, to switch places with Daniel (pensive looking as ever) to play the organ for Aeolian Harp and asks the audience to be quiet. Their attention seems to have wandered during the last few songs and from the back of the nearly filled room the hubbub becomes audible. Aeolian Harp is another new song. Church music. No discernible or gripping melody. And hey, another song with Heel On The Shovel in the lyrics. That came to mind upon first hearing it. It didn't work for me, but perhaps it does for you. I wasn't sure how to interpret David's "Thank for being so friendly" (great title for a site :-) after this song. Irony, or is that my outlook? His "Is this too mellow for you?" moment later sounded sincere. Arrowhead then sounded like, ummm Arrowhead. Fitted for neo medieval or renaissance dancing but not for this court jester.

Before you get the impression that I intensely dislike the Woven Album, that is not the case. With the exception of "that Bill Withers' cover" and Arrowhead I think the songwriting is very good, but that that raw song material deserved a finishing touch in the shape of a richer more open - as opposed to retired within oneself - instrumentation than it got.

With Last Fist we're on the up-grade again. To peak, for the first time, with Your Russia. The Joy Division covers (Day Of the Lords and Twenty-Four Hours) 16 Horsepower have performed were as powerful as Bill Bixby when he turned angry and green. Your Russia, in this rendition, is stronger than 10 incredible hulks. More shattering and intense. So monumental they should name a valley after it. A mighty and glorious end of the set.

David returns all by himself. Relaxed and content. Seemingly. I'm not a good judge of people :-) Amused that people are shushing one another. "You can talk if you want to". But no one does that during Golden Rope. The shushing did work :-) or more likely everyone was too impressed. In Tour de France lingo this was the second "col beyond category". Your Eyes Are As Empty As My Saviour's Tomb! Just David on his stool, with his shoes as drumsticks and the stage as a drum. Interspersed with snippets of Phyllis Ann. It made my flesh creep.

We finish with Down In You Forrest. A traditional hymn. Giving David to opportunity to express that he loves the Lord Jesus above any thing. As if that message wasn't clear yet :-) But he looks as if he means it. He retires into his own world. Using the double-headed microphone stand as the steering wheel in a computergame. Monster Truck Madness or Flight Simulator. Or is is he playing How To Get To Heaven? :-)

During the show they band seemed pleased with themselves. David dancing on his chair. Throwing his feet up in the air and exposing the soles of his shoes in a Toy-Story 2 way. If you don't quite understand that, which is understandable, read the review of the previous time David, as a part of 16 Horsepower played Doornroosje). Laughing after songs in a - yeah, we pulled this one off - manner. And deservedly so. Instead of imitating the songs as we know them from the album, most have been rearranged, reinvented, and they benefited from that. And so did we in turn.

By Martin