BC Camplight – Wedgewood Rooms
Armed with a bottle of gin and his trusty piano stool, BC Camplight was in good spirits at the Wedgewood Rooms. Highly entertaining both in song and when addressing the crowd through anecdotes of personal heartache.
When it comes to the whole backstory of BC Camplight, you’d be right to think he could be less of an upbeat character. Since being a live member of fellow Americans the War on Drugs, there’s been a lot to cope with. Having been dropped by his label a couple of albums into his solo career, the US musician fell into a dependency on drink and drugs. In part, by his own admission, to combat mental health concerns.
Yet after a short break and with his life back on track having moved to the UK, it was soon to be turned on its head once more. Being forced to return back home due to visa complications, BC Camplight would go on to miss out on a number of high-profile appearances.
However, out of darkness there’s a beautiful light thanks to the rather appropriately titled 2018 release of “Deportation Blues”. Roll on a couple of years and the much-delayed Wedgewood Rooms gig in support of follow up album “Shortly After Take-off” was most certainly worth the wait.
BC Camplight in Review
An early swig of the bottle during opening track “I Only Drink when I’m Drunk” and thus started one of many wonderfully crafted tunes for the evening. As a solo artist, it would be all too easy to genre stamp BC Camplight as another singer-songwriter. But the reality is, that’s only a very small part of the man’s appeal.
At times there was a touch of influences from good ole American country (and not just because of the Stetson hat). Whereas elsewhere the tunes would take you off on a complete tangent, compositions that would often change tempo and direction mid-song.
Although one thing would remain consistent, that lyrically this was a man happy to share his experiences of the world. Tracks which more often than not, would be that of a personal nature. In which the audience would be sent on a journey of discovery.
As to how that journey would end, the bleak titles of “Cemetery Lifestyle” and “I’m Desperate” closed the evening. There was no need for an encore, for BC Camplight had already said all that he’d intended. So with that in mind, it was time to conclude yet another great night out at our beloved Wedgewood Rooms.
