Texas native Charley Crockett has become one of the most beloved – and prolific – country artists around since he released his first album back in 2015. With a further 11 records under his belt, he’s become well known for his blend of country, blues and soul, as well as his outstanding live performances. To celebrate the release of his latest album ‘$10 Cowboy’ last month, this week he’s playing a run of three intimate shows at Hoxton Hall in London.
After an introduction from opening act DJ Texas Joe, Crockett arrived on stage alone carrying his acoustic guitar before opening with ‘$10 Cowboy’, the title track from his new record. Although the performance still retained much of the twang and weightiness of the studio version, the emphasis was firmly on Crockett’s drawly delivery and the slightly tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The crowd were in fine voice from the off singing along with him, and rewarded him with a raucous cheer as he brought the song to a close.
What followed was a tour through Crockett’s musical career, with tracks from across his previous albums as well as some choice covers, including a soaring version of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Tecumseh Valley’ and ‘Sin City’ (originally cut by Gram Parsons), which Crockett gave a plaintive quality to. I was particularly struck by the storytelling quality of his songs, especially on early numbers like the haunting ‘Blackjack County Chain’ and ‘The Death Of Bill Bailey’, which highlighted the depth and richer tones of his voice and contrasted a light, bright guitar line with a layered narrative where no-one is quite to be trusted. It wasn’t all downtempo though – the sparse, twangy ‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ rattled along at a clip, with the crowd stomping along to create their own rhythm section.
There were also things for fans of Crockett’s latest work to like. ‘Ain’t Done Losing Yet’ featured a jangly melody alongside its story of a doomed romance and had the crowd swaying along, whilst the stripped-back approach to ‘America’ enhanced the lyrics’ exploration of the darker side of the American dream, with Crockett telling the audience “y’all sing it better than I do”. That banter was in full force throughout the performance, with Crockett frequently breaking off to trade chat with rowdy audience members (as well as very sweetly telling a young heckler “I like the way you say my name”) and cracking self-deprecating jokes such as “feeling the bad guy in a Western” in his leather jacket before he played the wistful, yearning ‘Just Like You’ with its standout whistling. Crockett’s humour also translated particularly well into the music, such on the bouncy ‘Name On A Billboard’ and ‘Game I Can’t Win’ with its wry lyrics.
Along with the jokes, he told stories from across his life, such as how he first started out with music before going into ‘Horse Thief Mesa’. Along with ‘Diamond Joe’ – which he described as “the cowboy-est song I know” and ‘Tom Turkey’, this was one of the best examples of storytelling of the night and really highlighted his skills as a narrator and ability to bring these characters to life. Meanwhile, more lonesome numbers like ‘Juanita’ and ‘The World Just Broke My Heart’ didn’t so much tug the heartstrings as practically yank them out of your chest, and I was surprised at how emotional they actually made me feel (in a good way!)
One thing which particularly struck me was Crockett’s talents as a vocalist as well as a guitar player. He showed off some impressive vocal belt on ‘Are We Lonesome Yet’, whilst the playful ‘Cowboy Candy’ featured whoops and yelps that brought a huge amount of energy to his performance. That said, there was still plenty of room for those slick guitar lines as well, particularly a wicked riff on ‘Get Up Outta Texas’ towards the end of the set and his lively rendition of ‘Tennessee Special’.
After briefly leaving the stage to huge cheers and applause before the crowd began chanting his name, Crockett returned for an encore of ‘5 More Miles’. The clipped vocals and fiery guitar playing really encapsulated his whole set for me, fusing classic country sounds with a retro rock and roll touch alongside soulful vocals. As he brought the song to a close the crowd roared their approval and he could be seen spinning the microphone lead around before he left the stage and they rose to their feet applauding him.
Overall Charley Crockett delivered a set which served as a solid introduction to his music and provided plenty for fans to enjoy, regardless of how long they’d been following him. Along with fantastic guitar playing and strong, distinctive vocals, he really shone as a storyteller throughout – I genuinely believe he could sing the phone book and completely draw you in. If I have any criticisms, it’s that I felt it was perhaps a little light on the new stuff, but it was a great show nonetheless and showed just why he’s become so loved as a live performer. Here’s hoping he’ll be heading back soon with his full band and showing off even more from that latest record!
Set list: 1. $10 Cowboy 2. Blackjack County Chain 3. The Death Of Bill Bailey 4. Just Like You 5. America 6. Time Of The Cottonwood Trees 7. Are We Lonesome Yet 8. Killers Of The Flower Moon 9. Tecumseh Valley (Townes Van Zandt cover) 10. Honest Fight 11. Juanita 12. The World Just Broke My Heart 13. Game I Can’t Win 14. Horse Thief Mesa 15. Ain’t Done Losing Yet 16. Diamond Joe 17. Sin City (Gram Parsons cover) 18. Cowboy Candy 19. Tom Turkey 20. Name On A Billboard 21. Tennessee Special 22. The Valley 23. Get Up Outta Texas Encore: 24. 5 More Miles Performance date: 7th May 2024
