Witty and warm, it’s a Nash hit

LIVE: Graham Nash (Bridge Theatre, London) Verdict: Heatwave harmonies

THE sun- kissed harmonies of Graham Nash supplied a perfect backdrop for the heatwave.

Blackpool-born Nash was once in The Hollies and calls himself ‘a poor kid from the North of England’, but it was the songs he originally sang with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and — occasionally — Neil Young that stole the show in an intimate playhouse gig.

Having released a career-spanning retrospective, Over The Years, the 76-yearold was nostalgic, telling the tales behind his songs.

Wind On The Water was inspired by a nine-week sailing holiday with Crosby; Our House, written for Nash’s old flame Joni Mitchell, was prefaced by an encouraging update on the singer, who is recovering from a brain aneurysm: ‘I saw her a few months ago, and Joni is on the way back.’

Resourcefully backed by guitarist Shane Fontayne and keyboardist Todd Caldwell, Nash added amplified elements to an acoustic show. Myself At Last, a 2016 song dedicated to his fiancée, Amy Grantham, put him in the confessional songwriter tradition, but Cathedral and Chicago were electrified rockers. He sang two covers, too. The complexities of The Beatles’ A Day In The Life proved challenging for a three-piece, but Buddy Holly’s Everyday was a joy. While he now lives in the U.S., that self-deprecating British humour survives. Talking about Just A Song Before I Go, he explained that the track had been written on the spot to win a $500 bet. ‘It was a big hit for Crosby, Stills & Nash. If I’d known it was going to be so successful, I’d have written a better song.’ GRAHAM NASH plays Perth Concert Hall tomorrow and The Lowry, Salford, on Sunday (grahamnash.com).