The Benderloch stone and other traveller’s tales
Adrian Nation is a grand storyteller. An imposing fella, he plays guitar. That’s a bit like saying Messi or Ronaldo are no bad with a football.
What Mr Nation achieves with the six or 12-string variations, electric or acoustic, is generally only achieved when you put a trio together.
Over the weekend he captured the hearts of audiences in Benderloch and at Duart Castle on Mull while on a short tour of Scotland having recently wowed audiences in Canada and Norway.
His latest album is Anarchy and Love, and it featured during the evening along with the back catalogue contained in three previous pressings – but back to the stories.
Each song was given an introduction, a feature of a live concert that I and others really appreciate.
Adrian’s stories, by his own admission, are becoming longer and more involved the further he travels. Some are longer than the songs.
On Friday in Benderloch the packed Victory Hall enjoyed tales of the Yukon, Greek democracy, and Italian travel. I can report that much laughter ensued.
His lyrics tell of that laughter, of the joy of travel and of love of the people he meets on the way. His future looks like taking a Canadian turn as his popularity grows in Northern America following successful festival tours in the last few years. He has the Yukon in his heart.
But oh, the guitar skill. Five Finger Rapids and Carpe Meridianus show those talents to the full.
The Dying of Democracy and The Benderloch Stone are lyrical masterpieces. The former describes an Athens riot in some detail. The latter describes stories of travel, fatherhood and the ripples of love that spread through our lives.
Inspired by Creagneuk beach and enhanced by cross Atlantic friendships, it is a gem. It tells the story of a growing friendship between folk of Argyll and Alberta and the connections we feel to a group of friends we have yet to meet. It’s a long story.
Anarchy and Love is out now and available at www. adriannation.com