Rod Picott: Jumpin' Hot Club, Cluny 2, Newcastle

NEW England singer-songwriter Rod Picott is well known on the Americana circuit for his blue-collar inspired songs, but for his new album Fortune he has replaced some of the welding songs for those of a more personal nature, as he handles a break up of his own.

Picott was in fine form, as he shared tales of his youth in spoken word and more recent times, and had a Cluny audience tracing ever step he’s taken in life. Among his biggest songs was Mobile Home, and of the new songs came Spare Change plus the all hands to the pump Elbow Grease. With the performer very much on a roll he opted to take requests, which might have been a gamble. Those that came, and there was a few, he did them full justice. His ultimate break-up song, Alicia, and the story that went with it struck a chord, like his other material. Arguably the song with the most attitude of the evening was his co-written effort, with old school buddy Slaid Cleaves, called Until I’m Satisfied which allowed Picott to combine a little blues with his music.

And then there was also the entertaining true story of Rod’s Uncle John to take into consideration.

On walking off stage for the last time Picott could feel proud of the shift he'd put in, it may not have been at one of the factories in small-town Maine, but he had, nevertheless, turned in an honest sweat-breaking performance.

Maurice Hope