Richmond Fontaine are calling it a day. This is very bad news! They are one of my favourite bands so I’m grateful that at least they’re playing Leeds on their final tour.
Willy Vlautin is a singer who doesn’t have what is considered by many as a classic voice but it works wonderfully well with the lyrics he writes – stories of ordinary people facing ordinary problems.
Tonight they play songs from across their lifespan (I’m reluctant to call it a career) and it all goes down well with an almost full Brudenell. Willy’s voice is a little below par and he spends a little time apologising for it. The band play as well as ever and the bass player, Freddy Trujillo, who has joined just in time to pay on their last album, You Can’t Go Back If There’s Nothing To Go Back To, and tour, adds something different to the sound.
Through eleven studio albums Richmond Fontaine have maintained a remarkably high standard and I’m going to miss seeing them live.
Here’s Willy and Dan Eccles performing Wake Up Ray