Live Review: Graham Nash
Live Review: Graham Nash
Graham Nash takes us on a celebratory yet emotional journey through his 60-year career with a performance at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. By Adam Davidson
From his early years in The Hollies, to the generation-defining music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, to his accomplished solo work, it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Graham Nash has had a legendary career.
As part of his tour celebrating 60 years of songs and stories, Graham Nash took to the stage at Theatre Royal Drury Lane for an evening to remember.
The British singer-songwriter performed with his two-man band Shane Fontayne and Todd Caldwell and opened with ‘Wasted on the Way’, ‘Bus Stop’ and ‘Marrakesh Express’ – the latter in tribute to the victims of the Moroccan earthquake.
From the minute the band opened, there was a noticeable moment of awe. The harmonies were sublime, which should have been expected, as this has been a specialty of Nash’s throughout his career, but it was still a wonder to behold.
This was especially true when he performed ‘Find the Cost of Freedom’, a haunting yet poignant tribute to the victims of the Ukraine war.
During the set, Nash also paid tribute to David Crosby – who passed away earlier this year at the age of 81. There was a moving moment that almost bordered on religious as ‘To the Last Whale’ played over the speakers whilst the lights in the theatre dimmed and candles around the stage lit up.
The second half of the show opened with another moving moment as Nash covered Joni Mitchell’s ‘A Case of You’ – which was supposedly inspired by her breakup with Nash. It isn’t a regular feature on his set lists but it was amazing to witness such a powerful moment, as Joni’s lyrics must evoke so many memories and emotions when Nash is performing.
The main section of the show ended with ‘Our House’, which is arguably the pièce de résistance of Nash’s incredible 60-year career. The songwriter has previously stated how he understands how much this song means to people and that he won’t undermine that by putting in a half-assed performance, but instead playing with the same passion he had when he wrote the song.
The set ended with a cover of Buddy Holly’s ‘Everyday’ and another CSNY masterpiece ‘Teach Your Children.’ In what was a brilliant finale, everyone was on their feet, singing along to the classic track. Real music never truly dies.
