Touring is in my blood says signer McTell

Oct 22 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

FOLK legend Ralph McTell kicks off his latest UK tour on Friday at Runcorn’s Brindley Theatre.

This latest tour for the veteran singer-songwriter is a return to McTell's traditional concert style and repertoire.

Recent years have seen him exploring intriguing musical byways in live performance – a celebration of the American blues and folk tradition, a homage to Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, and a tour of songs and readings from his autobiography, now also a triple CD set, As Far as I Can Tell.

For this concert, however, McTell will concentrate on his self-penned repertoire and return to the live format he and his audiences love most – one man, his guitar and his songs, although it does combine the official launch of the paperback version of his book.

“I enjoyed it and just kept going and going until it was a vast tome – 600 pages, and that was only until I was 21! It was originally two books that have now been amalgamated into a paperback.

“The book was about filling the gap between my songs, especially early ones. They were exploring me growing up, which was quite tough,” he says.

“But it has helped me come to terms with some aspects of my childhood so has been quite therapeutic.”

After resting his most popular songs, such as the much-covered Clare To Here and the million-selling Streets of London, McTell is looking forward to giving them a new airing.

But the concerts will also contain rarer gems – with over 400 great songs to his credit, he has no shortage of material to draw on.

He plans to intersperse old favourites with less familiar compositions.

In fact, several of the songs in the show have never been played on stage before this tour.

The now 63-year-old entertainer undertakes at least two tours a year and insists it’s a traveller’s life for him.

“It’s in your blood,” he says. “I’ve been touring over 40 years, and I miss the road terribly when I’m not travelling.”

vickyanderson