Blues in the Blood

Not a Misery-guts: English Guitarist Richard Smerin Played in Podium

Whoever knows Richard Smerin in person and listens to his sensitive and expressive songs, realizes quickly, that life doesn't seem to have had much special treatment in store for him. Even on this occasion, the English musician, who's already played together with important figures like Joan Armatrading, B.B. King and John Lee Hooker, didn't get any special treatment when he played his gig at Podium in front of a disappointing small audience.

Richard Smerin made the absolute best of the situation and took advantage of the breaks by having extended chats with those present. "I watch people very closely and pay attention to their reactions to my songs", he admits. And there were very positive reactions to songs that are heart, soulfull and go right through you. Like for example the emotional song "Oh My Father", that Smerin had dedicated to his father, who died in the beginning of 1998. Or "Feels Like I've Got No Home", a very melancholy song from his latest CD "Personal", where he created words and music exclusively from his private experiences. At this point the songs of his well-known Blues-colleagues like Muddy Waters ("She Moves Me"), Rufus Thomas ("Walking The Dog") or Mississippi John Hurt ("Candy Man Blues") which he played, nearly lost their effect, because Richard Smerin seemed detached through the absence of direct personal experience.

But who likes to drown for a whole evening in melancholy? Anyhow Richard Smerin didn't come across as a misery-guts, sitting cool on his stool, striking the strings masterly, stamping the rhythm with his left boot. In between he grumbled about his "cheap American guitar, with its expensive German strings" and alternated for a few songs between a steel guitar and a guitar with vibrato.

With an empathetic voice and a fine Folkstyle-Fingerpicking he performed both his own songs and adapted songs in an impressive way. A particular homage went out to the Scottish guitarist Bert Jansch, from whose repertoire he played "Rambling's Gonna Be The Death For Me" and "One For Jo". The new Album of the musician who at the moment lives in Fürth is called "Anywhere Else But In Clover" and is expected to be on the market in April. As a foretaste he played the title song of the same name.

It is maybe not easy for a musician to go on tour without a supporting band. Even more if "the artist has more guitars than people in the audience", as Richard Smerin joked. The disgruntlement about this fact was written all over his face, nevertheless "the man with the Blues-Feeling" got through to the end ("I am here to play") and bid farewell to a very pleased but small audience by playing "House Of The Rising Sun".

Nicole Zehetner