Opening Long Road proceedings at Buddy’s Good Time Stage was Robert Vincent along with keyboard player Anna Corcoran. Every time #TEAMw21 see Robert, we always come away thinking why don’t we cover him more often rather than only seeing him at Songwriters Rounds or just his contributions to other peoples records rather than highlighting the records he makes himself. Sat on two stools Robert and Anna were able to create a volume and intensity that many bands would struggle to match across the weekend – in fact the absence of bass and percussion presented little issue as somehow their playing seemed to suggest where it should go and the listener was able to envisage it themselves.
This set would be a dive into Robert’s catalogue including an unfortunately timed pre pandemic album as well as one released more recently that seems to have passed us by and will be worth an immediate investigation. It was that most recent album "Barriers" that would provide the opening song "The Insider" with it's plaintive chorus "We must find a better way". The harmonies between Robert and Anna immediately providing great harmonies.
Robert immediately hit a country vibe with the intro into "Burns Like Cotton In The Fields", with angelic "oohing", this was one of the songs where it definitely felt that there were more than just two performers such on stage, such was the divine sound being produced. From the same album would come "Blue" initially just Robert on guitar, with Anna gradually joining in and then towards the end their vocals would beautifully overlap and intertwine.
A more strident guitar sound would introduce "Conundrum", beautifully punctuated by Anna - full of many hooks, with a deep meaning as well, building to a crescendo of harmonies - this was truly a glorious way to open a stage at a Festival. Trailing "The Hard Way" as having "really miserable lyrics", the chorus would see Robert and Anna harmonise on the sustained extended title.
With the crowd steadily building throughout, each song was greeted with louder and louder and applause as folk followed the snakelike path to Buddy''s Good Time Bar,
"The Ending" would see Robert and Anna exchanging glances throughout as if really pleased at the sound being produced. The slow ballad "Keeper Of My Heart", co written with Ben Glover, seemed to wrap itself around you like a warm blanket , it also saw Robert provide a harmonica solo in a moment of sheer beauty.
The great songs kept on coming "Burden" came with a storming chorus, the results of twin vocals matched with the guitar and piano once again produced something that seemed far greater than the sum of the individual parts.
"Follow What You Love And Love Will Follow" was dedicated to his daughter Penny dutifully watching from the front of stage, Anna would cut through the overall sound with exquisitely picked out piano chords as well as adding to the overall vocal sound.
A rockabilly guitar intro opened "Life In Easy Steps" from 2013 which would once again see Robert revert to harmonica.
A deliciously long set just shy of an hour gave us plenty of time to really savour our time with Robert and Anna. The closing section would see "The Passage" followed by Robert's tour de force, always a show stealer any time that we have seen him, "Demons". Starting with a gentle guitar it would reduce the crowd crowd to a rapt silence. Robert's impassioned vocal and playing would gradually increase in volume, Anna would add sensitive piano parts and the sweetest of harmony vocals in what would be one of the stand out moments of the whole weekend and we were only just over an hour in. A stellar end to a truly fabulous set.