Last Friday, 24th October 2008, I had the immense sensory pleasure of experiencing the mighty Lambchop up close and personal here in Zürich, Switzerland.

Kurt Wagner is a busy man. While touring extensively, recording close on an album every year and smoking lots he alledgedly manages to write a song every day.

The Rote Fabrik is probably the best venue in Zürich for size and accoustic. It's dead easy to get right up to the front. When we arrived the way to the stage was clear and one of the Lambchop guitarists was doing an instrumental set as support, billed "The Paper Hats". It was OK but really just filler up to the main event. Lambchop are something of an enigma. It's like slowed down country with Nat King Cole doing the vocals. It's full and beautifully touching music. We were close enough to hear Tony Crows feet tapping as he played the piano. The sound was so well balanced that you could be enveloped in Lambchop's lushness yet still pick out these tiny details of unamplified sounds on the stage. Kurt was pretty gregarious for Kurt tonight. He even offered me a cigarette when I asked if he'd quit smoking. Naturally I had to turn him down as I'm not smoking these days myself. Kurt kind of looks a bit like the guy who might cut the grass out the front of the town library, but don't be fooled he is one of pop's true poets and deserves a place in the hearts of us all. The band are trully top. Seven great great musicians fused into a gorgeous whole which produce a sound like having your brain brushed lightly by velvet. If you don't know what that sounds like, well then you have to go see Lambchop. And it's not all down tempo, they can rock it out too. They did a fantastic talking heads cover, really fantastic and it kicked as only Lambchop can.

Don't miss these guys, they're in Europe touring as I write and will tour the US shortly... and then they'll probably do the whole thing again.

 http://www.lambchop.net/tourdates