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A night with Ron Pope is one of beautiful chaos. “My most vivid memory of Manchester is walking into a lamppost,” the pigtailed 40-year-old told the crowd, before starting his set with Bruce Springsteen cover I’m On Fire. Playing to a decent turnout in The Stoller Hall, it was the penultimate night of the pop-rock singer’s 30-odd date tour, and it was clear he intended to have fun winding up. “Touring is rubbish – you wake up in a different place each day and ask what the sandwiches are today,” Nashville-based Ron told us. “But being on stage – these 90 minutes playing – this is why we do it. It’s pure joy.”
Snow Song and a cover of Carol King’s I’ve Seen Fire and I’ve Seen Rain followed, Ron’s voice raw and powerful, as earnest as it was effortless.
For most of the night he was joined onstage by longtime collaborator and piano mentor Paul Hammer, along with violinist, singer – and Ron’s support act – Lydia Luce. “It’s his first day,” Ron teased as Paul knocked over some of the set.
Together they were tight, a pretty celebration of strings and slick harmonies.
Body Language was a highlight, waking up the sleepy Stoller Hall crowd, along with Good Old Days, a song father-of-one Ron wrote about his five-year-old daughter growing up.
The sound in the concert hall was spot on, and despite more than one drunk reveller (clearly lost on their way to a night out in Deansgate Locks) Ron’s every word was heard.
Chattier than a chat show host, there was more between-song patter than most.
But it worked – and the campfire stories about his grandparents, wife and little girl served to put a human behind the songs – an extremely likeable one at that.
I can’t have been the only one left wanting more. Indeed, a night with Ron is one to remember.
I turned up with no expectations, and was blown away.
There was heart, there was warmth, there was laughter.
Yes, you’ve heard the old adage, they laughed them into bed. Bear with me… Well Ron Pope laughed his way to a five star review.
