REVIEW

Kiefer Sutherland

King George’s Hall, Blackburn

DEPENDING on how old you are, Kiefer Sutherland will forever be associated with The Lost Boys or 24.

Unless you are particularly into your music, the chances are you won’t even be aware that the acclaimed actor has a second career - the reason for his unlikely appearance in Blackburn on a cold, wet Saturday night.

Certainly, it’s fair to be that a number of the audience at King George’s Hall couldn’t name either of his albums if they knew he had any. Chances are they were there to say they’d seen Jack Bauer in the flesh.

It’s always difficult for hugely successful performers to switch from one career to another without running the risk of being accused of self indulgence.

But music is clearly the man’s passion as the 500 or so live shows with his band in the past three years plus the two albums testifies.

His music is heavily country influenced - he acknowledged his debt to artists such as Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash during the show.

His lived-in, whisky soaked delivery of a song fitted in perfectly with the excellent band he has around him. At times the place was really rocking as he gave his two guitarists free rein, at other the venerable old hall resembled a Nashville honkytonk.

Resplendent in white cowboy hat, white jacket and scarf and white shoes, Kiefer Sutherland clearly appeared to be having a ball on stage.

“I bet you find this hard to believe, but this is the first time I’ve ever been to Blackburn,” he quipped at one point.

With songs from his two albums with a few carefully selected covers thrown in - Lone Justice’s Ways to Be Wicked was a particular treat - this was a properly enjoyable evening of country blues. Sometimes his fake Elvis dad dancing was a little cringeworthy but overall this was not a man indulging himself, this was a man sharing the music he loves and being hugely entertaining in doing so.