LIVE REVIEW: KIMMIE RHODES & FRIENDS - WEST TEXAS HEAVEN REVISITED - THE WATER RATS

It would be a packed Water Rats for the return of Nashville royalty in the shape of Kimmie Rhodes, a frequent visitor to the shores for many years.Having first seen Kimmie at The Weavers Arms, off the back of hearing her on the Mary Costello show on GLR, her shows are always a combination of musicality and musicology as she reels off anecdotes name dropping just about anyone and everyone in Nashville mainly because she has met them, written for them or recorded with them over the years.

Tonight is predominantly a celebration of "West Texas Heaven", and we'll get to hear songs not aired in a long time and if we were so inclined and talented we could also play along as Kimmie has released her first ever songbook, with the notation, some stories and a lot of photographs that remind you of quite what a striking figure she cut on its release, with eyes that demand your attention. This project ostensibly funds her second life in France, and after the joy she has brought to us over the years who would not let Kimmie enjoy a little joie de vivre of her own.

It starts as a solo show, however the stage is set for some additional guests to appear, at some point throughout the evening. Explaining the opportunities that revisiting the album has afforded her, Kimmie positively cooed with excitement at being able to revisit and remix the original master tapes as well as listening to the out takes which are all available on the new version of the record. Each song would come with sumptuous scene setting, a beautiful sunset while driving home being the starting point of "West Texas Heaven". Despite it being just Kimmie and her guitar she was able to imbue the performance with the spirit of the full band show, her eyes closed for much of the song, maybe imagining them playing along, until she opened them at the end along with a broad bright smile. Moving on to "Hard Promises To Keep", Willie Nelson would make the first of many anecdote appearances, with Kimmie shedding light on his earlier life as a less successful performer than we know him now. Lyrically rich this is as pure as classic country gets.

Kimmie would move to a more intense strum for "Just To Be Near You", a song rarely played and complete with Kimmie rocking out on her vocals at the end. The struggles of actually even getting "West Texas Heaven" were recalled, which led to the origins of "Wild Roses" being recalled. Sung in a mixture of English and French, Kimmie would seamlessly segue into "Corner Of The Bar". Picking things up the first Maurice McIlroy and Constance would appear to add percussion on bodhran, The historic background to "Git You A Job" was painted in some detail, it seemed the most unlikely premise for a song. Once again moving to a strident strum now joined by percussion this was a deliciously upbeat way to take us into the break

The second half would open with a story about Townes Van Zandt, someone who seems to have gained his own mythology as time has passed. The tale behind "I'm Gonna Fly" was heartbreaking, with Townes painted in somewhat depressingly poor health. It really shines a light when now listening to the recoded version, tonight we would have Kimmie playing both parts.

A bit of UK country royalty then took to the stage inthe shape of renowned pedal steel player BJ Cole. They would start with "Maybe We'll Just Disappear" with BJ's dobro adding another layer of sound, causing Kimmie to comment mid song "Sure is good to hear you playing indeed" before she would then go on sing the next verse as an improbable yet authentic Waylon Jennings!. More Waylon Jennings related material would come with "Be Mine" for which Kimmie would need to get serious

Shifting from the past to Kimmie's last album "Hypnotised" brought us to "No Tom Petty's" for which Maurica & Connstance reappeared and where the audience would provide "Stadium style "backing vocals. In true Dr Who fashion we could thenalmost have materialised in the Weavers Arms as Kimmie rolled back the years in tribute to the absent Wes McGhee for "Contrabandista" for a touc h of Tex-Mex.

Kimmie's song recorded by Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler, "Love And Happiness For You" was sheer beauty, from Kimmie's delivery through to BJ's finely plucked final notes.

The encore would follow in the shape of a Donavan song covered on Kimmie's "Dreams Of Flying" album "Catch The Wind". A true ensemble piece it was a delightful way to close out the evening.

It's not so much farewell to Kimmie Rhodes more "Au revoir" until we meet again which will surely be someday soon.