Live Review: Willie Watson, Josh Hedley, Freya Josephine Hollick

Freya Josephine Hollick looks like something out of Little House On The Prairie but would make a perfect addition to the Nashville cast. Her left tan boot is completely coming away from its sole, which is noticeable as she taps out the beat. Her fiddle player gloriously underscores emotional content during their cover of I Will Always Love You. Hollick commends us for being well-versed in country music, which means we obviously realise it's a Dolly Parton, rather than a Whitney Houston, song. Hollick tells us she recently taught herself to yodel (and we lip-read a lady across the way yodelling along during her final song). 

Josh Hedley takes the stage sporting short sleeves and hence displaying a fresh tatt covered in plastic (held in place by masking tape), which he later tells us is "a little bird" (in response to a shouted-out inquiry). America is "what we, in the business, call a clusterfuck right now", Hedley observes while explaining this is the last night of the tour and he doesn't wanna go home. Hedley has a patch on the back waistband of his blue denim vest that reads, "Cowboys Stay On Longer" and another one next to it (just above his plumber's crack) simply reads "Eat Shit". He requests a "Jack Daniels, neat" from the stage (twice). Hedley's portion of the night is a "country concert", whereas Willie Watson claims the "folk concert" evening finale. Lovin' On Back Streets is a set highlight and then Hedley treats us to a yet-to-be-released Jonny Fritz song "that sounds like it's about dogs, but it's not about dogs". Hedley tells us Watson requested he put a Johnny Paycheck recitation, Colorado Kool-Aid, back into his set (after Hedley forgot to play it for a few shows) and it sounds like an epic bar brawl scene outta Justified. Hedley belongs centre stage.

Entering the stage space quietly, Willie Watson immediately showcases his extraordinary vocal control. He picks up the banjo song two, telling us it's to cure our "BD" ("Banjo Deficiency") and performs James Alley Blues, which also demonstrates his expert storytelling and fine harmonica playing. At the close of this song, a punter yells out for Watson to please confirm he's not endorsing violence against women. (She takes offence to the song's lyrical content, which is derived more from the protagonist's thoughts rather than actions: "Sometimes I think that you're too sweet to die/And another time I think you oughta be buried alive.") Watson explains he didn't actually write the song and quickly introduces his next song, a "dirty" one. We can hear Fraser A Gorman singing along to Keep It Clean from the front row (as well as a less tuneful lady in this scribe's left ear).

During I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground, Watson raps on his banjo as makeshift percussion while playing. When Watson squints his eyes and juts his teeth out it's as if he's feeling his banjo out, lovingly coaxing sweet music from the instrument. Grey Goose is another cracking 'newie', but you can tell Watson is paranoid about lyrical content since the earlier interruption. Ah, Stewball; it feels so cathartic supplying those sing along "uh-huh" responses to Watson's calls and the audience sings well (except for she who doth do her best to blow out my left eardrum!). Watson intros Dry Bones as "a baddass gospel song".

Tonight's heckler is obviously still on Watson's mind as he announces he's worried about singing the next song Rock Salt & Nails before turning to face the direction from which he was chastised earlier. Watson asks if he's been forgiven yet and she spouts off again, asking Watson whether he's aware of what's going on in this country at the moment. The crowd shows Watson their support, one punter gently stressing, "It's not the place". The Midnight Special starts up to "shine an ever lovin' light" back on the music. The detractor and her friend leave shortly after this song starts, which eases the tension a fraction. Watson remains focused and owns the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic. We holler our appreciation. He leaves the stage.

Thankfully, Watson returns for an encore, but there's a line toward the tail end of Kitty Puss ("I never met a pretty girl I didn't wanna kill...") that makes him cringe, fearing he may cause further offence. Watson closes with a song he says forced him to learn resonator guitar: The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer. A brilliant talent whose performance transports us back generations. We leave wondering whether this has ever happened at a Nick Cave gig.