Edwyn Collins @ Perth Concert Hall

May 29 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

I FIRST clapped eyes on Edwyn Collins in an Edinburgh nightclub 30 years ago, when the gloriously shambolic Orange Juice were en route to spearheading Postcard pop and the Sound of Young Scotland.

In the post-punk era, wistful, eccentric, melodic and melancholic Collins was leading the way.

Fast forward three decades for his first ever appearance in Perth and Edwyn started and finished with classics from the OJ back catalogue, “Falling and Laughing” and “Blue Boy.”

And while the cruel devastation wreaked by a brain haemorrhage is painfully obvious, as one of the country’s finest singer songwriters shuffles on stage propped up by a walking stick, the songs and that instantly identifiable voice endure, along with the quirky sense of humour which once glossed over snapping guitar strings and forgotten lyrics as a youthful Collins fronted an embryonic Orange Juice.

Reflecting on the events of four years ago, Collins once remarked “I was dead and I have been resurrected.”

That’s testament to the power of music.

While his speech remains stilted and a source of obvious frustration, the lyrics of songs old and new flow sweetly, rarely requiring the safety net provided by a weighty songbook.

“A Girl Like You” got an acoustic re-working with Andy Hackett and Carwyn Ellis perfect foils for Collins.

There was no “No Rip it Up,” “Can’t Help Myself” or “Felicity.”

But “Home Again,” penned by Collins before the haemorrhage, and a couple of finely crafted new songs held out genuine hope Edwyn will be working a rich seam of talent for years to come.

The standing ovation wasn’t sentimental.

It was heartfelt.