Glen Campbell
Dublin Convention Centre
19th November, 2011

Coming on to the particularly emotive song, Gentle On My Mind, Campbell clearly wasn’t going to skirt the issue of his early-stage dementia. Indeed, somewhat anxiously, on his sophomore song, Galveston, Campbell seemed a bit lost. But concerns were allayed by his claim that the drums were too low for his monitors, and he wanted to be sure that he could hear his son (on drums – the gig being a family event, with two of sons and his daughter playing). From then on, it was a celebration, and while auto-prompts were used, the nimble-fingered guitar work during Duelling Banjos and a cracking interpretation of Hank Williams’ Lovesick Blues were completely unaffected. The title track from his new Ghost On The Canvas held its own alongside some unquestionable classics. The album includes tracks by Teddy Thompson and Jakob Dylan, and a very Beatles-esque In My Arms featured to great acclaim. By the climax of Wichita Lineman and Rhinestone Cowboy, the sympathetic crowd were enthralled, a rare performer giving one of his final, most poignant concerts.