IT was rather a coup for the BIC to secure a singer with the raw talent and cult status of Sixto Rodriguez for a Sunday night gig. Now aged 71, the star and subject of the Oscar-winning film Searching for Sugar Man brought a touch of class to the stage.
More than 40 years on from his debut album the Detroit-born songsmith has lost none of his vocal power, his 'Dylan-esque but better' voice as clear and arresting as in his 1970s heyday.
And he was ably supported by a band whose general mastery of dynamics, without a duff note, perfectly complimented the strengths of their ageing front man. So it is with only a small measure of disappointment that I acknowledge Sunday's gig among the most bizarre I have ever experienced.
Never have I seen an audience so unresponsive, maintaining a stony silence during the songs, and grudgingly deigning to allow a matter of applause between. It wouldn't have been so odd if it were consistent, but as the blues rock maestro was supported back on stage for an encore after a set lasting around one hour, the viewing public suddenly discovered its appetite for good music and a lively Sunday night out and came alive.
Will Frampton