His name is a giveaway. Wayne “The Train” Hancock is un-fucking-stoppable. The dude had a massive motorbike stack recently, breaking an arm and puncturing a lung, but it hasn’t slowed him down in the slightest. He ripped out a scorching solid two-hour set. No breaks, no fannying around and it came with a caution: “I warn you that we’re playing two hours tonight. Well, it’s a weeknight – we have to keep it short.”
Hancock is a purveyor of authentic country – think Hank Williams, not Keith Urban. He also does a good turn in old school rock’n’roll. And damn it, if the dude isn’t as charming as hell. He was wandering about quietly in the main bar before the show, having a laugh and a yarn. He wasn’t showboating; he was genuinely up for a chat. Is that unprecedented?
Given that he’s so friendly and unassuming, there was plenty of opportunity for funny-as-hell banter with the crowd – frequently about weed. Lost love and bad girls also feature, but not in a misogynistic way. It’s all affectionate. “These are ex-girlfriend songs. That one was about Sue Foley. I got a lot of songs out of that one,” Hancock reveals gleefully.
The other obvious themes are getting high, car crashes, brushes with the law, inclement weather, and, oddly, Tulsa. In fact there are three songs about Tulsa, of which Tulsa was a clear crowd favourite. It’s one of Hancock’s, too, apparently. “I like songs where you spell out towns,” he tells us. “But if you go there and it sucks, it’s not my fault.”
It’s too hard to pick favourites because the whole damn thing was an aural treat, but if pressed, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs was also a standout.
Another highlight was finding out who had spent the night in jail in the last ten years. Hancock has and asked the audience to fess up. Judging by the number of hands that went up, Hancock attracts outlaws and reprobates, the way that the best country should.
Hancock cooked. Just wish the gig had gone for longer.
BY MEG CRAWFORD
Loved: Hancock – you couldn’t but love him!
Hated: Wish there’d been a dance floor for the rockabilly set to tear up.
Drank: Diet Coke.
