WORDS AND IMAGES DESH KAPUR
Sturgill Simpson and his band delivered an electrifying, over 2 hour performance to a sold-out crowd at The Albert Hall in Manchester, and it was nothing short of a musical revelation. The audience, a blend of checked shirts, baseball caps, cowboy boots, and the odd Stetson, was primed for an evening of country rock and Americana. What they got was a deeply immersive journey led by a musician at the height of his craft.
The night introduced us to Simpson’s new alter ego, Johnny Blue Skies, a persona tied to his latest album, Passage du Désir, released in July 2024. From the moment Simpson and his band took the stage, it was clear this wasn’t going to be your typical country concert. There was minimal crowd interaction, aside from a brief check-in halfway through when Simpson asked, “Are you still with us?” But that didn’t detract from the night. Instead, it heightened the sense of a musical experience that was more about the songs than the spectacle.
The music did the talking—loud, gritty, and unapologetically real. Simpson’s band was immaculate, with each musician locked in, creating a sound that often felt like a high-energy jam session. The musicians seemed completely lost in the music, and the crowd was more than happy to get lost with them. The atmosphere felt raw and spontaneous, as if the audience was witnessing a band playing in their element, far from the usual constraints of a rehearsed live show.
Simpson played beloved fan favorites like “Long White Line,” “Turtles All the Way Down,” “Living the Dream,” and “Life Ain’t Fair and the World Is Mean,” each track landing with the weight of a classic. But it was the new material that really pushed the evening into fresh territory. Songs from Passage du Désir, such as “Right Kind of Dream,” “One For The Road,” “Jupiter’s Faerie,” and “If The Sun Never Rises Again,” introduced a new dimension to Simpson’s sound. The crowd’s enthusiastic response to these songs showed how willing they were to embrace this new chapter in his career.
At times, it felt like the concert was a carefully crafted emotional arc. The highs of raucous, full-band moments were perfectly balanced by introspective, almost meditative lows, creating a journey that left the audience captivated throughout. Every note, every transition felt purposeful, showing not just Simpson’s versatility but his raw talent and ability to command a room. It felt like a masterclass in live performance—bold, immersive, and utterly unique.
For anyone seeing Sturgill Simpson live for the first time, like myself, it was a powerful experience. His seamless blend of country, rock, and Americana, mixed with the spirit of his new Johnny Blue Skies persona, made it a night to remember. With performances like this, it’s safe to say that Simpson will continue to surprise, challenge, and electrify his audiences for years to come.
SET LIST ( to the best of my knowledge)
1/ Fastest Horse in Town
2/ Juanita
3/ Mint Tea
(Johnny Blue Skies song)
4/ A Whiter Shade of Pale
(Procol Harum cover)
5/ L.A. Woman
(The Doors cover)
6/ Life of Sin
7/ Midnight Rider
(The Allman Brothers Band cover)
8/ Who I Am
9/ Living the Dream
10/ Long White Line
11/ Life Ain’t Fair and the World Is Mean
12/ All Around You
13/ Some Days
14/ Right Kind of Dream
(Johnny Blue Skies song)
15/ Water in a Well
16/ Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)
17/ If the Sun Never Rises Again
(Johnny Blue Skies song)
18/ Scooter Blues
(Johnny Blue Skies song)
19/ Jupiter’s Faerie
(Johnny Blue Skies song)
20/ One for the Road
(Johnny Blue Skies song)
21/ Just Let Go
22/ Life of Sin
23/ Living the Dream
24/ It Ain’t All Flowers
25/ Turtles All the Way Down
26/ The Motivator
(T. Rex cover)
27/ Call to Arms
FOLLOW STURGILL SIMPSON
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
