Kiefer Sutherland / Sari Schorr Edinburgh, Queens Hall, Wednesday 6th July 2023

I can’t speak to her mindset behind the song choices, but they leaned heavily into the heart breaking and rueful end of her catalogue. Opening with two songs from her 2018 album “Never Say Never,” she summed it up herself after opening song, “Freedom,” when she told the audience that “most of my songs are about regret. So, if you want to talk about regret, come and talk to me.” That led nicely into the broken romance of “Back to LA.”

Good as the opening numbers had been what came next was, well, amazing. Sari launched into blues drenched version of Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.” She nailed it, giving the song an emotional depth that about surpassed McCartney’s version.

A taster for her new album followed. “Where Have You Been My Friend.” It fitted nicely into the set and kept the intimate feeling she was imbuing the set with going. I’m quite sure that with a band behind her it will sound hugely different but for the first time of hearing it this listener loved it.

“Damn The Reason” from her “A Force of Nature” album followed. Sari prefaced the song with what came over as a very heartfelt explanation of the song. It’s a tale of domestic abuse and in her explanation, Sari gave some idea of why someone would stay with an abusive partner. She detailed how an abuser could by turn be the most caring and romantic partner, someone who made you feel like you were the only person who mattered before turning around to show their true nature. The introduction made the song and its performance even more powerful and memorable, and the audience greeted it with rapturous applause at the climax.

Sari changed the mood after that with “Beautiful,” lifting people up with a song that says we’re all beautiful in our own way. We just need to find that beauty inside ourselves.

To finish her set Sari announced that she had a special song for us. She explained that on this tour she had been learning more about British things like HP sauce, and our music. She stomped her boots and clapped out a beat. The guitar started and as the tune filled the hall the audience seemed to collectively spot that she was going to play Status Quo’s “Down, Down.” It was a spirited effort and Sari gave it everything she had but personally I would have rather had “Turn the Radio On” in the set, which happens to be my favourite track of hers. She’s been alternating these two and we were in the “Down. Down” rotation. My die-hard Quo loving wife disagrees with me entirely, so you pay your money, and you make your choice.

The mention of Quo does give me the opportunity to give a big hand to Sari’s guitar player tonight. She’s used different players at different shows and tonight Jim Kirkpatrick was her guitarist. A talented musician and performer in his own right whose own work is well worth a listen. Tonight, he was the perfect foil, Not only was his guitar playing superb he also gave Sari a six degrees of Kevin Bacon moment that tied nicely (deliberately?) into the “Down Down” cover. Jim is the guitarist in Rhino’s Revenge, John “Rhino” Edwards band. Rhino is, of course, the bass player in Quo.

I heard some comments post gig that people were disappointed that she didn’t have a full band and that the songs lacked the power the band gives them. I can see their point, but I disagree. I thought the acoustic set allowed Sari’s vocals room to breathe and dominate and that she was the total focus of the performance. The emotions of the songs came through powerfully and she totally deserved the ovation she got at the end. I wasn’t disappointed at all by the format. Over the course of the thirty-minute set she used her voice to bring out every emotion needed to carry each song through.

Hopefully with new music in the pipeline it won’t be long until we see her back again. I will be first in the queue for tickets when she makes it back to Scotland.

And so, to the main event. For most people, the name Kiefer Sutherland conjures up thoughts of Jack Bauer in “24,” or they think of his films, such as “Stand by Me,” “Lost Boys,” the “Young Guns” films, or one of his many other film and TV appearances. However, three albums into his music career he’s now making a name for himself as a songwriter and performer.

As someone rooted in the art of storytelling it will come as little surprise that Kiefer’s songs are all little mini movies. Some of them are more personal than others but they all come with a narrative and delivery that is as subtle and deft as many of his onscreen characters engage in loud, exhilarating action. There were no fancy gimmicks, no shirt removal to play topless as I heard was happening down the road in Bannerman’s. Honestly, I think if that had happened the stewards would have had to carry seventy-five percent of the audience out of the Queens Hall.

Kiefer’s music doesn’t need any gimmicks though. The stage set was simple, a backdrop of a timber wall with just the name “Kiefer” boldly across it, a table with a lamp and Kiefer’s drink on it, and the band’s instruments. The music did the rest.

Playing a set that relied heavily on his most recent album, 2022’s “Bloor Street,” Kiefer weaved a spell over the audience from the start. As always there was a part of the audience who were there simply because of who it was, but it didn’t take Kiefer and his band long to show them that this is the real thing. Aside from a smattering of covers Kiefer wrote or co-wrote every song in the ninety-minute set. The sound and style are firmly in the Americana, roots arena and there’s a distinct lean towards the sort of “blue-collar” working man songs that have served the likes of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellancamp so well.

He opens the set with one of two new songs. It’s a quick count in form him and the band are into “Ole' Lonely Life,” (I think). It’s a good opening number and the standing crowd downstairs are swaying and clapping along even though most haven’t heard it before.

He follows the opener with two songs in quick succession. “Can't Stay Away” comes from his debut album “Down in a Hole,” and there’s little pause as the band roll on into “Chasing the Rain.”

“Chasing the Rain” is a highlight of the “Bloor Street” album. Like many of the songs off that album it comes over more muscular live. The band play the song a little faster than on the album and there’s more of blue-rock approach given to it. An early set highlight for sure.

By this point the band have really got going. Kiefer has given the audience a fond welcome and asks that we make this Wednesday night into a Saturday night. “Going Down,” and “Going Home” follow. Leading into “Going Home” Kiefer gives us the tale of sitting in a bar at 1:45 am and having the epiphany that “nothing is going to fucking happen at 1:45 in the morning” and that it’s okay to go home. You don’t have to sit in the bar until closing time.

“I’m not the type of guy who gives advice, but if I were, I’d say that life’s too short not to do something you love,” Kiefer advises us before launching into a high-spirited version of “Something You Love,” from the 2019 album “Reckless & Me.” It’s a great song, with lyrics beseeching us all to do something we love rather than just grind our lives away in the drudgery of day-to-day living. In some ways it would make a good companion song to Springsteen’s “Glory Days.” Where that song revels in the pursuit of reliving past glories though, “Something You Love” wants us to dream big and go for it. That life is for living.

Pausing to catch his breath after the tempo of “Something You Love,” Kiefer tells a story about his days as a rodeo rider. How he enjoyed the solitude of driving between events on his own with just his horses in the trailer for company. One of those horses was called “Reckless,” and the song that follows is the title track from the “Reckless and Me” album. Once again, it’s a beefed-up version harder than the album track. Roger Innes bass playing almost buries the twin lead guitars.

A cover of the Patty Loveless song “Blame It on Your Heart” is next. It’s the only cover the Kiefer has recorded. He explains that he always thought it would be a fun song to hear a guy singing. As no one else had done it he decided to put it on his “Down in a Hole” album. It’s a fun rockabilly style song and the crowd at the front lap it up.

Another personal tale follows as Kiefer leads us into the song “Bloor Street.” It’s a pivotal street in Kiefer’s life where many firsts in his life occurred including his first job, his first kiss, the first time he bought a joint and the first time someone beat him up in public. The last two happening at the same time!

“County Jail Gate” rolls by. Telling the tale of a habitual criminal and all the things he’s missed in his life because he was in jail when they happened.

We get another cover with “Ways to be Wicked.” It’s either a Tom Petty cover if you know the songs history or a Lone Justice one if you stand by official release dates only. It’s always been a song I’ve liked in either version and Kiefer and band give it a good go. It adds another more up-tempo song to the set and kick starts the final third of the night’s performance.

Before the next song Kiefer tells the crowd how being alone during the pandemic and coming out the other side, the worries for his family and friends and the world itself brought about a much less cynical view of life. It was from that new outlook on life that the next song “So Full of Love” came. This is another of Kiefer’s bright shiny songs, sharing a positive outlook like “Something You Love.” It’s an infectious song and the audience sing along and clap with the band.

“Set Me Free” gets a little lost and then the band ramp it up. Kiefer salutes the audience and “This Is How It's Done” thunders out. It’s a harder version than on the album and the audience laps it up.

Tom Petty’s “Honey Bee” follows keeping the tempo up and then we’re at the final song of the main set.

“Down in the Hole” gets the sort of groove heavy blues treatment you would normally expect from The Black Keys. It’s a wonderful way to finish the set and it’s driven home by some excellent drumming.

The band left the stage to thunderous applause and even before the door closes to the backstage area the chant of “Kiefer, Kiefer” goes up. There’s little time wasted though, and the band are soon back to more cheers and applause. Interestingly Kiefer leaves the guitar behind and goes into full lead singer mode. It shows just how far he’s come down this path. He no longer feels the need to hide behind the guitar or the large cowboy hat, which was nowhere to be seen tonight. He dances and swings the mic around like he’s done it all his life as he leads the band through another new song, “Friday Night.”(?)

“Agave” wraps the show up. It’s been a crowd pleaser since the very first tour and it send everyone out into the rain with a smile on their face.

The crowd give the band a standing ovation as they all join Kiefer on the lip of the stage and then they are gone. Hopefully not for too long and with more new music when they return.

The band he has on the road with him are excellent. They deserved all the applause they got when Kiefer introduced them. Sadly, he did the introduction while the music was still going and so I didn’t catch everybody. Rather than name the couple I did catch I’ll simply say they were terrific, tight, invested in the music and always knowing what to do.

This was the fifth time we’d seen Kiefer live. He simply gets better every time. His confidence has grown and the guy who was almost hiding under a cowboy hat, and behind his guitar on his first tour is long gone. In his place is a confident performer who delivers his show with humour grace and no end of appreciation for all the good things his fans have brought him as an actor and a musician. He works hard on stage as his sweat soaked shirt showed.

If you like the roots, blue-collar music of Springsteen, Mellencamp, Will Hoge, jump down the rabbit hole and try Kiefer. The lost boy has found his home.