William DuVall kicked off his European solo run in Dublin on Monday night (25th April 2022) with a show that was two and a half years and a number of pandemic-necessary postponements in the making. A packed crowd filled the Irish capital's Academy Green Room for what the Alice in Chains man said, was a long time coming.
Photo: Darren McLoughlin.
Arriving on stage to a hero's welcome, the Grammy Award-nominated musician settled into the relaxed atmosphere with ease. "Guys, it's been an adventure, I tell you!", he exclaimed as he took his seat and adorned himself with a Gibson acoustic; "I'm just so glad that we could get this going and start out in a city like Dublin where I'm among friends".
Kicking off with ‘The 3 Wishes’, the first of a number of tracks from 2019 solo release ‘One Alone’, DuVall’s soaring voice and deft picking were apparent from the off.
Following with one lone track from his day job, William said; “I'm going to do one foray into Alice in Chains land, and this is it! It’s a tune that means quite a bit to me”, he said of Rainier Fog’s ‘Never Fade’.
With an astonishingly crystal clear sound in the intimate venue, there was nary a word as the Alice in Chains man charmed the Monday night audience with his incredible ethereal vocal tones, underrated guitar skills, wit and good nature.
With gentle finger picking, lead breaks, riffing, and flair, the set veered from soulful to the mournful to out and out rocking as the night progressed.
Sharing his love of David Bowie and the inspiration the icon gave him as a teen, William’s passion elevated his take on Ziggy Stardust-era centrepiece ‘Lady Stardust’.
It was the first of a handful of covers throughout the night that included a simply inspired version of Aersomith’s ‘Seasons of Wither’.
There was even a welcome verse of an early Thin Lizzy classic. Referencing Lizzy bandleader Phil Lynott, the singer said; “I didn't get to visit the Phil statue this time, but he's here in spirit anyway!”, before launching into an impassioned run through the Irish legends’ ‘The Rocker’.
Touching on his work with Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, the supergroup which also features members of Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Mars Volta and Zappa Plays Zappa, DuVall opted to play ‘Blood Moon’, prefacing it with a warning that; “you'd be hard pressed to find a more electric record than that. Nevertheless I'm going to try an acoustic version”.
With the night coming to an end, a cover of Prince’s ‘The Ballad of Dorothy Parker’ emphasised the informal nature of proceedings, as DuVall confessed; “this was giving me a little trouble earlier today, but since I'm among friends, I'll give it a try”. The flawless rendition which followed proved that needn’t have worried.
Closing with the; “tune is responsible for all of it”, ‘'Til the Light Guides Me Home’, the troubadour took his bows on what had been a phenomenal night of music in Dublin. “Thank you very much, Dublin. It's been a real honour” he said. William, it was worth the wait.
William DuVall's solo tour continues across the UK and Europe. For a full list if dates, click here.
Kicking off with ‘The 3 Wishes’, the first of a number of tracks from 2019 solo release ‘One Alone’, DuVall’s soaring voice and deft picking were apparent from the off.
Following with one lone track from his day job, William said; “I'm going to do one foray into Alice in Chains land, and this is it! It’s a tune that means quite a bit to me”, he said of Rainier Fog’s ‘Never Fade’.
With an astonishingly crystal clear sound in the intimate venue, there was nary a word as the Alice in Chains man charmed the Monday night audience with his incredible ethereal vocal tones, underrated guitar skills, wit and good nature.
With gentle finger picking, lead breaks, riffing, and flair, the set veered from soulful to the mournful to out and out rocking as the night progressed.
Sharing his love of David Bowie and the inspiration the icon gave him as a teen, William’s passion elevated his take on Ziggy Stardust-era centrepiece ‘Lady Stardust’.
It was the first of a handful of covers throughout the night that included a simply inspired version of Aersomith’s ‘Seasons of Wither’.
There was even a welcome verse of an early Thin Lizzy classic. Referencing Lizzy bandleader Phil Lynott, the singer said; “I didn't get to visit the Phil statue this time, but he's here in spirit anyway!”, before launching into an impassioned run through the Irish legends’ ‘The Rocker’.
Touching on his work with Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, the supergroup which also features members of Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Mars Volta and Zappa Plays Zappa, DuVall opted to play ‘Blood Moon’, prefacing it with a warning that; “you'd be hard pressed to find a more electric record than that. Nevertheless I'm going to try an acoustic version”.
With the night coming to an end, a cover of Prince’s ‘The Ballad of Dorothy Parker’ emphasised the informal nature of proceedings, as DuVall confessed; “this was giving me a little trouble earlier today, but since I'm among friends, I'll give it a try”. The flawless rendition which followed proved that needn’t have worried.
Closing with the; “tune is responsible for all of it”, ‘'Til the Light Guides Me Home’, the troubadour took his bows on what had been a phenomenal night of music in Dublin. “Thank you very much, Dublin. It's been a real honour” he said. William, it was worth the wait.
William DuVall's solo tour continues across the UK and Europe. For a full list if dates, click here.
