Richard Thompson review – a showcase for decades of

Barbican, York
In a sublime concert full of banter, storytelling and guitar virtuosity, the 75-year-old surrenders himself completely to each moment

There’s something surprisingly exhilarating about a band simply striding on stage without a speck of fanfare. But then it’s a walk that Richard Thompson has completed countless times, and his affiliation has always been with the song.

Tonight, the revered folk-rocker – complete with red Fender Stratocaster and customary jet-black beret – is performing songs from Ship to Shore, his 19th solo album, which is out on Friday. Thompson, now 75, walked away from Fairport Convention in 1971 to carve out a solo career that has been bountiful by every measure.