Before we hit our house move I was lucky enough to catch Andy White at Kardomah in Hull. Kardomah is turning into one of Hull’s main venues for good music!
It was one hell of a night! Andy was really on form. He was solo and plugging his massive box-set of brilliance.
One of my favourite songs is Religious Persuasion and I knew we were in for a great evening when he kicked off with it. It’s a song that doesn’t pull punches.
What a great gig. Andy gave it some welly and rocked the joint!
Here’s a few photos from the gig:
ANDY WHITE
Religious Persuasion Lyrics
‘protestant or catholic’
cried a voice from the crowd
‘not you again st peter’
I was thinking aloud
should have packed my bags
headed off for the coast
had my time already come
to meet the heavenly host?
they switched on their halos
adjusted their harps
checked that the blades
on the pearly gates were sharp
I asked them what they meant
about religious bent
they said ‘that’s the test’
I said ‘that’s the test-ah-meant’
they were giving holy orders
I think you’ll find
I was up against persuasion
of the religious kind
it was hailing marys
at the drop of a tract
said the 7 deadly sins
were staying round at my flat
I pondered on the churches
of england and rome
hadn’t paid the rent
for my spiritual home
needed guidance from the leaders
whose names I knew
archbishop…
and john player number two
I quaked in my sackcloth
threw away my joss-stick
burned my koran and said I was agnostic
‘I mean an atheist’ I cried
as they moved in for the kill
the walls tumbled down as they
handed me the bill
they weren’t impressed
with my distinctions
I think you’ll find
that I was up against persuasion
of the religious kind
a lamb to the slaughter
a human sacrifice
I told their spiritual leader
his sceptre looked nice
a hymn book skimmed my ear
but I was only grazed
I dived for cover
as the sawn-off bibles blazed
in the gore I gasped
‘was it something I said?’
then a solid granite altar
hit me on the head
a collection plate plunged into my groin
they marched off discussing
the battle of the boyne
as I expired I was thinking
they’d been rather unkind
but I was up against persuasion
of the religious kind
bleeding and naked
I was somewhat at a loss
the good samaritan was drinking
at the sign of the cross
recalling their question I felt totally alone
as I peered out from underneath
the tablets of stone
in the gutter lay the crushed
remains of a bible
it proclaimed their grievances
were purely tribal
they made me see the light
for that I offer my thanks
I was collared by the dogs
now I’ve joined their ranks
onward christian soldiers
I hope you don’t mind
being afflicted by religion
of the persuasive kind
now if you’re visiting some irish town
the politicians’ heads stuck in the ground
and the only bell ringing has a
graveyard sound
someone’s got to stand up or
nothing’s gonna change
till religion
is rearranged
