Richard Thompson – The Usher Hall

Richard Thompson at the Usher Hall Edinburgh — one of the best guitarists on the planet, playing one of Scotland’s finest venues. I had only managed to get one ticket for his show on 28 May 2026, so Emma missed out on this one. Her loss, my gain.

This was not my first time seeing Richard Thompson live. I caught him at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh just after his Mock Tudor album came out in 1999. That record was his tenth solo studio album and his last on a major label (Capitol Records), packed with tracks like Cooksferry Queen and Bathsheba Smiles. Seeing him back then, I was completely blown away by his guitar playing. Fast, precise, and full of feeling. Twenty-seven years later at the Usher Hall, nothing had changed. If anything, he was even better.

Richard Thompson has been performing for well over fifty years now. He co-founded Fairport Convention as a teenager in the late 1960s, helping to create the British folk rock sound. After leaving the band he made a run of acclaimed albums with his then wife Linda Thompson, including I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Shoot Out the Lights. His solo career has been just as impressive, with albums like Rumor and Sigh and Mock Tudor earning him a reputation as one of the greatest songwriters and guitarists Britain has ever produced.

The setlist at the Usher Hall did not disappoint. He opened with I Misunderstood before dipping into the Fairport Convention catalogue with Genesis Hall. Fan favourites like 1952 Vincent Black Lightning and Beeswing got the crowd going, while deeper cuts like Valerie and Pharaoh showed off his range. He also played Walking the Long Miles Home and Down Where the Drunkards Roll from the Richard and Linda Thompson years.

Midway through the set, Zara Phillips joined him on stage and the two of them were brilliant together. They performed Cocaine Walkin’, Booze Talkin’, Withered and Died, She Twists the Knife Again, Pipe Dreams and The Rattle Within before closing the main set with I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight. A proper highlight.

The encore brought Al Bowlly’s in Heaven and a rousing Wall of Death with Zara Phillips still on stage. Nineteen songs in total over about ninety minutes. A generous and brilliant performance.

As for my contribution to the audiovisual record of the evening — my camera work is atrocious. The one song I did record was mainly of the back of someone’s head, so I have just provided the audio for you to get an idea of the vibe.