So how drunk was Paolo Nutini?

Note: I like Paolo Nutini. I enjoyed his concert. If you are coming to my site for the first time because you found me in a search engine and are going to blast me I liked his show. Don't go all Gaga on me (as in Lady Gaga) and write mean things. I like his music - particularly his new CD - and enjoyed the show. Feel free to read this story but if you came here in a huff, like a bunch of Gaga fans who didn't read the post they were commenting on, please go away.

This is turning into the year of concerts for me. The English Beat show was my Valentine's Day present from Amazing Guy and later this spring we saw Keane.

Friday evening Amazing Guy and I dragged MoJenn (what? you don't know that Jenn in the Netherlands is now Jenn in St. Louis? Get it? MoJenn as in Jenn in Missouri?) to the Paolo Nutini concert. You know the kid, he sings "New Shoes". Everybody now

Hey, I got my new shoes on
And everything is alright
Hey, I got my new shoes on...

So with my new skirt on (really, it was fabulous) but no new shoes we went to the show.

And thought we were watching a train wreck in progress.

Little Mr. Nutini came out waving his half-full glass of red wine. He stooped over and barely got through "New Shoes", the song he is most famous for. When he finally got through this 93 second version (complete with skipped lyrics and inane mumbling) he practically growled into the microphone "no. more. shoes." He was beyond drunk and full of contempt.

I'm sorry but Van Morrison can have complete and utter contempt for "Brown Eye Girl" because he has recorded 3 million songs (approximately) since it was a hit in 1967 (a year before I was born) and he is 1.5 million years old (thereabouts). He is entitled to his contempt for a song that has been around longer than cell phones or the internet.

Little Mr. Nutini is 22 years old. He was born when I was a senior in high school. "New Shoes" was released in 2007. My daughter is older than that song.

He is not old enough nor has "New Shoes" been around long enough for him to be so bitter. Or drunk.

The show eventually came together. His band was amazing. Just an incredibly talented group of men. Paolo eventually stood upright, played guitar and sang songs in their entirety. He kept drinking but he either hit his stride or sobered up. Either way the show finally came together.

And it was a very good show. Too bad I was worried that he was going to pass out. It would be nice not to worry about the health of the performer.