Will Oldham

I was drunk at the pulpit, I knew it was wrong and I left in mid-sermon tempted by a bar-house song

the pews creaked and shifted as they turned to watch me leave and I pulled a little bottle from the pocket in my sleeve

the sunlight was stronger to my church-dark widened eyes than the light which had blinded me with Christ's own half-lies

yes mid-sunday morning, my old playmates sat round a stumble stained table,

Christopher spat and he kicked out a chair and showed me to sit then they started back singing in that shit-smelling pit

they were grinning and dribbling with comforted heads their wives were in church or at home and in beds

well I sucked down a cupful and God shone within in a red earthen mask, and I saw where I'd been was a palace of sin.

(From (I Was Drunk At) The Pulpit, 1993)

ow to describe Will Oldham? At first impression you might think he was on the run from a mental asylum - but then he picks up a guitar... Two hours later you positively KNOW he's escaped from a padded cell, but anyone who can play like this will always have a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card!
Oldham has been around for quite a few years now, making wonderful, quirky music under such names as The Palace Brothers, Bonnie Prince Billy etc. He came to wider attention when Johnny Cash covered his marvellous song I See A Darkness for his Solitary Man album.

Mr. Oldham - literally - bumped into Cardinal Casey before his 08.04.01 gig in Munich, hiccoughing and muttering something about "f****** stage...", then made a beeline for the bar, as all good saints of the Church do... Casey returned the compliment by taking various photos of him during the gig, available here.