A force of nature when on stage with The Waterboys, where he has served for nigh-on 30 years, Steve Wickham needs little introduction. Having first emerged as a key member of In Tua Nua, he’s added his rock and roll fiddle to countless sessions and live appearances with the likes of U2 (‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’), Sinead O’Connor and – as this scribe witnessed one memorable night – REM.
His second solo album features a stellar line-up including Joe Chester and Camille among others. Blending instrumentals with songs and shorter passages, it showcases an almost ridiculous stylistic versatility: Wickham has always straddled a restless line between folk, rock, trad and classical. Opener ‘The Band Played On’ is a part spoken-word affair, playing like Van Morrison’s ‘Coney Island’ with a more ethereal vocal delivery, while ‘Two Thousand Years’ has a distinctive Middle Eastern feel, and ‘The Cells Of The Heart…’ finds Wickham in gypsy violin mode.
His musical soulmate Mike Scott joins in on ‘Stopping By Woods’, a foreboding tune with enough tension and atmosphere to cut through a dark night. It wouldn’t sound out of place in a Waterboys setlist. Throughout Beekeeper, Wickham’s mastery of his instrument is in evidence. It’s a fitting testament to his multi-faceted approach.