Album & Live Reviews
Album & Live Reviews
To some, FM is a method of radio broadcasting. To others, it’s an abbreviation for a football management computer game that most fans of the sport have spent far too many hours playing over the years. For the Scottish Rockfiend readers, it could mean First Minister (current and very apt, as I write this review) and for those more fashionable than me, it’s a fancy perfume! But to fans and aficionados of rock music, FM will always be one of the greatest bands to come out of the 1980s British melodic rock scene. Formed in the summer of 1984, FM released their incredibly fine debut, ‘Indiscreet’ two years later, followed by an impressive sophomore album in 1989’s ‘Tough It Out’. Despite success and a further three releases, the band called it a day in 1995. However, a surprise ‘one off’ reunion show in 2007 rejuvenated FM, with the band using this newfound energy to record a further seven albums of original material as well as a re-recording of ‘Indiscreet’ and well-received live performances. This rich vein of late career form is now set to continue in 2024, with Steve Overland (vocals), Merv Goldsworthy (bass), Pete Jupp (drums), Jem Davis (keyboards) and Jim Kirkpatrick (guitar) releasing new studio album ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ through Frontiers Records on 3rd May 2024, followed by a series of live dates. For those of you concerned that an affiliation with Frontiers, undoubtedly one of the biggest melodic rock labels around, means that the FM legacy will be tainted by that very ‘samey’ project band sound heard on many of the record company’s releases, fear not! This is their sixth release with Frontiers and past endeavours have shown that FM have been allowed to forge their own path, without the interference of the label’s in-house producers and songwriters. Will it be the same with ‘Old Habits Die Hard’? There’s a sort of Miami Vice vibe to the intro of mid-paced album opener ‘Out of the Blue’, augmented by a driving, bluesy bassline. Steve Overland’s voice has lost none of its soul and is smooth and crystal clear, hitting the high notes of the chorus with apparent ease. ‘Don’t Need Another Heartache’ sits on a layer of organ with Jem Davis’s keyboards providing depth to the song throughout, as well as some signature and superbly arranged “oooh, oooh” backing vocals. Classic FM! ‘No Easy Way Out’ is a melodic rock standard of steady bass and drums holding the song together, with catchy keyboard refrains whilst Kirkpatrick’s guitar beefs out the sound. Again, the vocals (lead and backing) stick out as being mighty impressive whilst Kirkpatrick’s restrained solo is exactly what the song requires. ‘Lost’ is a rockier, funkier affair with a heavier tougher sound… yet Overland’s silky voice still seems to be a such a perfect fit. There’s a more catchy, melodic edge to ‘Whatever It Takes’, which could be described as a mid-tempo ballad (certainly not a power ballad) with the classic verse chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, guitar solo, chorus structure. This is how melodic rock should be! Simple, catchy, effective. As the album approaches the midpoint, ‘Black Water’ brings a more atmospheric, verging on menacing feel with some stellar piano by Davis and a powerful solo by Kirkpatrick on guitar. You know… the type of solo that makes you throw your head back and close your eyes whilst playing air guitar! ‘Cut Me Loose’ is a classic melodic rock, mid-tempo rocker driven along by the rhythm section of Goldsworthy and Jupp whilst the intro of ‘Leap of Faith’ is a bit of red herring, with a beautiful acoustic intro that suggests a ballad suddenly bursting to life into another brilliant driving rocker of a track. ‘California’ is a bit like the US state that inspired the song: feel-good, sing-along fun that evokes memories of sunshine, beaches and driving on a highway by the ocean. It’s the type of song you’d play loudly whilst driving through the state in your open-top car, with a soulful little bridge section that leads to another perfectly constructed Kirkpatrick guitar solo. Penultimate track ‘Another Day in My World’ starts a bit out of left field, with the type of intro that you might hear on an Eminem track (is LA street, hip-hop, RnB a thing… or have I just invented a genre?). But that’s where any comparison to any other genre (whatever it may be) ends, with the more familiar melodic rock sound that FM is known for taking over. It’s probably the grittiest track on the album and leads perfectly into the wonderful vocal intro of final track ‘Blue Sky Mind’, another catchy rocker that will have you tapping your feet, steering wheel, pencil, wooden spoon or whatever utensil or surface is nearest to your hand! Great stuff! If I’m correct, ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ is FM’s fourteenth album in total and their ninth since 2010. That’s quite a considerable output of music in a 14-year period. In fact, I’d say it’s quite prolific! However, there can be a danger when releasing so much music in such a short space of time in that it can be quantity over quality, sometimes diminishing the legacy of an artist. Fortunately, in FM’s case, the quality of the music is still very much at the forefront, giving fans the classic FM sound that they want to hear in their melodic rock; a solid rhythm section that drives the music along, layers of keyboards, power chords and guitar solos… and the unbelievably smooth and seemingly ageless voice of Steve Overland. It’s not ground-breaking or original and in fairness, they’re not trying to be. But it’s another late-career highlight that is unmistakably FM. After all, why change a formula that has worked so well for 40 years? Old habits die hard, indeed! ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ is released through Frontiers Records on Friday 3rd May 2024 and will be available on CD, vinyl and on the usual streaming outlets. The band will be touring the UK throughout May with dates in Nottingham, Gateshead, Leeds, Bury St Edmonds, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newbury, Exeter, Southampton, London, Belfast, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
It’s hard to believe that New York rockers Wildstreet are closing in on twenty years since they formed in 2006. They’ve spent the last two and half years on the road, building on their fanbase. That’s been time well spent for the band as can be seen from the millions of plays they have amassed on both Spotify and YouTube. Now the band are back with their latest release, the “Wildstreet IV” EP. Stylistic they still hark back to the heyday of 80’s rock when bands were playing up and down Sunset strip looking for that big break. They have the look of Motley Crue in their “Shout At the Devil” days while the sound owes as much to Poison as the Crue and there’s healthy elements of GnR, Maiden, Aerosmith, and others in there too. It’s the sound that tells them apart from bygone bands. The first thing that you hear is how tight the band are. There’s no wasted space on any of these seven songs. The sound is dense and heavy. Eric Jayk growls, snarls, soars, and seduces in turn with his vocal while Jimmie Marlowe’s lead guitar sings, ringing and rising to one crescendo after another in his solos. The EP kicks off with “Heroes”, and “Sick To Death”. “Heroes”, is one of the heaviest songs I’ve heard from the band. The guitar intro leads into a song with so much going on it’s nearly impossible to take the separate parts apart. There’re shades of Iron Maiden to this track in the sound and the lyrics. “Sick To Death” is slower but it’s no power ballad. Maybe a twisted ballad would be an appropriate way to describe as Eric Jayk spends the choruses bemoaning how much he’s “Sick to death of calling your name”. “Won’t be apart” does deliver the big ballad with a sly unexpected twist. There’s a very definite hint of country layered into the track with what sounds like a pedal steel guitar backing up the expected electric leads. It’s a sweet addition and it gets its own solo spot. Eric Jayk adds a smooth subdued (for him) vocal on top to deliver a powerful ballad of aching hearts longing to be back together. “Come Down” gets us rocking again. We’re heading out into the city, and getting a little crazy and when you’re up who wants to come down? Not Wildstreet. Jimmy Marlow riffing and soloing throughout the track are excellent. The layered vocals on the chorus make for a powerful anthemic chant of the “Don’t like to come down” line in the lyrics. “Say Goodbye” delivers a true Hard Rock power ballad moment. The band give us meaty drum, soaring guitars and aching vocals. The song provides lost love, haunting memories, dreams of lost lover. Everything the perfect power ballad needs. The EP run is come with two more rockers. “Mrs Sleazy” and “The Road”. “Mrs Sleazy” is the more straight forward hard rocking track of the too. The drums and guitars are amped up and the vocal snarl over the top of them. “The Road” slow down a bit. It has an appropriate lyric to finish things off as Jayk sings of being on “the end of the road I’m on”. And that’s it. Seven tight hard rockers that will all sound great as Wildstreet set off on the road once more. If the step up after their last stint on the road is similar at the end of this one, we should expect something special around their twentieth anniversary as a band. Wildstreet’s “Wildstreet IV” EP is available now from Golden Robot Records. Wildstreet are currently on the road in mainland Europe and will tour there until early May 2024.
It’s been said that good things come to those who wait. Fans of Kent-based rockers Collateral will be relieved to know that’s very much the case with anticipated second album ‘Should’ve Known Better’. Unfortunate timing saw their debut released just weeks before the country was plunged into lockdown, a blow that could have proved fatal or at the very least, stalled any momentum. But since normality resumed, these lads have made their presence felt with memorable festival appearances, a well received headline tour and successful support slots with the likes of Skid Row, H.E.A.T and Reckless Love. The combination of their incredible live presence and unshakeably catchy songs has led to a fan base very much in the ascent. A wonderfully nostalgic throwback to a time when melodies really mattered, Collateral have always had the songs, but by enlisting respected producer Dan Weller this time around (known for his work with Kris Barras, Those Damn Crows and Monster Truck), they’ve certainly kicked things up a notch in terms of their sound. It’s evident from the start, opener ‘Glass Sky’ a natural successor to ‘Mr. Big Shot’ but with even greater punch. The rhythm section sounds absolutely formidable, but it’s the vocal hook that you’ll remember, guaranteed to adhere itself to the walls of your brain from the first listen. An anthem in waiting, ‘Glass Sky’ has it all, from the shout-along refrain to the addictive chorus and electrifying guitar solo, it’s certain to be a set-list staple from now on. Swaggering in like Ratt at their sleazy best, ‘Original Criminal’ boasts a filthy bass groove and a riff dripping with attitude. Maybe it’s the influence of guitarist Louis Malagodi (the only personnel change following the departure of Rockfiend’s own Todd Winger) but Collateral sound a little heavier here than you might remember. Perhaps best described as ‘badass’, there’s a pervading atmosphere of danger conjured by this story of a man who’s clearly been up to no good. There are further echoes of Ratt in the riff that dominates ‘No Place for Love’, which is reminiscent of ‘Round and Round’, though arguably a better track! If it had been released in the 80s, it would surely have been a huge hit destined to grace hair metal compilations for years to come. ‘One of Those Days’ is refreshingly upbeat, the kind of ear-worm that Collateral make seem effortless. Yes, it’s pretty cheesy, but in the best possible way. The opportunity for audience participation has been factored in, with finger clicks presenting space for a crowd to clap along. It’s a feel-good track that concludes with a flourish of drums and the sound of applause, presented as throwaway but actually very clever. ‘Elysium’ is just as uplifting but more of a party-starter, and showcases Jack Bentley-Smith’s impressive bass playing prowess. Apparently, the word Elysium refers to a state of ideal happiness, which is almost certainly a state you’ll recognise after listening to the track. There’s a seductive sense of mystery in the verses of ‘Teenage Dreams’, and almost a country twang in the jangling guitar reminiscent of Bon Jovi at their outlaw best. And yet, it’s a song that goes to unexpected places; the big, in your face chorus a pleasant surprise bettered by the dramatic breakdown in the second half. The aptly named ‘Game Changer’ is fast-paced and frantic, dropping the tempo briefly only to amp up the drama again after. Collateral sound self-assured, confident and ready to take on even the biggest stages. At the album’s heart is unashamed power ballad ‘On the Long Road’. Gloriously unfashionable, it’s a heartfelt reflection on grief sung with real emotional by Angelo Tristan. The lyrics are utterly relatable and incredibly moving. Given that the video on YouTube is currently sitting at over 108k views, there is clearly still very much an appetite for this kind of thing. If you think they don’t make them like this any more, prepare for a pleasant surprise, but be prepared to shed a tear as you lose yourself in the beautiful harmonies and orchestration. The album concludes with ‘Final Stand’, a metal-tinged stormer quite different to anything the band have released previously. It's pleasingly modern, a bit of a departure with a bludgeoning guitar sound punctuated by pinch harmonics. It's a powerful end to a diverse collection of songs that pass so quickly, you'll be ready to listen all over again. As frontman Angelo foretells in ‘Glass Sky’, there’s “a hurricane coming your way”. Get ready, because ‘Should’ve Known Better’ might just be the storm Collateral need to take them to the next level. The album is released on May 24th. Get your pre-orders in now at
I must confess that prior to this evening I knew very little about Finnish guitar sensation Erja Lyytinen. So I made my way to the Half Moon in Putney with inquisitive curiosity. I’m also slightly ashamed to say that even though I’ve lived in London my whole life, it was my first visit to this legendary venue. It’s been a hotbed for live music since the mid sixties, and artists such as The Who, The Small Faces, Rolling Stones and countless others have performed there. A building that is steeped in history and engrained within music folklore. The moment you step inside you feel like you’re standing on hallowed ground. I arrived early, only to find a long queue of people impatiently waiting for the doors to open. Because of how anxious everyone was to get to the front of the stage, it appeared I was the only person here who hadn’t yet seen Erya Lyytinen in concert. I’ve subsequently found out this is her 20th year of touring and making records, a remarkable achievement for any artist. Due to a last minute cancellation there was no support act, so Lyytinen and her two accompanying musicians walked onstage to a cold audience. But the reception she received made it blatantly clear who everyone had come to see. Dressed in black and armed with a beautiful 22 fret sparkling pink Stratocaster, she greeted her fans like long lost friends. Blessed with a smile that could light up a darkened room it was easy to see why she had such adoring followers. Tonight she fronted a classic power trio, akin to Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble. They opened with ‘Diamonds In The Road’, and it wasn’t long before we were treated to the first dazzling display of slide guitar. An incredibly hard technique to master. A discipline that many have tried and nearly as many have failed. The Derek Trucks and Ry Cooder’s of the world are very few and far between. But Lyytinen is unquestionably a gifted exponent. She delicately blends slide guitar with a wah-wah pedal creating her own signature sound. This was my first Erja Lyytinen experience, but the rest of the audience were fully paid up fan club members, and looking around it seemed like they were in a state of delirium from the sound coming off stage. Next up was ‘Rocking Chair’, which made me very quickly realise that the first song was merely a warm up for what was about to come. Astonishing is the word I would use to describe her playing. The first 2 songs had been created from tried and tested chord progressions, serving as a platform for her prodigious guitar skills, but ‘Bad Seed’ was something much more sophisticated. Classical influences could be heard throughout the arrangement and the guitar solo was reminiscent of Blackmore’s work in Rainbow. As the set progressed the sheer width and breadth of Lyytinen’s musical knowledge became more and more apparent, her ability to blend traditional blues scales with more advanced music theory was extremely impressive. To integrate wide interval arpeggios within a blues song is not an easy thing to do, but within ‘Black Ocean’ she made it look effortless. ‘Never Really Had You’ started out like something Bonnie Raitt would perform but soon morphed into the kind of song that US rockers Heart released throughout the 80’s. For me it was the standout moment of the set up to that point. With its surprisingly commercial chorus, 'Last Girl’ had a structure quite different from her other compositions, further emphasising the vastness of her musical boundaries. The killer riff of ‘Waiting For The Daylight’ was the most powerful moment in the set, musically not a million miles away from something you might find on an Audioslave album. Lyytinen was now playing a stunning blue G & L hybrid Telecaster/Stratocaster. She clearly has impeccable taste in guitars. ‘You Talk Dirty’ was a song of two halves. It started out with an arrangement not dissimilar to the kind of material Whitesnake were recording around the Slide It In era, but a beautiful slide guitar solo after the second chorus saw the song segue into a passage that contained some unusual but fabulous melodies, with guitar and vocals synced in perfect unison. This type of musical content is what really separates her from the rest of the pack. She Incorporates a fusion of styles and influences which to my ear sounds quite unique. ‘Lover’s Novels’ served as yet another showcase for Lyytinen’s incredible mastery of slide guitar. At this point only a musical illiterate would question her supreme talent. Throughout the show she speaks with ease to her captivated audience, they clearly have a strong connection not only to her music but also with her. As we approached the end of the set the mood was becoming a little more relaxed. ‘Wedding Day’ is built around a classic shuffle drum beat, a fun song that allows the musicians to metaphorically let their hair down. With a mixture of improvisation and dynamics they held the audience in the palm of their hand, highlighting everything that’s great about live music in the process. The Jimi Hendrix classic ‘Crosstown Traffic’ got everyone dancing. A slight detour from the original arrangement allowed Lyytinen to incorporate an elaborate, but of course brilliant, guitar solo. The final song of the evening was the sublime ‘The End Of Music’. A beautiful composition that builds and builds, until climaxing on a hypnotic refrain. Like all good artists she had saved the best for last. I arrived knowing only her name, but left in awe of an incredibly accomplished musician and performer. Myke Gray
This smooth and sumptuous West Coast / AOR / Yacht Rock album will appeal to anyone who loves a bit of Toto, Chicago or Christopher Cross in their life. If you prefer silk & satin over leather & studs, and jazz hands over devil horns, then this collection of songs will be right up your velvet-lined alley. Lars Safsund’s voice is a golden gift from the gods. He must surely gargle with nectar and is probably the greatest singer that Toto never had. His honey-toned vocals have graced some of the finest albums in the genre by Work of Art and Lionville amongst others and he has previously hooked up with Anders Rydholm in Art of Illusion, a project name that drew words from their respective bands – Anders is best known as the band leader of Grand Illusion. Both gentleman hail from Sweden; surely the finest small country in the world for music, particularly melodic rock. It’s probably just as well that Anders Rydholm does not live in Scotland as his mates would probably give him a suitable Scottish banter nick-name like “Night Bus” or “Uber” on account of his surname. He’s definitely been an unsung hero but deserves to have his name in lights. The opening track ‘Now and Forever’ kicks in with a staccato guitar riff blended with shimmering keyboards and nimble bass, before the hyper-melodic hook and vocals kick in and then an absolutely top-notch brass / horns section fires up, followed by an incisive guitar solo that completes the full set of everything you could ever want in a West Coast AOR song. The brass instruments set the scene for ‘Hey You’ which is where the Chicago comparison comes in and at times you even get an Earth, Wind & Fire vibe too. This is a very horny album, in fact, it’s got more horns than all the bulls in Pamplona, not least on ‘What’s Not to Love’, and that’s a very good question for this record. There is some sultry, sexy shit going on in ‘Seven Signs of Love’ including some seductive bass playing, but don’t forget that if it doesn’t work out after the seven signs, there are still 50 ways to leave your lover! A lonesome sax introduces ‘Don’t Make Me Do It’ and the Californian sunshine- vibe continues on ‘4th of July’, presumably referencing Independence Day or ‘We Brought You Civilisation and a Language; You’re Welcome, Day’ as we know it in Great Britain, for the benefit of our ungrateful coffee-drinking American friends. The next four songs in order seem to be the most popular nominations for best song in the collection. It might be ‘The Bet’ for me. It is smooth and subtly funky with a “bet you’ll miss me when I’m gone” refrain punctuated by the trumpets. ‘Sara’s Dream’ is smoother still; possibly Lars’ top vocal on this record and the guitar work is superb too. Robert Sall and session-man Tim Pierce do the guitar honours throughout and Matt Bissonette handles the bass, so with Anders’ keyboards, it is a top-quality ensemble. If you’ve got a yacht on your ‘Bucket List’ then the song of that name will be the perfect sound-track for sailing and it hits peak Christopher Cross-ness, before the more muscular ‘Plains of Marathon’, which is even tastier than a chocolate bar with a hazelnut in every bite, adds some Greek goodness. The album rounds off with the title track and then the final funky love-bomb of ‘Love Will Find a Way’. This record will hopefully be the soundtrack of a sun, sport and cider Summer for me and should be for you too. Immersing yourself in this aural goodness is like lighting up the scented candles and taking a bath in milk & honey – you know, the kind of bath you might actually get out of to have a pee! With more brass than a politician’s neck, this album has serious sax appeal, brilliant vocals, keyboards and guitars and some very fine tunes. What’s not to love, indeed. There’s far more than coloured glass and mirrors happening with this ‘Kaleidoscope’.
As my onanist friend Juan Kerr always says; “sh*gging is alright, but you can’t beat the real thing!” There is a certain irony in that statement, but in music, I think there is also a tipping point where alternative pleasure beats the traditional main event, and sometimes watching the very best tribute bands up-close can actually be a more enjoyable experience than paying a large sum of money to watch a diminished version of what remains of an original band pad out their pensions in an enormo-dome. I certainly found that to be the case last year when I finally got around to seeing Blondie for the first time in a big theatre in Fort Lauderdale. Chris Stein was a no-show but a 78-year-old Debbie Harry was there, and for about 20 minutes, there was undoubtedly a thrill at being in the presence of greatness, but that quickly wore off when she started ducking out of the difficult bits and holding the mike up for some discordant mass-karaoke. She will always be a legend and an iconic figure and I would have loved to have seen that band in their prime but if I’m being honest, I’ve had much more enjoyable times watching our local band Dirty Harry putting on a faithful tribute show with more energy and a better set-list. As I witnessed in Glasgow at The Hydro in 2019, Donald Fagen can still put on a great Steely Dan show, especially when surrounded by the best of players, but he’s 76 years-old now and has missed a few shows due to illness and family matters in recent months. Now that The Dan have been replaced by The Doobie Brothers on the Eagles tour, you have to wonder if we will ever see the great man perform again in this country, so maybe now it is time to embrace and savour an alternative presentation of the Steely Dan songbook. When it comes to rating highly-talented tribute acts, you would have to place Nearly Dan near the very top of the list, although they prefer to style their show as a “homage” rather than a tribute. Any major dude will tell you that Steely Dan, as well as being named after the world’s most famous dildo (with respect to the rampant rabbit), are a very difficult band to cover and possibly only Rush would be comparable in terms of complexity and degree of difficulty. Nearly Dan are certainly no fools, but they seem very happy to do the dirty work for Donald Fagen & Co and they deliver a velvety smooth performance with passion and dexterity. They rolled into Edinburgh as a 9-piece combo, featuring Steve Hayes on lead vocals and guitar, alongside two lady backing vocalists, bass, guitar, drums, a 2-piece horn section and Paul Kilvington on keyboards and driving duties, sporting his trademark hat and looking fit and cool in a blue and white striped shirt that may have been his own homage to Diego Maradona (or perhaps the hippo out of the old Silentnight Beds TV advert’s pyjama top for those with long memories). They quickly got into the groove with a set that mixed album tracks and “hits”. ‘Peg’ got an outing quite early in the set – probably just as well because its insanely addictive hook had been in my head all week in anticipation. There was no Michael McDonald of course, but the ladies did a great job on the BVs. Michael is generally regarded as the ‘MVP’ of the notoriously hard to define genre of Yacht Rock and ‘Peg’ scores 92 on the definitive “Yacht or Nyacht” list – one of the highest scores on that chart, as you would expect for such a classic tune, although there is one Steely Dan number that is rated even more highly down at the marina. A sublime rendition of ‘Haitian Divorce’ captured the spirit of the original 1976 cod-reggae, cultural appropriation classic perfectly, just as 10cc nearly did a couple of years later with their slightly inferior ‘Dreadlock Holiday’. I had not anticipated that audience participation would be a part of this particular show but the “where did you get those shoes” line from ‘Pretzel Logic’ got an enthusiastic call-back from a discerning and well-informed crowd. After a short interval, the second set takes it to even greater heights. “The girls” were back in town, with ‘Josie’ putting in an early second-half appearance, followed by the gorgeous musical swelling of ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number’ in which the band’s harmonious wall of sound ebbed and flowed beautifully. It’s a fine line between “Jazzy” and “Jazz” and the song that most conspicuously crossed the Rubicon into full-on jazz odyssey was ‘Green Earrings’. The Nearlies’ rendition was absolutely on-point and whiplash-smart, albeit the extended instrumental “noodling” was not quite my tempo as a die-hard rocker. That’s the way that “really” Dan wrote it though, and it was quite something to see this ensemble hitting all the right spots in an astounding live rendition. Probably the deepest of deep cuts on the night was ‘Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More’ from ‘Katy Lied’; a dark tale but an unexpected delight on the night. After that, it was prime cuts all the way to the end, starting with the 93.75 on the Yachtski scale gem ‘FM (No Static at All). As you would expect, it’s smoother than the greens at Augusta National after a bikini wax, but the girls do seem to care tonight as there were many more ladies in the crowd than I had been expecting. There was probably still a majority of fun-loving, navel-gazing baldies but there was a diversity of ages in attendance, including some multi-generational family groups, and everyone seemed to be getting what they wanted out of it. Even approaching the 20-song mark after more than two hours, there was still gas in the car for Kid Charlemagne and some more well-timed audience participation, before ‘Reelin’ in the Years’ and ‘Bodhisattva’ closed the main set. Some anxious on-stage watch-checking had me thinking “Oh no, 10 o’clock curfew won’t do” but it wasn’t a school night, so we still had time for a valedictory trip back to Annandale for a rousing version of ‘My Old School’ to round things off beautifully. Becker and Fagen were undoubtedly among the finest and most enigmatic song-writers of their time and their genre, but let’s face it, they were always principally a studio band and more focused on technical perfection and overdubs than live performance. In their absence, Nearly Dan absolutely nailed it on-stage and exceeded all expectations by putting on a brilliant display of musicianship, mixed in with a quietly engaging stage presence and a deep knowledge of their chosen field. The musical dexterity required for these songs must be quite intense but, on the bright side, Steely Dan never really had an identifiable visual image so there’s no need for dressing-up, cos-play or wigs. Apparently they have enough material worked up for two completely different sets, so there was talk of putting on some two-date shows in the future, but whatever the format, Nearly Dan are very definitely worthy of attention for anyone who has even a passing interest in Steely Dan or top-notch musicianship. I will definitely ‘Do It Again’ the next time they’re in town. As a footnote, La Belle Angele was packed to the gunnels for this show and I believe the Deeper Purple show on the same night at The Voodoo Rooms down the road was similarly well-attended. That might well offend a few artists in bands producing original material, although many of those folks will also have a covers band on the side or have cut their teeth in such a band. For me, all types of musicians have their place and I am sure that venues and promoters will be glad to raise some funds from shows like this to offset the risks of putting new music. It also seems to have been a good week for new music at Edinburgh’s Bannerman’s too, with low-ticket availability warnings going out in advance of several shows, including Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, and Anthony Gomes selling out his Sunday night gig. It seems that if the product is good enough, the people will still come. Maybe rock ain’t dead after all? Or jazz, and definitely the blues.
It's Friday night, I'm on the laptop working on a few photos from a recent gig. My mobile pings, I look on my social media, there is a new message, the conversation goes "are you shooting anyone tomorrow" I reply "no", "would you like to shoot a gig tomorrow?" "yeah, who?" "Black Cat Bone" "WHO?" "Black Cat Bone" "I've never heard of them!" "they are an up and coming Scottish band and are going places" I was like "really? I'll decide!" well I didn't really, I just said "ok". It's now Saturday, I'm in the car heading towards The Poetry Club at SWG3, I'll be honest, I had to check the conversation from last night as I had forgotten the name of the band. Sorry lads! I get to the venue, as I'm getting the tools ready to go, a couple of the lads introduce themselves, then they head off to get themselves prepared for the show. As the crowd grows, the couple next to me start a conversation about the band, a nice wee chat, but for some unknown reason, the woman thinks I'm security, how she got to that I'll never know, I have two cameras hanging either side of me, long hair and a shirt covered in pin badges lol. The crowd is growing as the support take to the stage. Two lads with acoustic guitars, Andy Barbour & Dave Horne, for the next half hour or so, play blues laden songs. When their set is over, there is an extended break before our headliners take to the stage. The lights dim, and the band comes onto the stage to cheering and clapping. I usually check on platforms to check out bands I don't know, but as I was busy editing, for tonight's gig I was flying blind. After a minute or two of final tuning up, Jamie, Ross, Kai and Ewan AKA Black Cat Bone, kick off tonight's fourteen track set with the addition of one of the support lads on electric piano. As I said, I knew nothing about this band, but moments into the set I am completely hooked! This band has a style of late sixties American psychedelic blues bands. They would fit in on a bill with the likes of Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company, Country Joe and the Fish, Jefferson Airplane, and The Grateful Dead but without the over indulgent solos, with a bit of The Blues Travellers thrown in. Sunglass wearing frontman Ross freely converses with the crowd, telling us about the bands new album 'Tales Of The Amplified' which was produced by the Oasis producer Owen Morris, thankfully this band doesn't sound like Oasis lol. Ross also tells us that the album is also available on vinyl! No biggie if you are over a certain age, but is quite a big thing these days for a smaller band. As with todays modern trend, the band don't leave the stage to then come back for the encore, so they say their thanks to rousing thunderous applause and finish the set with a song called "Loose Juice". Set over, and as they pack their gear, I grab a few seconds and get a group photo, I don't know who the chap on the far left is, he wasn't onstage at any time, but the band pulled him in for the photo, who am I to argue? I can honestly say I am delighted I took the job to shoot this band! If you like to hear a modern twist to nineteen sixties American blues, please go check out Black Cat Bone! P.S I'll never forget their name ever again!! Til next time. I'll see you at the barrier!
Several years ago my partner and I met another couple at a gig in Glasgow, we got chatting and ended up at Club Stigmata, a Goth club. Obviously the topic of conversation was music. One band that the conversation got round to were Joy Division. We were advised to check out a current Manchester band who are hugely influenced by the original Manchester band. So a big thank you goes out to Sarah and David. Which brings us back to tonight. We are in Edinburgh's Voodoo Rooms to see IST IST for the fifth time. I have reviewed the band before for Rockfiend. IST IST opened up for The Mission on their last UK tour. This time however, IST IST are the band doing a small UK tour. Tonight's set is by far the most comprehensive set to date. There are twenty songs on the setlist, covering all three of their albums plus a couple of new songs. Before I get started on the set, an introduction to the band is called for Adam Houghton - lead vocals/guitar, Joel Kay - drums/backing vocals, Andy Keating - bass/backing vocals, Mat Peters - synthesiser keyboards/guitars. The crowd for tonight wasn't the usual Edinburgh crowd. A fair crowd travelled up from Manchester, and the couple next to me were from Leeds. The IST IST crowd follow the band, no matter where they are playing. Their set opens with 'Stamp You Out' followed by the oddly titled 'Fat Cats Drown In Milk', next is 'The Kiss' which is one of the few songs that I am not sure I've heard before including 'Repercussions', 'Dreams Aren't Enough', 'Fools Paradise' and 'Lost My Shadow', however, they are all great songs. There are also many of their most popular songs like 'Black', 'Nothing More, Nothing Less', 'Watching You, Watching Me' and 'Emily'. Usually, it is Andy that does most of the talking, but tonight, Adam does his fair share of conversing with the Edinburgh crowd! We get to where the band tell us that we are going to pretend that they are going to leave the stage then return to carry on with a few more songs. The "encore" is the afore mentioned 'Emily' next is my personal favourite 'You're Mine' and finally 'Slowly We Escape'. A short while after the band leave the stage, they re-emerged and mingled with the crowd, posed for selfies and signed merch. I find myself in a fortunate position, having photographed the band in several small venues, being recognised by the band is still quite novel to me, so being asked if I got some good shots and they couldn't wait to see my photos, is a bit ego enhancing. I am also a memorabilia collector, after the first time I saw the band, I asked Joel, the bands drummer for one of his old sticks, he replied that sticks were for "repeat offenders" and to his word, next time I saw the band, he came to me and handed me a pair of his used sticks, I didn't even need to remind him. Speaking to him after the gig, I asked him, next time will be my sixth gig seeing them, would that mean I would get to join them on stage, he thought for a second, and said no! and we both had a little laugh about it. I did find out that the band would be back in Glasgow, maybe October-ish, and back to King Tuts. So we will see the band for the sixth time then! And at that we headed back to the car for the journey back across the M8 to Glasgow See you at the barrier!
Maybe I shouldn’t be allowed to conduct interviews. Last week, I sat down for a chat with singer-songwriter James O’Hurley; We talked about his debut single ‘Evil’, his influences, why he stepped away from music for a while and his plans over the coming months. Unfortunately for us both, I was blissfully unaware that I needed to turn on the microphone to record sound on my iPhone. So, after 20-odd minutes, I found myself with a lovely recording of James and I conversing… In absolute silence! It’s difficult to express my horror. I am an uneasy interviewer at the best of times; Very much an introvert, I am reasonably happy expressing myself from the comfort of my keyboard, but less confident when I have to talk. So I was relieved to find James warm and engaging, easy to talk to and effortlessly settling my nerves. It had been a stressful hour getting things set up. Despite several attempts over several days, I still couldn’t work out how to record a meeting on Zoom. I figured I’d use Skype instead but James doesn’t have it… So we decided WhatsApp would be the best option. Hooray then for the screen recording feature on my phone - also a new discovery to me and the solution to my problems… or so I thought! Thankfully, I do remember some of our chat. And better still, James has been very gracious about the whole thing. We’re intending to catch up again in a couple of months when he releases his second single. I’m very much looking forward to it because James is incredibly likeable, utterly free of ego and genuinely delighted that people are interested in him and his music. There’s a real enthusiasm for the material he’s creating that shines through and a contentment at having returned to making music after some years away. I ask him why he stopped in the first place; he doesn’t go into detail but acknowledges that sometimes life and relationships (not just romantic ones) can pull you in different directions. He talks about enjoying the independence that comes from being a solo artist; he can make his own decisions in terms of his sound and finds that the songs are coming easily at the moment. He quotes one of the Gallagher brothers who described writing songs as “like catching rain in a bucket”, as if there is an element of luck to the craft. I still think it’s a remarkable talent and one that I’ve never acquired, despite my fondness for the written word. No such trouble for James, whose ideas are so abundant that he talks about his intentions for a second album despite the first one still being some months away from release! I’m interested to know if he finds the process of being in the studio somewhat arduous but not at all; for him, it’s just a joy to be back at it. James says that the music he is playing now is very different to that of the various bands he was in during his youth. The punk influence of bands like Killing Joke has been replaced by the big singer songwriters. He mentions Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman and Neil Young. I note that I can hear those influences seeping through the acoustic storytelling of ‘Evil’ and want to know if we can expect similar from the rest of the album. Of course, there will be more of that but apparently, there are some heavier, more rocking tracks in store too with a greater blues influence. Given his fondness for The Black Crowes, I’m intrigued to see if some of their groove infiltrates James’ sound. He’s eager to line up some live dates and I can’t wait to hear how his music translates live. At some point conversation turns to Led Zeppelin; he thinks ‘Ramble On’ is pretty much a perfect song and I’m inclined to agree. He mentions the idea of bringing a cover of ‘Gallows Pole’ to his live performances and I, for one, would love to hear it! It’s interesting that James says he’s not from a musical family - nobody else plays an instrument, but he’s always been exposed to a lot of music. It’s obvious in the way he talks about the artists he loves and the breadth of his knowledge. I mention at the end of interview that I hope our chat will lead to a few more people checking out his music - and I mean it. So I’m upset to discover I’ve messed up. But my sentiment remains the same - James O’Hurley is a really exciting new artist who deserves your support. He probably also deserves a better interviewer… But I’ve definitely learned my lesson!
With its first single, ‘Fourth of July’, released over nine months ago, the release of Steve Conte’s fifth album, ‘The Concrete Jangle’, has been a long time coming … and I’m pleased to report that it has been more than worth the wait. Probably better known to rock fans through his ‘day job’ of playing guitar with the Michael Monroe Band and previously with the New York Dolls and Company of Wolves, it’s with Steve’s solo material where things can get much more interesting and varied. His previous albums have spanned garage rock, punk covers, Americana, and rock and soul, and his ‘Steve Conte NYC’ album (released in 2014) in particular received critical acclaim, but sadly didn’t convert into the commercial success which it deserved. ‘The Concrete Jangle’ builds on these foundations and, to use a sporting analogy, is a game of two halves. Depending on if you listen to vinyl, CD or digitally, the first side/five songs are co-written by Steve and English singer/songwriter Andy Partridge (XTC) and the second side/five songs are Steve’s own work. With projects like this, there’s always the risk that the two sides (however good) could sound different and disconnected, but not here where the two sides blend perfectly and form a wonderful jangly greater whole. And, yes, that’s not a typo – the album title does say “jangle”, with the cover artwork updating his earlier ‘Steve Conte NYC’ album artwork and providing a Rickenbacker-influenced play on words hinting at Steve’s unique New York street-based rock and soul sound within … and janglier than we’ve heard him before. So, to start with - Side 1/songs 1-5 and the Conte/Partridge collaboration. I have to say that It’s been fun watching Steve’s genuine excitement unfold on social media as he and Andy collaborated over Zoom trading songs, verses, lines and words. There was no mistaking just how much the opportunity to collaborate with one of his musical idols meant to Steve, which speaks volumes about the level of respect which he has for Andy and also when you consider the ‘Who’s Who’ of musicians that Steve has played with in the studio or on stage including Billy Squier, Chuck Berry, Patti Smith, Peter Wolf, Paul Simon, Alice Cooper, Willie Nile, Eric Burdon and Willy Deville. The first single and opening song on the album, ‘Fourth of July’ caught my attention when it was released last July. Big, jangly, guitar-driven, upbeat and melodic, it suggested a partnership of equals bringing their own musical styles together to produce something fresh and original and left me wanting to hear more. The raw guitar-led (what else?), ‘Hey, Hey, Hey (Aren’t You the One?)’ struts, swaggers and grooves sensuously out of the speakers. As with ‘Fourth of July’, it defies songwriting convention and starts with the verse which is the chorus, doesn’t stand still and evolves throughout the song. Linking these verse /choruses is a moment of pure pop genius with Steve’s vocals backed by what at first sounds like great “doo-doo-doo” backing vocals, but are they vocals or one of the many musical studio toys and effects which run rampant throughout this album, as Steve, Andy and their contributors let loose and have a lot of fun? (extending beyond piano and organ to vocoder, Wurlitzer, sampling and Ondioline, Continuum and Andromeda keyboards). The strutting and swaggering continues in the form of more of a ‘70’s glam rock stomp in the latest single ‘We Like It’ which is based lyrically on politicians’ false (“I’ll promise you anything”-style) promises, delivering a serious message tongue-in-cheek and complete with background gang vocals provided by over 50 of Steve’s musical friends including Ian Hunter, Glen Matlock, Dennis Dunaway, Steve Lillywhite, Nasty Suicide and Dregen to name but a few (in the interests of giving credit where its due, all are listed later in this review). Third single ‘Shoot Out the Stars’ provides fuzzy big guitar chords, more of that glam-tinged and psychedelic vibe and a lesson in how to deliver vocals with attitude, before ‘The Last Bell’ brings the Conte/Partridge run of songs to an end. Beginning with a bell tolling solemnly and then Steve singing “One last bell is ringing out, One last bell …” in a trippy and psychedelic descending melody, reminiscent of church bells, before being lifted by a trumpet solo rising above – not your standard musical fair, but very creative musical stuff. Turning over to Side 2 or moving on to songs 6-10 (the Conte originals), the lyrical content is on more familiar territory – love, longing and loss. ‘Motor City Love Machine’ puts its foot down and provides the fastest song on the album, providing a great, fun piece of garage rock paying homage to all things Detroit and the object of his affections – classic car or female, I’ll leave you to decide. ‘All Tied Up’ follows and is without a doubt the best track on the album, if not an instant classic. I would even go so far as to say that it has displaced ‘Anytime At All Times’ as my favourite Steve Conte song – something I didn’t think possible. Speaking in advance of the release of ‘The Concrete Jangle’, Steve is on record as saying that working with Andy Partridge had pushed him to new heights with his songwriting and its not hard to hear that. Within seconds of listening to ‘All Tied Up’, you’ll be enveloped in emotion, as Steve sings and plays at his soulful and emotional best. If he doesn’t have you from the first line, he’ll have you from the third with the beautiful simple melody of the three-word chorus “All Tied Up” which manages to convey longing, regret and heartache at the same time in this tale of love coming along at the wrong time. It also provides one of the best soul vocal performances I’ve heard from a white artist. I could write that it gives me goose bumps or makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up each time I listen to it. If I did, those words would be both inadequate and an under-statement. Think Hall & Oates at their prime, but better … cooler … more emotional … and a whole lot more soulful and you might start to get the picture. Possibly aware of just how good this song is and of the potential to take it even further, as the song heads into the bridge it continues with Steve’s soulful vocal accompanied just by drums – a musical moment designed for emphasis, audience participation and singing and clapping as one (and in much, much bigger venues). A muted trumpet and vocal herald the start of the psychedelic, spiralling and Beatles-esque “Decomposing a Song For You”. If ever you could guess the nature of a song from the title, this might be it – a funereal song (complete with the solo trumpet widening out into more of a Louisiana-style jazz funeral march) for a relationship gone wrong. Changing the pace and feel completely, the penultimate track is the joyous, upbeat, life-affirming and Supreme(s)ly good “Girl With No Name”. When I reviewed this as a single last October, I wrote “No longer content with creating the perfect 3-minute pop song, Steve Conte has delivered the perfect 4-minute pop song and probably the song of his career”. I meant every word and without any false praise or over-statement. “Girl With No Name” is still the perfect 4-minute pop song, and more than six months on the “I cry for loving” (repeat) line with the shuffling background “I’m so shy, I’m so shy, Don’t know why, I’m so shy” still goes through my head most days. But, for me, it has now been overtaken by ‘All Tied Up’ as the song of his career … and there’s no probably about it. Finally, ‘I Dream Her’ (at a mighty 6 mins and 25 seconds and almost twice as long as most of Steve’s material) brings the album to a close with an emotional and evocative song about a life cut short by addiction. Again, tipping its hat to The Beatles’ psychedelic period with Steve singing “She’s always there, When I dream her, I dream her, She is calling to me, When I dream her, I dream her, Please don’t wake me now” with an equally emotional guitar solo bringing the album to the end. I’ve been lucky to have had access to this album for weeks and can genuinely say that I’m still playing it regularly – not for reviewing, but because it is such a good album and there is so much to hear within it. On paper, we have 15 minutes of Andy and Steve’s co-written songs and then 20 minutes of Steve’s. What that top line doesn’t tell you is that the 35 minutes of ‘The Concrete Jangle’ contains some of the best music you will hear anywhere. Two great artists and songwriters feeding off each other and inspiring the other to go further. In addition to singing lead (and backing) vocals and playing guitar on the album, Steve also plays no less than the 12 string electric sitar, mandolin, organ, piano, Wurlitzer, vocoder, tambourine, maracas, provided sampled strings and arrangements, and provides handclaps. He is accompanied by his brother John Conte (on bass), with Prairie Prince (ex-The Tubes and XTC), Thommy Price and Brian Delaney (on drums), Andrew Hollander (on piano and mellotron flutes), Rob Schwimmer (on keyboards), Mark Stewart (on cello), Chris Anderson (on trumpet), his son Zia on backing vocals and a cast of over 50 musical friends on gang backing vocals on ‘We Like It’ who I’m going to list here to give you a sense of just how highly Steve is rated as a singer and musician – Ian Hunter, Rick Tedesco, Kevin Tyler Preston, Glen Matlock, Prairie Prince, Thommy Price, Marshall Crenshaw, Tommy Henrickson, Kyf Brewer, Marc Broussard, Steve Lillywhite, Kasim Sultan, Jessie Wagner, Palmyra Delran, Genya Rayan, Simon Kirke, Danko Jones, Nasty Suicide, Dennis Dunnaway, Kevin Salem, Danny B. Harvey, Jonathan Clarke, Robert Eriksson, Dregen & Majsan, Kevin March, Chips Kiesbye, Rich Ragany, Keith Roth, Damon Johnson, Rich Jones, Billy Hopeless, Alycia Jones, Jay Millette, John & Jennifer Kerns, Danni Action, Michael Imperioli, Frank Lammers, Christian Keiber, Kerry McGann, The Brazen Giant Ensemble, Ryan Hamilton, Ben Rubin, Jan Verdoorn, Mickey Leigh, Westley Crawford, Janie Barnett, Nicki Richards, Lajuan Carter-Dent and Baz Conte. Produced by Steve (with additional remote production from Andrew Hollander and Andy Partridge) and mixed by Geoff Sanoff, the sound throughout is rich, sharp and lush. Adapting his earlier ‘Steve Conte NYC’ album artwork signalled a bold statement of intent. You might want to think of this as Steve’s “XTC album”, his “psychedelic album”, his “Beatles album” or “soul album”. However, none of these terms would do it justice, as it is all of these and so much more – let’s just keep things simple and say it’s his “best album”. In ‘The Concrete Jangle’ Steve Conte has delivered the album of his career and produced a slice of sonic heaven that exudes quality out of every note and pore. Guitar-led, it struts, it swaggers, it soars, it jangles and has so much SOUL. You need this in your collection. ‘The Concrete Jangle’ will be released by, the always cool, Wicked Cool Records on 20 April 2024 Go get it. GMcA