Cats in Space / Willie Dowling Reconnect Regal Theatre, Bathgate 25th October 2024

As usual, it all started with a jaunty “hello”, and ‘Too Many Gods’, performed by six guys who, if they did set the DeLorean to go back the 1970s, would probably be treated like the rock gods that they deserve to be. They then wasted no time in playing the title track from ‘Time Machine’. Most album reviews reference this song as borrowing a bit from The Who, but Greg Hart clearly doesn’t give a toss, unapologetically whirling his arms Townsend-style throughout a song that has become an instant classic.

Of the other new songs, ‘Crashing Down’ starts with a piano intro that Kate Bush would be proud of before swelling to a magnificent crescendo, while the excellent ‘This Velvet Rush’ has a smoothness reminiscent of Robbie Williams’ ‘Feel’. That’s the thing about the Cats; when it comes to music, they recycle more than The Wombles, but that gives even their new songs an instant familiarity and warmth and they do it so well that it still sounds fresh and original. Nobody does it better and the new album is very good indeed. They follow up with the apocalyptically good ‘Immortals’ but then reassure us that it’s not the end of the world on the bold and brassy ‘Occam’s Razor’. Like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Baba O’Riley’, I don’t think the main title of the song appears in the lyrics, but I’ve only had the chance to play it once so far so I might be wrong. The phrase “Occam’s Razor” generally refers to a principal that the simplest answer is probably the correct answer, and in this case, if you said that The Cats are a great live act and the best retro-soft rockers in the country, you would be correct.

All six studio albums are represented. Greg keeps his electric guitar on, but stands behind an acoustic guitar on a stand for ‘Bootleg Bandoleros’. You don’t see that as often as you used to. Towards the end of the set, ‘Thunder in the Night’ gets the bums off the very comfortable seats in The Regal for a shake of the booty while pretending that we can’t stand this disco music. Jeff Brown and Damien Edwards bring the main set to a close with a fine rendition of ‘The Greatest Story Never Told’. Millennials might prefer ‘Mr Brightside’ but for me, this is certainly one of the top ten songs of the current century so far, worth its weight in gold indeed.

The encores were ‘Hologram Man’ and the brilliant ‘I Fell Out of Love with Rock ‘n’ Roll’, the title of which sadly possibly captures the current mood of gig goers in this country. You can’t fault the Cats; they deliver a top-quality show and songs full of charm, glorious melodies and harmonies. They’ve got six studio albums, a best of collection, two live albums and they’ve played festivals, clubs, theatres and arenas as both headliner and special guests. They might be niche but they have built up a very loyal following; devoted fans who lap up their music and classy merchandise, but the challenge will always be to fill venues with people the way they fill it with their music.

To be fair, the venue was not far off full for this gig. Situated half-way between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Bathgate is actually a wee town with a big rock & roll tradition, dating back to rock nights at the original Dreadnought Hotel and now taken forward by the excellent Dreadnought Rock bar down the street. The Regal is a beautiful art deco former cinema which has now been restored for music, comedy and panto shows, albeit to date, the music has largely been tribute acts. It currently holds 230 seats but there are plans to renovate the former circle / balcony to instal a cocktail bar. This was my first visit and I would have to say I was very impressed.

The Bathgate audience also took a liking to the support act; Willie Dowling & The Invisible Band. There is no band – it’s just Willie and a piano and some backing tapes, but that’s just one of his jolly japes as he put on a highly entertaining show, packed with self-deprecating humour, witty banter and fun songs. Willie appeared on stage in a striking black and white checked suit. He’s a hirsute gentleman with a full 1970’s face-bush and introduced himself as Jeff Lynne, although he actually looked a bit more like Dave Lee Travis, if truth be told. His songs contain some impressive wordplay, at times like Richard Stilgoe meets The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band on tunes like ‘I Killed My Imaginary Friend’ but he also releases his inner honky cat on some fine tunes and a new song called ‘In the Ocean’ was very poignant. I fear that the window of opportunity for music like Willie’s to chart may have closed about 50 years ago but you really have to see and hear him to get what he’s all about and there are definitely hidden depths lurking beneath the bonhomie and good cheer. Willie’s album ‘The Simpleton’ is due out around now, advance copies were flying off the merchandise stall, and you really owe it to yourself to check him out. There is also a headline tour of UK venues scheduled for February 2025, including Bannermans in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Birmingham and London’s 100 Club, so pop along if you want to see and hear something completely different.