Album & Live Reviews
Album & Live Reviews
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
Finland’s “Queen of the Slide Guitar”, Erja Lyytinen, showed that she’s so much more than a great score in Scrabble* with a charismatic and top-quality show for the Edinburgh Blues Club. Just four days previously, Erja had been performing at Bluesfest in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia so it must have been a bit of a culture and climate shock for her to pitch up in Scotland during Storm Kathleen, but it was good to see her again. Erja released the outstanding live CD ‘Diamonds on the Road’ last year and the setlist for this tour largely replicates that. She opened with the fuzzy-slide riff excellence of the title track and that set the tone for the evening and got the discerning and knowledgeable blues-savvy audience tapping and clapping along. It’s a different band from the one captured on the live recording. Sami Osala (drums) and Heikki Saarenkunnas (bass) have combined with Erja to form a power-trio for this tour and, despite the absence of keyboards this time, they fill out the sound nicely and provide a great platform to showcase the main lady’s vocal and guitar prowess. An early highlight is the lascivious-sounding ‘Bad Seed’ from the album ‘Waiting for the Daylight’. The readers of Guitar World voted Erja’s original solo on this song into their Top-10 of 2022 (Steve Vai won) and it was equally impressive in this live setting. That’s not the only competition that Erja has done well in – she also finished 7th in the 2012 edition of “Tansii Tahtien Kanssa”, which is Finland’s version of Strictly Come Dancing (Olli Herman of Reckless Love was 6th in 2019) and she clearly knows how to add glamour and style to her stage show to enhance a virtuoso performance. The Edinburgh Blues Club first brought Erja to this room in 2015, their second year of operation. I believe ‘Black Ocean’ is the only song from that show that remains in the set-list and it definitely still deserves its place, unfolding melodically over around 7 minutes with Erja picking out a beautifully nuanced non-slide solo on her white and red guitar. Incidentally, I understand that the correct pronunciation of the lady’s name is “Air-ya Lute-in-enn” but don’t feel bad if you’ve been saying it wrong, as Erja pronounced the name of her host city as “Edin-burgg” throughout the evening, so we’re even . ‘You Talk Dirty’ is another sexy-sounding song and it is a riff-tastic winner featuring heavy guitar and whammy bar action and even some very brief Tarja-style high vocals as it barrels along at high-octane pace. The main set ends with ‘Wedding Day’ but before the music ends, we are treated to an encore performance that includes Jimi’s ‘Crosstown Traffic’, complete with yodelling and kazoo, and it all rounds off nicely with ‘The End of the Music’. The Edinburgh Blues Club always curates an outstanding programme of events. Members pay £12 per month but individual gig tickets are available to all and I am sure this show will go down as one of the highlights of this year’s calendar. Those who have not been fortunate enough to catch Erja’s live shows may want to seriously consider obtaining a copy of ‘Diamonds on the Road’ to hear what they have been missing. You won’t make the same mistake again. *Traditional Scrabble enthusiasts will perhaps point out that ‘proper nouns’, including names, are not normally allowed in the game, so “pedantic” would actually be a better scoring word. Alloa’s finest Delta-Bluesman and guitar tutor is Iain Donald, better known as ‘The Gator’ - the name that he uses for stage performances and for the excellent ‘Gaulty and The Gator’ blues podcast that he presents with his wife, Fiona. For this prestigious opening slot, Iain was up there on his own, although he had plenty of strong support in the crowd. He admitted that this show was a big deal for him and that he had promised the promoters that he “wouldn’t be shite”! He also confessed to being nervous but covered the nerves up with some amusing and self-deprecating Clackmannanshire humour and there was no real need for concern as he is a very proficient guitar player indeed and that, alongside his smoky bourbon voice, makes him a very authentic blues troubadour. He started off his set, unplugged and acoustic, with a highly personal selection of songs covering none-more-bluesy issues such as difficult parental relationships and death in the family. I was already feeling a bit down-hearted having watched my Bonnyrigg Rose football team cough up a 93rd minute equalizer in a vital game a few hours earlier, so this melancholic onslaught just about had me greeting into my third cider of the evening, but then, it is a blues club after all. After the four “sad” songs, Iain plugged in a steel guitar and pulled out a slide to really show what he can do with an electric instrument. He is an exceptional player with great tone and feel. He favours economy of touch over fret-board flashiness and it was clear that his emotionally-charged performances of songs like ‘Shave Yo legs’ and ‘Dunoon Boat Song’ really struck a chord with some folks. This dude really knows his blues and he kept his promise. He was not shite.
Though Fleetwood Mac have declared their touring days a thing of the past, leaving fans like me in mourning, the demand for their music remains incredibly high. Stevie Nicks is set to play huge headline shows later this year, including the ever popular BST Hyde Park. A scroll through social media reveals regular advertisements for Fleetwood Mac themed club nights and dance parties. And tribute bands are abundant, from Fleetwood Bac and Fleetingwood Mac to Songbird and Fleetwood Shack! But rumour has it that Rumours of Fleetwood Mac might just be the best of them. Endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself, who introduces the show via screens at the back of the stage, there’s an expectation of something special. And though I’m certain it was the same introduction when I went to see RoFM many years ago, the band has utterly transformed since then. The only familiar face is that of drummer Allan Cosgrove, but thankfully, the performance is as enjoyable and authentic as ever. The rhythm section is suitably solid; bassist Etienne Girard laying down the familiar grooves that lock in with Cosgrove's rhythms. But of course, a lot of the focus is on the vocalists who have the unenviable task of taking on Lindsey, Stevie and Christine. And though it’s impossible to perfectly replicate their distinctive voices, their counterparts have no difficulty in conjuring their spirit. Guitarist James Harrison is up first with ‘Big Love’, performed here in all its 80s splendour - not the stripped back version that Fleetwood Mac have favoured live over the years. It’s an encouraging start, and one of several numbers featured from the enduringly popular ‘Tango in the Night’ album. The title track itself makes an unexpected appearance, a welcome surprise that showcases the group’s blissful harmonies (and impressive collection of attractive and expensive looking guitars!). It’s not the only left-field choice, the hard-rocking ‘My Little Demon’ from live album ‘The Dance’ is also received warmly, and it’s great to hear RoFM bringing these lesser known tracks to wider notice. Newcomer Vivienne Chi makes a striking impression; apparently a temporary fixture while the band’s regular ‘Stevie’ tours the USA with The Classic Rock Show. From the reception she receives, I suspect there will be demand for her to stay. Much like the real Miss Nicks, Chi provides a focus, modelling a beautiful dress that sparkles under the lights, she twirls her way through the likes of ‘Dreams’, ‘Sara’ and ‘Rhiannon’ with all the glamour of the original gypsy. And speaking of ‘Gypsy’, it’s certainly a highlight; the original video is synchronised as a backdrop that’s quite stunning visually. A treat too, to hear ‘Rooms on Fire’, the lone representation of Nicks’ solo career being belted out with such class. Pianist Sophie Worsely has a beautiful, clear voice wonderfully suited to Christine McVie’s biggest hits. ‘Songbird’ is as delicate and perfect as ever, while ‘Say You Love Me’, ‘Little Lies’ and ‘Everywhere’ provide some big singalong moments. But perhaps best of all is ‘Oh Daddy’, a track tucked away at the tail-end of ‘Rumours’, it’s undeniably one of McVie’s finest and is performed with real feeling here. It’s quite moving to see images of McVie at the back of the stage; a subtle tribute to Fleetwood Mac’s biggest hit-maker who has unbelievably been gone for more than a year. The second half opens with a celebration of Fleetwood Mac’s blues rock origins. Perhaps a little confusing for younger fans who only recognise the Rumours line-up, it’s pleasing to see Peter Green getting some love. It’s an opportunity for keyboard player Steve to step into the spotlight and show his considerable vocal prowess. ‘The Green Manalishi’, ‘Black Magic Woman’ and the riff-centre ‘Oh Well’ rock harder than you might remember and send the energy levels stratospheric. There’s a few moments respite with the laid-back ‘Albatross’ (unbelievably Fleetwood Mac’s sole number one single) which is rendered in note perfect form by these talented musicians. ‘Second Hand News’ provides a transition back to more familiar territory and it’s nothing but hits from here. Whether it’s the heartbreakingly romantic ‘As Long As You Follow’, the storming ‘Go Your Own Way’ or the mysticism of ‘Seven Wonders’, RoFM keep the energy levels high and the performance compelling. Attempting to replicate the work of a band who have endured for more than 50 years in various incarnations is no mean feat, but RoFM seem to have it covered. The evening concludes with two encores; first, the uplifting bounce of ‘Don’t Stop’, which inevitably gets everyone on their feet, dancing and clapping. ‘Tusk’ follows; eternally weird, eternally brilliant and surely one of the more bizarre single releases by such a popular band. It’s a spectacular finale with room for an extended drum break from Cosgrove and even a brief trumpet interlude courtesy of the multi-talented Steve! As a celebration of Fleetwood Mac music, it doesn't get much better than this. Rumours of Fleetwood Mac are returning to the Marlowe in July following this sell-out performance; I'm sure I'm not the only one who's already secured a ticket. SETLIST Big Love/Dreams/Say You Love Me/Tango in the Night/Songbird/The Chain/Sara/My Little Demon/Oh Daddy/Gold Dust Woman/The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)/Albatross/Black Magic Woman/Oh Well/Second Hand News/Gypsy/As Long as You Follow/Rooms on Fire/You Make Loving Fun/Seven Wonders/Landslide/Little Lies/World Turning/Everywhere/Go Your Own Way/Rhiannon/Don’t Stop/Tusk BAND MEMBERS Allan Cosgrove - Drums Scott Poley - Guitars James Harrison - Guitars/Lead Vocals Vivienne Chi - Lead Vocals Sophie Worsley - Lead Vocals/Keyboards Etienne Girard - Bass Guitar Steve - Keyboards/Lead Vocals
Since Butlins put the hammer on their Alternative weekend, there have been poor pickings for punks looking for a festival outside of peak summer holiday season. For the last couple of years, the Scarborough Punk Festival has stepped into that space. So, this year, accompanied by Big Al, Pete and Andy we set off from Edinburgh for the 4+ hour drive to that same Victorian seaside town to give it a look ourselves. None of us really knew what to expect and, on the way, Pete got lots of texts from some of his mates telling him to turn back! Once we got there it was clear this couldn’t have been one of those places Morrissey wrote about, and Pete’s mates were all wide of the mark. Scarborough was a nice place with Victorian buildings one of those things we don’t have in Scotland – sunshine. Our first stop was the venue to get our wristbands ahead of Saturdays start. What a great team of people there were, on hand, to sort it out. None of us could download our tickets due to a lack of webbage, “no problem, what’s your name, it's on the list”. All sorted and banded up and it was off to the AirBnB. After dumping our bags, we headed out and spent the first half of the night in the midst of a scooter club rally. They were all many pints deep in the pub but had some pretty banging tunes going on so we stayed a while and enjoyed it all. After a rather good Chinese meal and a catch up with some other guys from Edinburgh, we found ourselves at a pub where a guy dressed as Elvis was running the karaoke, and a group of old skool skinheads were in and having a great time. One of the skins knew every word to every song sung that night, and that included a ton of Meatloaf and a Doris Day song from Calamity Jane. “Just love me music” was what he said to me when I asked. The festival was an early start. Doors at 1200 and first band 30 minutes later. We arrived in plenty time and were delighted we got our wrist bands the previous day, as the queue for Saturday bands was a long one. Once we went into the Scarborough Spa there was a big outside drinking area, much appreciated in the sunshine. There was only one stall selling food. I think it would have been useful to have had more. We didn’t work out till the next day that they sold food in the bar, but the wait for that was massive. Given the short turn around between bands, it was inevitable that we would have to miss some music to eat. More fast food on site would have solved that for us, and I reckon, many others too. So, through to the hall we went. This was a big square room that held around 1600 with loads of free balcony seating. Quick turnarounds were only possible due to all bands using the house drumkit. There was a single backdrop throughout, the a Scarborough Punk Festival logo, which I really liked so no fancy signs going up and down or big drum kits being wheeled in. Bang on 1230 the first band of the day appeared, Face Up. Just as they came on Big Al said to me that you can always tell how good a festival was going to be by the first band. I think that’s spot on. Some festivals don’t invest in a good opening act, either because they’ve spent so much on the headliner and money is tight, or, in the case of a couple I’ve been to, they just don’t seem to care. Now, I have no idea what Face Up were paid, but they certainly set out a clear intention to rock and the positive intention of the organisers was clear from the band’s first chord; this was going to be a top couple of days. Green haired singer Roxy prowled every inch of the stage and really gave the crowd something to bang along with from the start. Check out their stick out “Stand Fight Live Die”, it was a banger. Next up was Hung Like Hanratty, they got the biggest standing audience of the weekend. The room was packed. I’ve seen them a few times and they never disappoint; they are funny and pick on some things that really need picked on – yes you should clean up your dog shit; they also have a pretty competent set of musician underpinning Al Sations wit. The only thing for me is around inclusivity. One of the great things about punk is that everyone is welcome, I wonder if it's about time to retire “Danny…” I saw a few folk who were a wee bit uncomfortable with that one. Quick beer, which was priced at a very reasonable £5 a pint, later and we were back to see The Members. They had a bit more success in the US than in the UK but that success was “Sound of the Suburbs” and that was what most of us were waiting to hear. I did think “I Fell in Love with a Working Girl” was a top song too but, overall, they were not totally my thing. I have seen Goldblade a few times and was looking forward to this set. The punk polymath that is Jon Robb took to the stage and, along with the rest of the guys, tore it up for their forty minutes. “Juke Box Generation” and “Psycho” were stick outs and, having asked so many members of the crowd, it appeared we all believed in the power of rock and roll. Jon complained of a sore throat, but any additional raspiness simply added to the show. Every other band would have been stepping over all that Jon Robb left onstage, cos he put it all out there. Goldblade threw their all at it and were one of the stick out performances of the weekend for me and my mates. By this point hunger had set in and we took the decision to miss Chelsea in favour of a plate of fish and chips. The word on the streets was that they were very good indeed. I will hopefully see then again, I have never quite managed to catch a Chelsea show at any festival we have both been at. Next time. I was keen to get my chips munched so we could be back in time for Ruts DC. They are always a favourite of mine and absolutely hit the mark today. The filled their slot with ten top songs. Kicking off with “Something That I Said”, the Ruts DC made the most of the big crowd that had come to see them by taking us through all the tunes we wanted to hear. “Staring at the Rude Boys” and “In a Rut” are favourites of mine but nothing compares to “Babylon’s Burning”. Seggs was playing a bass borrowed from Chelsea, not sure if he forgot his own bass, but he could use that one again – it sounded great. A fabulous set over, it was time for a beer. Now here was an interesting thing about this festival, once a band finished the room emptied and I mean emptied. That was okay because Scarborough Spa had plenty of spaces for merch, a few bars and lots of places to hang and chat. It was a really good venue that offered a bit of comfort to all the aging bones that were beneath many-a mohawk. Next up was a bit of flying saucer punk. I really like the Rezillos but the last few times I’ve seen them they have been beset with sound issues. Not today! Like the sound for pretty much all performances, I thought the Rezillos had a really good production behind them and they made the most of it. “Somebody’s Going to Get Their Head Kicked in Tonight”, started things off, followed by some things old and some things new. All of which were good. Faye and Eugene were in top voice; I really enjoyed their set. Crowd pleasers, The Anti Nowhere League came up next. Animal and his revolving gang of gunslingers took the room by the scruff of the neck and shook it hard, as only the League can. “Can’t Stand Rock and Roll”, “I Hate People” and “Streets of London” ( I always wonder what Ralph McTell made f this version) were all there. Animal’s tribute to Charlie Harper, “Uncle Charlie”, was well received by a crowd who were already buzzing to see the Subs the following day. The ANL are always firm punk favourites and really manage to punk any room to the max. I guess in changing days they remain a constant of what punk rock is whilst wallowing in their reputation of being just a wee bit frightening. I loved it. Headlining tonight were Buzzcocks. I’ve not seen them since Pete Shelley died, in fact the last time I saw them was Shelley’s last performance with the band in Belfast. Steve Diggle came on looking every inch the mod and took us through a set that, I guess, he felt suited him best. I was disappointed neither of the big fan favourites Boredom or Lipstick made the setlist, something many other fans felt too. Pete and his band put in a huge effort playing songs back to back, in the Buzzcock way, but, to be honest, Saturday’s performance never quite clicked into place for me. That was a pity. By 10:30 and kicking out time, we were knackered. It was a 25 minute walk home. Andy and I went on the hunt to see Elvis again but instead found a great wee ska band still playing in the pub and, over a large malt and a seat, it was a great way to end a fantastic day. It was bad luck that Sunday was the day the clocks changed, which made getting going for another early start just a wee bit beyond us. We enjoyed Big Al’s full cooked and a pint en route before getting to the Spa in time to see Northern Ireland mainstay punks – The Defects. They gave us a fantastic show. It was political, Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher and a whole heap of others were in their crosshairs, it was funny but above all it was great songs delivered by a passionate and competent group of musicians. Electric Eel Shock were not a band either I or any of my mates had heard before so we went to grab a pint before they came on. When I heard them start, I wandered through to see what they were about. I did a quick u-turn and bolted back to the bar to let anyone who might be interested know there was a naked drummer playing punk on stage! Electric Eel Shock are Japanese and just very good fun. I’m not kidding about the drummer; birthday suit naked apart from a pair of gloves and four sticks in hand. They have just finished a short UK tour, if they are back again, go! You’ll not be disappointed. 999 were always at the interesting, rather than thrashy end of punk, one of the relatively few to have made it onto The Old Grey Whistle Test back in the day. Nick Cash led his band though 50 minutes of solid music. The crowd who were there, which wasn’t the biggest for some reason, loved it. “Nasty Nasty” and “Homicide” are always floor fillers. I really enjoyed the set and look forward to seeing them on their winter tour. The happiest guy in punk appeared next. Peter and his Test Tube Babies have been around for years and every time I see him he smiles his way through his set. Today was no exception, “In Your Face”, “Up Your Bum” and “Banned From the Pubs” had the crowd pogoing away with as big a grin almost as wide as Peter’s. Great set. One of the bands I was most looking forward to were The Meteors. I loved a bit of psycho-billy but I had never had the opportunity to see these guys, who were, arguably, architects of it all. Unfortunately, this set didn’t move me like it did others I spoke to. One of the highlights of the weekend was always going the be the UK Subs. At 80 years of age Charlie Parker is the Keith Richards of the punk world. Nothing was going to stop him and his long-time side kick Alvin Gibbs, as they tore it up for 50 minutes. “Down on the Farm”, “I Couldn’t Be You” and “I Live in My Car” were tremendous, but, for me, “Warhead” took the song of the weekend prize. They got the only fan driven encore of the weekend. Every time I see Charlie, I think that’ll be the last. If Sunday night was the last time, then it's an experience I will remember fondly. Sunday’s headliners were Sham 69. Jimmy Pursey walked on the stage, throwing water all over the place, much to the annoyance of the stage crew, before “What Have We Got”? started us off and the bouncing began. “Tear Gas Eyes” was next and, by now, it struck me that Jimmy seemed a bit disengaged and was not doing too much singing, that fell to the crowd and bassist Dave Tregunna who, I felt, quarterbacked the whole performance. More water was thrown around as we went into “Borstal Breakout”, “That’s Life” and “Angels with Dirty Faces”. The big five came at the end, mainly with Jimmy starting it off and then hanging onto the mike stand as the community singing took over. “Questions and Answers” and Clash cover, “White Riot” have always been favourites of mine. “If the Kids Are United” took the main set to a close. After a short trip backstage the weekend finished with crowd favourites “Hersham Boys” and “Hurry Up Harry”. Tonight we saw the ’77 line up, the band have not lost their tightness and, certainly from my view in the mish pit, the crowd loved it. And, just like that, two days in Scarborough came to a close. I thought this was an excellent festival. It was extremely well run, from ticketing, to reasonably priced food and beer, to getting the bands on and off all on time. The effort put into the weekend by the fans was equally awesome. I met one young guy who had spent hours getting his hair to a place where he could take your eye out at thirty paces with his spikes. Others who may have lost some of their locks managed, either through natural or assisted means, to get a mohawk on the go whilst many of us sported a Posh Spice look by wearing t-shirts bought on the original tours but which now came with added navel display. My only worry for this festival, and others like it, is longevity. Punk is not dead, but it does now come with many free bus passes, a few walking sticks and the desire for a seat. The bands we saw were, by and large, great but to keep the whole scene, movement, call it what you will, alive, it's essential festivals like this invest in new talent. I hope we can see some of that next year. I will be there; I’ve already got my ticket. If you like a bit of punk, a few good days with likeminded souls and a very good time, I suggest you get one too. Punk is certainly not dead.