The Bates Motel - Backstage at the Green Hotel, Kinross, Thursday 17th April 2025.

Formed around guitarist, singer and main songwriter “Bad” Bob Bates, the rest of The Bates Motel, (TBM from here on), are Ally Lee, guitar, backing vocals, Dave Coates, bass, backing vocals, Adam Forster, drums and Les Young, percussion, harmonica and backing vocals. While “Bad” Bob has been writing songs for many years, the band have only existed for the past two years. Yet it was clear from the first song that every member of the band is an excellent musician and played as a unit.

As promised by the advertising the bands music does cross and mix sounds and elements of country, rock, roots, and Americana music. TBM open with the rocking “Broken Bottles” and the ‘haunting’ “Shape In the Mirror,” which sees The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” taken beyond the grave. “Hands on the Radio” is an anthem and an ode to the golden days of radio, when you could listen through the static to Radios Luxemburg and Caroline and Radio 1 catered to every genre of music like it was part of the mainstream. TBM’s opening salvo is rounded off by “Let me be your Doctor,” which has enough innuendos to make David Coverdale blush.

Through the middle of the set TBM take things down a notch “Sundown in Santa Cruz” stands out here. “Bad” Bob explaining all the things he would do if he had the money to pay for it. The chorus lays out how he’ll see sundown in Santa Crus and breakfast in Johannesburg (if I heard it right!). The country side of Bob’s songs also comes to the fore in the middle of the set, most noticeably on “Talkin’ to Jesus” and “Cryin’ Time.” Bob admits he makes no concession for the way his songs move between genres. He writes how and what he feels. It’s not an issue and all his songs work and feel like they belong together. Songs like “Talkin’ to Jesus” and the final song of the set, the hard rocking “Bartender” also display that Geordie sense of humour. On that note another artist I’ll add to the “for the fans of” mix would be Ginger Wildheart, particularly on his more American, roots leaning solo records.

There’s plenty of onstage banter between Bob and Ally. Much of it around guitars and what sort of person throws a good guitar in a dumpster. After an on stage discussion of how both Bob and Ally don’t like San Francisco but Dave does, TBM play “Sausalito” Bob’s ode to the town across the bay that sits on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Bob really likes Sausalito and declares in the chorus that “some singers leave their hearts in San Francisco, but I left mine in Sausalito.”

It’s the rocky side of TBM that brings the set home with “Remains to be Seen” and “Bartender.” The audience laps these up and then the set is done. Rather than mess around with leaving and coming back TBM remain on stage pretend their coming back after a thunderous demand from the crowd for more. After Bob comments on how much the audience seemed to enjoy the more upbeat rock songs, they rock their way through “Blues Ain’t Gonna Feed Ya” and an epic “Bridge Street in the Rain.” The latter building from the actual sounds of Bridge Street in the rain recorded by Bob on a walk to the pub complete with traffic noise to a crescendo of guitars in the way that Dire Straits “Love Over Gold” or “Telegraph Road” did. And then it’s over.

The band were excellent all night, Dave and Adam were a tight rhythm section, Les providing rhythmic support though more impactful was his harmonica playing and Ally and Bob providing sparring guitars in the way the Knopfler brothers once did in Dire Straits or Parfitt and Rossi in Status Quo (fitting in that Bob was in Quo tribute band “Ma Kelly’s Boys”).

Going into this show I had no knowledge of the music. I was intrigued by the bands mentioned in the advertising. I had seen Ma Kelly’s Boys. Yet I was entertained for all the near two hour set. That’s how good these guys are as a band; how good the songs are. There’s the right amount of self-reverence, humour, and insight into the human spirit (or at least into Bob). I’ve been to see major acts in vast arenas or stadiums that haven’t held my attention like TBM did.

The Back Stage venue is compact (the capacity is 120ish) and when full can be quite noisy. The recent investment in a new sound desk is evident in the excellent sound in the room. Being situated with the Green Hotel it makes for a good night out. The venue has a bar, and there is the main bar of the hotel to enjoy a tipple at pre gig. There’s also an extensive bar menu and the food is excellent.

That makes it all the sadder that only around twenty people made the effort to come out and see TBM. So TBM deserve a big thank you for still making the journey up from the ‘Toon to play the gig and giving us such an entertaining evening. They are already talking about a return event, and we’ll be there, hopefully with a lot more people than there were tonight, to enjoy another cracking evening in the company of TBM. You can check The Bates Motel and “Bad” Bob Bates Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and Spotify.

Photos courtesy of Mundell Music.