Thursday 21st September. Flamin’ Groovies. Under the Bridge. It’s a step back in time tonight to see power pop originators of the sixties and seventies. I am safely in the younger members of the crowd and it’s fair to say that there was more hair on stage than in the audience.
It’s arguably the classic lead duo of Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson tonight supported by an excellent rhythm section of Tony Sales on drums with special props to Chris Van Sneidern on bass. Fantastic grooves and the best trousers I’ve seen in ages.
The set pulled from their back catalogue of originals and covers along with their brand new album is beset with sound problems from the off that lasted throughout the evening. A mixture of electrical feedback shocks, microphone cut outs, bouncy stage and sticky tape were confronted. But it didn’t really matter. Yes the vocals were not spot on every time, yes the set was a little disjointed, yes the performance was borderline shambolic in places but none of this mattered, it was great great fun. The musicianship was still there as was the strength of the songs and it’s rare to see a gig when every member of the audience has a large grin on their face.
Highlights were the obvious ‘Teenage Head’ and the magnificent ‘Shake Some Action’ and both the band and the audience were all forty years younger. The joy was short-lived with a short seventy minute set but it’s a minor grumble. Despite the problems. A thoroughly enjoyable night and my abiding memory was a line from Chris Wilson regarding electrical shocks so I’ll leave this with you.
‘If you aint alive you can’t feel pain’
Keep on rockin y’all
It’s arguably the classic lead duo of Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson tonight supported by an excellent rhythm section of Tony Sales on drums with special props to Chris Van Sneidern on bass. Fantastic grooves and the best trousers I’ve seen in ages.
The set pulled from their back catalogue of originals and covers along with their brand new album is beset with sound problems from the off that lasted throughout the evening. A mixture of electrical feedback shocks, microphone cut outs, bouncy stage and sticky tape were confronted. But it didn’t really matter. Yes the vocals were not spot on every time, yes the set was a little disjointed, yes the performance was borderline shambolic in places but none of this mattered, it was great great fun. The musicianship was still there as was the strength of the songs and it’s rare to see a gig when every member of the audience has a large grin on their face.
Highlights were the obvious ‘Teenage Head’ and the magnificent ‘Shake Some Action’ and both the band and the audience were all forty years younger. The joy was short-lived with a short seventy minute set but it’s a minor grumble. Despite the problems. A thoroughly enjoyable night and my abiding memory was a line from Chris Wilson regarding electrical shocks so I’ll leave this with you.
‘If you aint alive you can’t feel pain’
Keep on rockin y’all
