Black Stone Cherry – Family Tree

Posted on April 25, 2018 by coralmccallum

blackstonecherryfamilytree

Release Date:             20/4/18

Label :                           Mascot Records

Producer:                    Black Stone Cherry

 

Highlights:                   My Last Breath

Family Tree

You Got The Blues

 

Lows:                             none- it’s Black Stone Cherry!

 

Best Lyric:                    “If all I had left was my last breath

Here’s what I’d spend it on

I’d tell you, “You were my world and she was my girl.”

If all I had left was my last breath”

 

 

I always find it more difficult to review albums by bands I really love. It’s harder to be objective when you know in your heart that you’d pay money to listen to them singing the phone book and still be happy.

I’ve deliberated over this review for nigh on a week while listening to Family Tree on repeat.

If I could sum this record up in one word it would be “fun.”

These boys from Edmonton, Kentucky are loving what they do and are having fun with their music and that’s what oozes through every one of the thirteen songs on this record.

Family Tree is the sixth studio album from Black Stone Cherry and, like Kentucky before it, is self-produced. It’s fair to say this record is a real family affair. They’ve also brought a guest along too to share in the fun as Warren Haynes from Gov’t Mule makes an appearance. (Guess, he a bit like a long lost BSC uncle)

To date, there have been two singles released from Family Tree- Bad Habit and Burnin’. Both are, to my music fan ears, classic Black Stone Cherry tracks. With these boys you know what to expect….or do you?

Last year’s Black to Blues EP hinted at the more blues based direction they were travelling in.

Family Tree throws a few kinks into that well-travelled road with 1980’s Bon Jovi/Slash style influences, a healthy dose of funk and soul and some gospel vibes running alongside the Southern rock riffs that we know and love.

I’m not about to dissect this record track by track – whew I hear you cry!

This is an album you need to listen to and then allow these songs to grow with you. I’m still learning to love and appreciate several of the tracks on here.

I’ve called three out as my highlight tracks.

You Got The Blues sees a cameo guest vocalist appearance by Chris Robertson’s five year old son. I love the quirky almost fairground intro to this track before it evolves into one of the heaviest on the album.

Title track, Family Tree, rounds things off and, for me personally, is the track that I suspect will be around the longest on the live set from this album. Love it. It is 100% pure Black Stone Cherry.

I’ve called My Last Breath out as the third of my highlight moments. It’s a very personal ballad in the form of a letter from Chris to his son. The lyrics are straight from the heart. This song is the album’s Things My Father Said or The Rambler but…..sorry, boys… I feel this one has been made overly complicated and is a tad over-produced. Chris and Ben playing acoustically, Jon laying down a subtle bass and John Fred on cajon- now that would make this song perfect and let it assume its rightful place among the others. Merely my humble personal opinion. It’s a beautiful song.

There’s something for every Black Stone Cherry fan on this record. Maybe Black Stone Cherry are my “Bad Habit”. Is this my favourite of all their records? No.  Is it a great album? Hell, yeah!

Don’t believe me, listen to it for yourself then listen to it some more.

 

9.5/10

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(images sourced via Google – credits to the owners)

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The White Buffalo at the O2 Academy, Glasgow 16/04/18

Posted on April 18, 2018 by coralmccallum

On Monday evening Boy Child and I boarded the 525 to Glasgow bound for a venue we haven’t visited in three years. Has it really been that long?

We were heading off to see The White Buffalo at the city’s O2 Academy. Originally the show had been scheduled for the O2 ABC but, a good sign I guess, it had been upgraded to the larger O2 Academy.

The O2 Academy is one of Glasgow’s iconic art deco buildings. Built in 1932 in the Gorbals area of the city, it was originally the New Bedford Cinema. The last film screened there was a double bill of Dirty Harry and Klute on 8 July 1973. In October of that year the building reopened as a Mecca Bingo Hall then in 2002, after a multi-million-pound refurbishment, it was transformed into the music venue that it is today. It really is very pretty inside. Have a look –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mAYsaBLeJo

 

Rail position for the evening secured, Boy Child and I patiently waited….and waited… and waited… A jazz/funk/ska/soul PA tape was playing – not my genre of choice. Eventually at 8.15, over an hour after the doors had opened, the support act for the evening Alice Drinks The Kool Aid took to the stage. These guys are a Chicago based blues/indie rock trio. I’m going to adopt my “Thumper Principle” here – if you can’t say nuffin’ nice don’t say nuffin’ at all.

I was suddenly missing that jazz PA tape…..

An hour later The White Buffalo took to the stage to huge cheers. The venue wasn’t full but the large crowd were enthusiastic from the start. With a gravelly polite “Good evening, Glasgow”, The White Buffalo aka Jake Smith opened the ninety minute set with Hide And Seek followed, with barely a pause for breath, by Dark Days.

The pace for the evening had been set and we were off and running at full pelt!

One of the highlights of the night was Border Town/Bury Me In Baja from The White Buffalo’s latest album Darkest Darks Lightest Lights.  This song really showcases the talents of all three members of the band. Despite the country influences here there are strong punk manic energies flying through making for some awesome drumming and bass. Perhaps the only thing not quite at its finest was The White Buffalo’s voice. Already he was struggling a bit.

The second song from the new record (ok its 6 months old now) slowed things down a bit as The White Buffalo played a soulfully beautiful rendition of The Observatory. This was a gorgeous moment to behold.

After a brief pause to comment on the beauty of the venue and commenting, “I do miss the disco ball a bit”, The White Buffalo began one of my favourite songs on the set Oh Darlin’ What Have You Done. I love this song although, two days later, I’m still singing it! Ear worm warning! (Fans of the show Sons of Anarchy will be familiar with this one as it featured in season 6) The crowd were certainly loving it as much as I was…and I suspect many are still singing it!

You can’t fault the pace of this show. Twenty-two minutes in and the band had reached the seventh song on the set list. The White Buffalo himself may be a huge “mountain man” but he fairly packs a punch live.

Avalon, again from the latest album, proved to be another crowd favourite as the fans sang along passionately.

A couple of guitar strums were all the fans needed to announce another of the highlights of the night, Come Join The Murder. With his voice really starting to suffer, the Scottish fans, especially those in “cuts” sang their hearts out during the Sons of Anarchy song. TV series angle aside, this is a fantastic song and might actually have been my favourite of the night.

Two songs later The White Buffalo introduced an “old song” inspired by John Jameson whisky. By now Jake Smith was sounding like he needed a “hot toddy” to soothe that throat. John Jameson is a song sung straight from the heart. Loved it.

Another story teller song followed a few minutes later as they played Joe And Jolene. It was obvious that the band were having as much fun playing this one as the crowd were having listening to it. Brilliant!

Whistling proved to be easier than singing… marginally. The haunting whistled intro to The Whistler, another song featured in Sons of Anarchy, hushed the fans as they hung on every word of this powerful song. Even with his voice “fucked up” (Jake’s description not mine) this was another highlight performance of the night. Loved it.

I Got You and The Pilot rounded off the set and, I’ll be honest, I thought we’d heard the last for the night. I’ve no idea how The White Buffalo made it that far as he was clearly suffering from some lurgy or other.

I was wrong.

Ever the professional, Jake, The White Buffalo himself, returned to the stage a few minutes later to everyone’s amazement and delight. Playing solo, he treated us to Wish It Was True. Every fan in the room was more than happy to help him with the vocal chores. Having thanked the fans once more for coming out, the rest of the band joined him on stage for the final energetic, frenetic song of the night How The West Was Won.

With a gutsy performance while obviously under the weather, The White Buffalo certainly won over the West Coast of Scotland.

Great night. Hurry back but make it the O2 ABC- I missed the disco ball too.

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Greta Van Fleet at St Luke’s Glasgow 01/04/18

Posted on April 3, 2018 by coralmccallum

1

Easter Sunday saw Boy Child and I heading off to church. (Well, as close to church as either of us get.)

We were going to a small intimate venue in Glasgow’s East End called St Luke’s. Armed with Google directions and having found the car park ( after a few wrong turns) and a huge Billy Connolly mural, we set off past Trongate and the legendary Barrowlands in search of a small refurbished church. We found it!

A brief history lesson for a moment  – humour me- St Luke’s and St Andrew’s Church of Scotland is situated in Bain Square in Glasgow’s Calton district and dates back to 1836. It’s had a tumultuous history and the church finally disbanded in 2012. Such a historic building with some stunning stained glass deserved a future. In 2015 with help from Glasgow City Heritage Trust and the Calton Barras Action Plan, the church was refurbished and, while retaining many of its original features, was transformed into the venue it is today. 

So, who were we there to see?

Greta Van Fleet.

This young band from Frakenmuth, Michigan (it’s near Detroit) have been hailed by some as a 21st Century Led Zeppelin. (No, I’m not getting dragged into that particular musical debate).  If you have missed the hype, Greta Van Fleet comprise of three brothers, twins Josh and Jake and younger brother Sam Kiszka plus long time family friend Danny Wagner. All of the members of Greta Van Fleet are still to reach their 21st birthdays.

Ok, history lessons are complete (Whew, I hear you sigh!)

 Support act for the evening were London based band The Second Sons. Right from the off their 1960’s influence was apparent. I can’t fault their passion and enthusiasm for the short six song set they delivered but for me they sounded too much like Rolling Stones wannabes. Vocalist Nick Harding tried just that little too hard to strut out the role of “iconic” front man while guitarist Chris Harding was clearly going for the “pouty/moody” look. The Second Sons did an admirable job of getting the Scottish crowd ready for the headliners but, I’m sorry, they weren’t for me.

TSS collage

 

I can’t imagine a more dramatic stage setting for a Glasgow debut for Greta Van Fleet then the stage in St Luke’s. The back drop it two huge stained glass panels plus the pipes of the church organ dominated the stage. Huge cheers greeted the boys as they stepped out on stage and, before beginning to play, vocalist Josh thanked the fans for their warm welcome, played with them a little with a confidence way beyond his years before the band kicked off their eighty  minute set  with the fantastic Highway Tune.

Immediately there’s an energy and an air of confidence about this performance. Sadly, their sound balance was a little off, an issue that plagued more than half the set, as Josh’s vocals were dominated by Jake’s guitar. We’ll forgive them just this once although the crowd were yelling “Turn the mic up!” in between songs. I suspect the Scottish cries got lost in translation.

One of the highlights of the twelve song set was Talk On The Street, four songs in. This is one of my personal favourites from Greta Van Fleet’s From The Fires EP. Watching Jake execute a stunning guitar solo I can’t help that worry that he’ll put his back out before too long. Boy can that kid play!

Mid set Jake swapped his SG for a J45 acoustic (It looked huge on him) as Greta Van Fleet played a soulful ballad You’re The One. It was nice to see twins Josh and Jake singing in harmony with each other during this track while brother Sam played a delicate Hammond organ. (No, he couldn’t resist sounding like the church organ behind them for a few brief moments).

Slightly surprisingly the only cover of the night was an incredible rendition of Howlin’ Wolf’s Evil.

It’s very easy to forget just how young this band are while you are watching them. There’s a unique chemistry there. All of them are incredibly talented musicians and their passion for their music and their obvious delight at playing for an equally passionate Scottish crowd shone through.

I do need to mention their “fashion” sense for a moment. Josh, what were you wearing???Sam, loved those spotty socks! Greta Van Fleet manager, please take Josh clothes shopping.

Lover Leaver Taker Believer rounded out the main body of the set. As the band slipped out of the door at the rear of the stage, the fans were already baying for “one more tune.”

Their cries were rewarded with two. A few short moments later, amid much cheering and whistling, Greta Van Fleet opened the encore with the awesome Black Smoke Rising. The fans howls of delight almost drowned  Jake out.  Josh had long since won this crowd over but he held them right in the palm of his hand throughout this song. Memorable performance!

Safari Song had the honour of being the final song of the night. It also saw drummer Danny get the chance to shone with an all too short drum solo mid song. Brilliant song to end an amazing night on.

If only a visit to church was always so enjoyable!

Hurry back, boys. Glasgow loves you.

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If you want to read more about this unique music venue please check out the link below:

 http://www.stlukesglasgow.com/whats-on/

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Myles Kennedy @ The Garage, Glasgow 20/03/18

Posted on March 24, 2018 by coralmccallum

On Tuesday I boarded a train to Glasgow unchaperoned…. Not the 525 to Glasgow but the 1154 to Glasgow.

Yes, I was setting off for round two of my Myles Kennedy adventure.

Round two began in beautiful spring sunshine. Much more civilised weather after the snow and ice of Birmingham. It also began with a lovely relaxed lunch with some wonderful member of the AB family. Good food. Great company. The day was off to a great start.

By three o’clock we were all lined up waiting to enter The Garage for the sound check and meet and greet. And we waited… and we waited…..

Yup..you guessed it…they were running behind schedule again.

Oh well, more time to catch up with friends.

Eventually we were invited indoors where you guessed it…. we queued and waited a little longer. (Meet and greet requires a bit of patience)

I’ll confess to losing track of time as we were all still chatting but at some point (I’d guess around 4.30) we were allowed to climb the stairs an enter The Garage.

The venue was a tad on the chilly side but there in front of us on stage, snuggly wrapped up in a warm scarf, was Myles and he was still playing that beautiful resonator. As we gathered round and listened to the various snatches of songs, we were treated to a brief rendition of Life Must Go On (one for a future set perhaps?)

As in Birmingham, there was a brief Q&A before we formed a queue for the signing and photo aspect of proceedings. I had brought Myles a small gift (well, I was brought up not to visit friends empty handed) The gift was a copy of Gerry Rafferty’s 1978 album City To City on red vinyl. Myles thanked me kindly for it (prior to opening it) CDs and ticket signed and photo taken (thanks Paul) it was time to exit the venue and queue outside again for the show.

When the doors opened and our tickets and wrist bands had been checked, there was a mad sprint up the stairs to secure that coveted rail spot. Lord, those stairs were steep! It was worth it though 😊

Holiday Oscar opened the show with his mercifully short 30minute support set. Honestly, I tried to like him. I really did! But, he just doesn’t do it for me. The Glasgow crowd were relatively kind to him and he survived the experience more or less unscathed (largely because the Scots humour went over his head.)

The Johnny Cash PA tape provided some welcome relief!

On the stroke of eight, the lights dimmed, the curtain to the back stage area twitched and Myles slipped into the shadows at the side of the stage to the recorded opening segment of The Devil On The Wall. As he stepped onto the low stage the capacity Scottish crowd went wild!

The tone was set for the evening. A Glasgow crowd is seldom a quiet crowd and is always a singing crowd.

From the smiles on stage, the fans’ passion for the music was warming Myles’ heart.

Standing In The Sun followed (SMKC ticked off) then Before Tomorrow Comes (AB ticked off the list). Next up was Eden, the gorgeous song from Myles’ Mayfield Four days. Nothing could have prepared Myles for the reception this song got. The Glasgow choir sang sweetly and word perfect from the start, much to Myles’ obvious delight. He was impressed!!

How to follow that? Starlight, another SMKC song, did the trick. It is truly a beautiful ballad. All Ends Well had also retained its place in the nineteen song set. Love that song.

Introducing his partner in crime as a “Renaissance man”, Myles was joined on stage by Tim Tournier for Haunted By Design. It was also time to shed the dark blue jacket to reveal the evening’s choice of tartan shirt (not flannel, not plaid, tartan!)

Another song was ticked off my dream list two songs later as Myles introduced Mars Hotel, another Mayfield Four classic. The song came with a story and a confession. Myles revealed that the lyrics were written composed in around forty five minutes but that he now struggled to sing some of them with a straight face. As he began the song it was easy to tell when he reached the lyrics in question. Fabulous song enhanced by this human humorous element.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQnFbmem3B0&t=45s

 

As ever Watch Over You was an intensely emotional part of the set. This is a truly gorgeous ballad and again it was clear to see Myles’ appreciation of the fans throughout.

There are several stunning guitars being used during these acoustic shows but the tone and beauty of that resonator steals my heart every time.

Myles started Travelling Riverside Blues…. Paused…. upped the tempo….then stopped. Channelling his inner drum major, Myles reminisced about his high school days in the marching band and as drum major in his senior year, before conducting the Glasgow choir’s clapping tempo (Having zero sense of rhythm and being unable to clap in time I declined to participate- sorry, Myles)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLVbqQADS5g&t=3s

 

(credits to the owner of this video – sourced via You Tube)

 

I love love love this song and never tire of listening to it.

 

Slickly Myles transitioned into World On Fire. I was amazed by just how well that song lends itself to an acoustic set. Slash better watch out. He has competition here!

The title track from the album, Year Of The Tiger rounded off the main set and Tim Tournier returned to stage to support the boss.

The Scots fans’ please for more were swiftly answered as Myles returned to the stage mere moments after leaving it. Having fed off the audience’s energy and enthusiasm all night it was obvious to all that Myles had had as much fun as the adoring fans had. As he limbered up for the next song, a few short bars of music made my heart soar – Baker Street! He’d opened his gift from earlier. (I just wish I’d captured the moment on video.) Thank you, Myles.

When I first heard the album, Year Of The Tiger, two tracks made me cry. One of them was Mother. The other was Love Can Only Heal. As Myles played Love Can Only Heal a lump formed in my throat and my eyes filled with tears. There was a goosebumps moment as he held “that” notes mid-song. Kudos to the fan who stomped out the heart beats. Highlight of an incredible night.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=576Ys0bQL-c&t=31s

 

Addicted To Pain had the honour of being the final song of the evening.

What a show!

With very mixed emotions, I headed home, having said farewell to my AB family and located Boy Child, FB Son and their two friends.

My Myles Adventure had come to an end for this tour but it sure went out on a high.

Thank you, Myles. Till next time.

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Myles Kennedy at the O2 Institute 2 in Birmingham 17/03/18

Posted on March 19, 2018 by coralmccallum

Oh, where to begin?

Ever since I first watched the You Tube videos of Bofest 2009 and Moscot 2014, I’ve held a secret hope of one day experiencing a solo acoustic Myles Kennedy show. It always seemed to be one of these bucket list dreams that would remain only that until last November when the Year Of The Tiger tour was announced.

On Saturday evening (well, during the afternoon too) that dream finally came true.

After a 4am start, I found myself in Birmingham City Centre by 9am – ever so slightly lost. With a little bit of Googling and eventually surrendering and asking a friendly human, I found my hotel, arranged to check in early (midday) then went for a wander.

After a much needed coffee and more Googling, I had figured out the way from the hotel to the venue so I could relax a bit.  With nothing else to do, I went shopping, on a mission to purchase a woolly scarf as it was beyond freezing outside.

Shopped out and frozen (it was snowing), I headed the hotel for a couple of hours to thaw out.

By 2.30 I was outside the O2 Institute waiting in line for the meet and greet and, yes, it was still snowing. A long queue of fans resembling snowmen lined the pavement! This is where the power of social media comes into its own as members of the “Army of 12” (look it up on Facebook if you don’t know what it is) gathered. Cue hugs and hellos and for a few finally face to face meetings with new friends. Every time there are more and more familiar faces. It really is like an international family gathering.

Things were running way behind schedule but at least we were allowed in out of the elements. Eventually, as the clock approached 5pm, we were ushered into the room to hear the latter part of sound check.

One of the main bucket list/dream list items was to hear Myles playing his resonator. That dream came true the second we stepped inside the door. Immediately there was a relaxed atmosphere in the room and Myles chatted amiably with the fans. He seemed genuinely amazed to see so many there for the meet and greet (roughly 20% of the audience were there). He joked about just starting the show and playing for hours. If he had, no one would have objected! We did enjoy a rare treat as, on request, Myles played a little section of Lover. Beautiful.

At the end of sound check, Myles opened things up for questions for a few minutes. Some of the answers required a little “busking” and among the things we were treated to was a snatch of “Fly Me To The Moon.”  All good fun.

Signing and photos completed, we were all reluctantly ushered back out into the cold at 6.20pm…and, yes, you’ve guessed it – it was snowing!

Shortly after 7pm we were allowed back indoors. The immediate warmth was divine!

There was only one support act for the evening – Holiday Oscar. He appeared on stage at 7.30pm, almost immediately blew his amp and scared the hell out of us with the BANG and continued to be plagued by technical problems throughout his thirty minute set. It was a pity for him but it also secured the sympathy vote from the crowd. A mix of stand up patter merchant and songwriter, Holiday Oscar is a bit of an enigma. (Think male Victoria Wood) He did sing one humorous song about Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un…

and moving swiftly on…..

After an overdose of Johnny Cash, (they must have picked the man in black’s most mournful songs for the PA!) a hush fell over the capacity crowd. From the side of the stage, largely out of sight of the crowd, Myles began to play Devil On The Wall. He was welcomed on stage a few seconds later by a huge warm cheer.

Right from the off, Myles looked relaxed and at home on the small stage. He followed the opening song with a trio that spanned his career- Standing In The Sun, Before Tomorrow Comes and the fabulous Eden (another one ticked off the dream list) I love that song!

For Haunted By Design, Myles was joined on stage by Tim Tournier, a real Jack-of-all-trades (manager/guitar tech/musician/friend). This is one of my favourite songs from Year Of The Tiger and the capacity crowd lapped it up!

By now Myles had shed his blue velveteen jacket and was sporting his “flannel” shirt (it’s tartan, Myles!) This were heating up both on stage and in the audience. We’d gone from sub-zero outside temperatures to a tropical heatwave indoors! Hot hot hot!!!

The stunning Starlight followed, then a fantastic version of Alter Bridge’s All Ends Well (Alter Bridge have never played this one live)

I’m not a big Led Zeppelin fan (sorry, Myles) but even I could appreciate the cover of Going To California and the passion that Myles poured into it.

The powerfully emotional Blind Faith followed. I adore the tone of that resonator and those lyrics…wow! Myles had the entire audience held in awe. Stunning!

How to follow that? Well Lyla, again from the Mayfield Four days, did the honours (and added another tick to the list)

The final tick was added to the list two songs later. Temperatures had risen even higher! The flannel (tartan) shirt had been discarded and the fans were treated to a “stripped off” rendition of Travelling Riverside Blues. Eargasmic! This was smoothly transitioned into an incredible acoustic arrangement of World On Fire.

Rise Today and title track, Year Of The Tiger, rounded off the main body of the eighteen song set.

After a brief (very brief) pause, Myles returned to play a two song encore. He began this by playing a cover of the Elton John song, Levon. The crowd didn’t know it so Myles’ attempt to get them to sing along fell a little flat. Poor guy seemed genuinely stunned that the Birmingham crowd weren’t familiar with it. I felt a little guilty, I must admit. (Myles, it was never released as a single in the UK back in 1971- sorry)

Tim was welcomed back on stage to assist with the final song of the night. After displaying his guitar playing prowess while Myles fought to bring his own back into tune, they rounded out the evening with Cry Of Achilles. Great song to end on.

If I had to sum up the whole show in one word it would be “magical”.

 

This show really was filled with the stuff dreams are made of. Can’t wait to do it all again in Glasgow on Tuesday.MKaMKbMKcMKdMKeMKfMKgMKiMKjMKkMKlHO collage

 

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Year Of The Tiger – Myles Kennedy

Posted on March 12, 2018 by coralmccallum

MylesKennedy-YearoftheTiger-Artwork

Released                      9 March 2018

Label                              Napalm Records

Producer                      Michael “Elvis” Baskette

 

Highlights                     Love Can Only Heal

The Great Beyond

Mother

 

Lows                              none (honestly)

 

Best Lyric                      “I know you’re steadfast in your ways

Never compromise your faith

But is it worth it in the end

To never see my face again”

Blind Faith

 

“Your conviction, your belief

How could you choose that over me

I still miss you now

God damn, I miss you now”

Nothing But A Name

 

This solo debut album from Myles Kennedy, Year Of The Tiger, has been eagerly awaited by fans for a very long time. And believe me, it was well worth waiting for.

This solo debut album from Myles Kennedy has me lost for words and over flowing with emotions.

Every time I listen to it, I hear something else that hits home.

Throughout the twelve tracks of Year Of The Tiger, Myles uses his music to channel the emotions he has carried with him for over forty years surrounding the death of his father. (His father was a devout Christian Scientist and his faith in the power of prayer saw him pay the ultimate price for his beliefs when he died   from an illness that medicine could have treated in 1974 – the Chinese Year of the Tiger.)

However, this isn’t a record filled with death.  This is a record bursting with love and hope.

I’m no musician. I’m a music fan and I’m not about to insult the majesty of this record by dissecting it track by track.

Words that have come to mind while listening to these twelve songs are: love, uplifting, beauty, soulful, hope, heartfelt, honest, raw, powerful, poignant and true.

It’s masterpiece. It is also the first record to move me to tears at several points on it’s passionate musical journey time and again.

Don’t listen to me. Listen to Year Of The Tiger for yourself then listen again and again and again…… you won’t regret it.

 

10/10

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(images sourced via Google – credits to the owners)

 

 

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Brian Fallon and the Howling Weather @ O2 ABC Glasgow 22/02/18

Posted on February 24, 2018 by coralmccallum

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For the first time in 2018, I boarded the 525 to Glasgow last Thursday, chaperoned by Boy Child. We were heading into the city to kick start our musical year at my favourite venue, the O2 ABC.

So, to whom did the honour fall of being my first live band of 2018?

Brian Fallon and the Howling Weather. (Technically, it was support act Dave Hause)

Dave Hause took to the stage at 7.30pm accompanied by his brother Tim Hause and opened his forty minute set with Shaky Jesus. There was nothing shaky about this performance. Dave followed this with C’mon Kid, one of my personal favourites. Both brothers showcased their versatility throughout the eight song set. While Dave primarily played his acoustic guitar, he treated the fans to a display of his keyboard skills during We Could Be Kings. Brother Tim demonstrated his prowess on mandolin and keyboards as well as on guitar and backing vocals.  Together the brothers from Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, delivered a solid support set, rounding things off with a cover of the Tom Petty song, I Won’t Back Down and With You. This energetic set closer had the capacity crowd ready to dance and ready to sing and more than ready to welcome Brian Fallon.

DH collage

Brian Fallon and the Howling Weather ( yes, Ian Perkins is still there as Brian’s right hand man) stepped out on stage to deafening welcoming cheers. Before they’d even played a note Glasgow was showing its love for the boy from Asbury Park, NJ.

The eighteen song set opened with A Wonderful Life from Brian’s debut solo record Painkillers. It was swiftly followed by the even popular Rosemary then the awesome Forget Me Not from the latest album Sleepwalkers. A powerful opening trio that really got the party started.

There are no surprises at a Brian Fallon show. Time after time he plays a solid rock’n’roll show and does what it says on the tin. The set was a wise mix of Brian’s solo songs, a few from The Horrible Crowes, a couple of Molly and the Zombie songs, a U2 cover and one Gaslight Anthem classic. What varies every time are the stories and conversation.  A highlight of the show is watching and listening to Brian interact with the fans. This evening was no different and he seemed particularly relaxed and chatty between songs. Even Ian Perkins, usually silent on stage, spoke!

Highlight songs in the main set were Forget Me Not and Come Wander With Me from Sleepwalkers plus Smoke from Painkillers. Boy Child was delighted that the soulful Etta James made the set. I was slightly disappointed that none of the acoustic favourites made the cut- no Steve McQueen, no Honey Magnolia….. next time, Brian, please.

Glasgow was treated to a premiere performance of Watson from Sleepwalkers. Beautiful song live.

Brian had joked earlier in the evening about encores and basically about how they seem pointless. He said that he’d rather keep playing than walk off stage for a few minutes but if he does that then the fans feel cheated out of an encore. So, to keep everyone happy Brian promised to walk off and back on at an appropriate moment.

After Watson, that moment came and the whole band left the stage. A few seconds later, Brian returned alone and took a seat at the piano. A slight hush of expectation fell over the sell out crowd as they waited with bated breath to hear what was coming. The 59 Sound! What a performance! Stripped back and raw and simply stunning. Truly the highlight moment of the night.  Equally incredible was the crowd’s singing. Beautiful!

How to follow that! Well Brian followed it with a solo performance of See You On The Other Side. Another gorgeous song from Sleepwalkers.

A few moments later the band returned to the stage and were joined by Tim Hause on piano for the final number of the night- a cover of U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. By the time Brian reached the first chorus, Dave Hause had joined the party and the two vocalists traded verses and choruses through to the end of the song and the end of the show.

Sadly all good things have to come to an end.

 

An amazing show to start my musical year.

Hurry back, guys!

BF collage 1BF collage

 

 

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Sleepwalkers- Brian Fallon

Posted on February 18, 2018 by coralmccallum

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Released              9 February 2018

Label                     Island Records/Virgin EMI

Highlights            Forget Me Not, Etta James and Proof Of Life

Lows                      Her Majesty’s Service and Watson

Best Lyric             “So gimme all your troubles, Gimmer all the spiders in your brains” from Proof of Life

 

I’ve been listening to Brian Fallon’s second solo record all week waiting to fall in love with it….. and so far it hasn’t happened. That doesn’t mean for a second that this is a bad record. It’s not. It’s a really good listen but it’s a “grower” and I’d say, nine days in, I’m very fond of it but the love I have for Painkillers, his solo debut, just isn’t there …yet.  I think what’s frustrating me here are the numerous British references throughout the lyrics of various songs on this album. It’s like an English tourist board commercial. Yes I get there’s an element of respect being paid to the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Clash but it just doesn’t sit well with me. I miss the “American dream”….. sorry, Brian.

Highlight song for me is Forget Me Not but I wish that the acoustic version had been included as a bonus track option. The acoustic version showcases this song’s versatility and is truly beautiful.

All of this said, I’m really looking forward to seeing Brian Fallon and the Howling Weather later this week and then to seeing him again in July with the Gaslight Anthem for the 10th anniversary of The ’59 Sound.

 Rating                   8/10

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(images sourced via Google – credits to the owners)

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My 2017 Musical Highlights….

Posted on December 28, 2017 by coralmccallum

As 2017 draws to a close it’s time to look forward to great gigs yet to come in 2018 and also to reflect on some of the musical highlights of this year….. there have been a few.

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Happy New Year to you all when it arrives and may 2018 ROCK \m

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Mastodon @ Barrowlands, Glasgow 7 Dec 2017

Posted on December 10, 2017 by coralmccallum

On Thursday evening I boarded the 525 to Glasgow for the final time this year, suitably chaperoned by Boy Child and FB Son.

And who were we going to see?

Well, we were heading for the “iconic” Barrowlands to see Mastodon. (Sorry, it really is a bit of  a dump)

I have to admit the walk from the Central Station through the city centre was very pretty. Very festive! Lots of twinkling lights and the occasional giant reindeer but the twinkling lights we sought were the huge neon sign at Barrowlands. You really can’t miss it!

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After a chilly half hour of queuing, we were all relieved to see the doors open and, after a very thorough security search, were finally allowed up the stairs to secure our rail spot for the evening.

First band to appear onstage were Russian Circles, an instrumental trio based in Chicago. They had obviously brought a small core group of fans along. To our left, there were about a dozen guys totally absorbed in the entire half hour of metal shoe-gazing musique. They were like a row of dipping birds, which prompted an uncontrollable fit of the giggles from yours truly . ( Watch this and you’ll get the idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwjzbN8Vz0k  )

As for Russian Circles…..well, I’m going adopt the Thumper Principle here “If you can’t say nuthin’ nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”

Russian Circles Collage

Red Fang were up next. Again, another new band to me but sadly again they missed the mark for me. Don’t get me wrong, these four guys from Portland Oregon played a solid support set and were an immense improvement on Russian Circles but it just didn’t cut it for me. Boy Child described them as “Dad Rock”. Wiki describes them as “stoner metal”. In reality, they are most likely a mix of both. Check them out if you’re curious. In their favour, they got the capacity crowd wakened up and eventually revved up ready for the arrival of Mastodon.

Red Fang collage

Mastodon took to the stage shortly after 9:15 amid a sea of pulsating green lights. Almost instantly a huge chant of “Mastodon! Mastodon!” went up as the band eased into their seventeen song set with The Last Baron, from their 2009 opus Crack The Skye. Brent Hinds obliged with the opening vocal chores. The tempo was swiftly upped by Sultan’s Curse, from their current album Emperor Of Sand, and Divinations, also from Crack The Skye.

I’m going to be honest here, I’m not overly familiar with Mastodon’s earlier albums but I do like Emperor Of Sand. In total, six songs from it found their way onto the set list.

Ancient Kingdoms, from Emperor Of Sand, was up next and if nothing else showcased Mastodon’s stage set up and lighting. Six tall narrow LED pillars stood like ancient columns across the width of the stage. Together with the multitude of spotlights, this made for an impressive backdrop. The spotlights also highlighted the constant stream of crowd surfers being passed out from the huge mosh pit. (Yes, Boy Child and FB Son had by now disappeared in that direction)

Mastodon are somewhat unique in that all members of the band fulfil their fair share of vocal chores. It’s also the first time I’ve known the drummer to be the main vocalist. Nice job, Brann Dailor.  All four members have a distinctly different style and stage presence.  There’s Brent Hinds who wouldn’t look out of place in The Hobbit or Game of Thrones and the military sergeant look of Bill Kelliher. For me, I think my vote goes to bassist Troy Sanders. Loved his performance all night.

Highlight song of the set for me personally was Show Yourself. Perhaps a little more commercial than some of the music on offer but it sat well  and held its own in one of the heaviest sets I’ve heard.

Another highlight was Roots Remain. Hard and heavy and loud!

Here, have a listen for yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt1E8NBCxVk&t=138s

Mastodon rounded off the evening as hard and heavy as it gets with Mother Puncher (quite apt as it was shortly before that that drunk in the crowd caused a bit of aggro and I unfortunately found myself on the receiving end of a punch), Stormbreather and finally Blood And Thunder.

Brann Dailor emerged from behind his drums to thank the fans for coming out. He stood chatting to the crowd long after his band mates had departed, then tossed his used sticks into the crowd and bade us good night.

Less chat and perhaps we could’ve had a short encore…..just saying….

A great night of LOUD music to end the year on.

Mastodon collage 1Mastodon collage 2Mastodon collage3

 

I do need to give a shout out here to the security guys at Barrowlands. I’ve never seen so many security guys lining the front of the stage but those guys did a great job all night. Crowd surfers were being passed out from the audience all night thick and fast and they handled the brilliantly. When the guy caused the minor spot of aggro beside me, one of the security guys came over afterwards to check I was ok, a gesture that I really appreciated. (I was perfectly fine) For the first time at the end of a gig, I called one of them over and thanked him for their efforts. Sweat was pouring off them all. He smiled and thanked me, promised to pass it on to the others and commented that it was rare for fans to acknowledge the effort they put into keeping everyone safe. Just proves a simple thank you goes a long way.

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