Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Live at EartH Hackney with Keyside

I make no apologies for yet another glowing feature on Michael Head and The Red Elastic Band and before you ask, no I don't work for their PR department. My only worry is that I am in danger of constantly repeating myself in banging on and on about just how vitally important Mick is as one of our generation's greatest ever songwriters and live performers. He's on tour to promote the new album "Loophole" which promises to build on the huge success of the stunning "Dear Scott" - an album that finally garnered Mick the acclaim he has so rightly deserved over the years and it's also nice that we don't have to keep referring to him as "underrated" anymore. Tonight's set is made up mainly of songs from "Loophole" and it's a bit of a shame that the album's release was delayed - not only because copies weren't available for sale during the tour, especially at the record store appearances/signings - but also because we couldn't familiarise with the new material properly, other than the tracks that have been released as on-line singles or from hearing them played at previous gigs. 

 

Of the new songs, my favourites are "Shirl's Ghost", the instrumental version of which teased us at the end of "Dear Scott" and the unashamedly romantic "You Smiled At Me", a sunny Burt Bacarach Bossa Nova-tinged jaunt. Mick explains it was inspired by the real-life stories found in the Metro newspaper of passenger's chance, often unrequited romantic encounters on public transport. It's a future classic that's for sure. I also love "Human Race" as it cranks up the volume and tempo and "Ciao Ciao Bambino", which is a Love (the band) inspired masterpiece. These news songs all promise that "Loophole" is going to give "Dear Scott" a run for its money. Of course, we get a fair chunk of the last album too including superb versions of "Gino and Rico", "Kismet" and "Pretty Child" and a sublime "Broken Beauty" with Mick telling us how it was co-written by daughter Allie who unfortunately couldn't be at the show. However,  we did witness her taking the stage for the very first time in Tokyo last year to add backing vocals to the truly beautiful song - it was certainly emotional and you can see a video of it at our YouTube channel here. From the Shack years we are treated to superb versions of "Strangers", "Comedy" and the crowd favourite "Meant To Be" but it's the brooding Psychedelia of "Streets of Kenny" that blows everyone's minds tonight. 

 

Of course, I'm a huge Shack fan but with the core of musicians Mick has assembled around him - guitarist Nathaniel Laurence, bassist Tom Powell, drummer Phil Murphy and the one-man brass section (and enthusiastic dancer) Martin Smith - The Red Elastic Band more than make up for the fact that with the sad and untimely passing of drummer Iain 'Tempo' Templeton it's highly unlikely that Mick would try and re-form Shack anytime in the near future. However, talking of which, another of tonight's highlights (yes, there are more...) sees Shack bassist Pete Wilkinson taking a break from his own musical project Aviator, and indeed his birthday celebrations, to take the stage for the wonderful "Merry-Go-Round". 

 

Mick wishes his friend and former colleague happy birthday and explains how he was staying in Pete's flat about 15 years ago, when he heard Pete playing around with a guitar riff that caught his attention and they ending up co-writing "Merry-Go-Round" and after all these years, it's finally made it onto an album. It's a superb song, built around a hypnotic, circular guitar riff that really tugs at the heartstrings. Another transcendental night of music in the company of Mick and The Red Elastic Band draws to a close with a raucous encore of Love's "A House Is Not A Motel" and that's it, sadly it's all over until the next time I get chance to write yet another glowing feature. 

 

I must also mention the fantastic Keyside, fellow Liverpudlians specially picked by Mick for their very first London show. They were one of those well chosen and well suited acts that really set the crowd up nicely for the main act to follow, similar to Karma Sheen supporting Elephant Stone last week. Frontman Daniel Parker reminded me of (a young) Neil Finn...well, from a distance and without my glasses...and Keyside certainly have Crowded House's unabashed pop sensibilities. Daniel sounds like a cross between Lee Mavers and Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys as he bounces around the stage with a huge grin, his good humour and obvious delight at playing such a big venue is as infectious as Keyside's perfectly formed songs and they get a really warm reception from the crowd. 

I don't know what it is about the Merseyside musical conveyor belt that constantly produces so many interesting melodic bands and although their songs are rooted in the classic Liverpool sound, excellent guitarist Ben Cassidy takes the occasional detour to Manchester for his crystal clear guitar riffs, reminiscent of Johnny Marr. I have to mention the impressive rhythm section of drummer Oisin McAvoy and bassist Max Gibson too and there's a nice chemistry apparent between all four members. Of course they undoubtedly have influences from lots of young and contemporary bands that an old git like me has never heard of, but I can pick up strains of Cast and The Coral at their most melodic, think "In The Morning" and "Jacqueline" rather than their Captain Beefheart and Psychedelic side. Keyside's songs are instantly memorable - "Angeline", "Paris To Marseille", "Nikita" and in particular a new song which I think is called "I Can't Get Enough", will stick with you for days to follow and I'm eager to find out more about this very promising young band.

 

Check out our archive for loads more Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band related features, photos and videos including our special report on their stunning and emotional Tokyo show last year. There are also lots of Mick-related live videos at our Retromanblog65 YouTube channel here, subscribe for free to access. I must also say that it was great to meet up with Red Elastic Band bassist Tom Powell again for the first time since our thoroughly entertaining Retrosonic Podcast about his stunning side project Def.fo and their self-titled debut, which was our favourite Album of 2023. You can check out the Episode at Spotify or direct from our SoundCloud site below.

Retrosonic Podcast · Tom Powell of Def.fo and Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band

Mick's daughter Allie had her debut novel "Between It All" published to critical acclaim and it's been making its way to major bookshops too but you can order online too. In more news, John Johnson, the photographer responsible for the superb photos on the covers of "Dear Scott" and "Adiós Señor Pussycat", also has a photo-book of Liverpool nightlife, "In Concert" out now, for more info please check out John's web-site here. Please click on the highlighted links throughout the feature for more information. All photos and videos copyright Retro Man Blog 2024.

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band at Shangri-La Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, May 30th - This Is Where The Magic Happens

There’s a neon sign above the bar in the Shangri-La venue in Tokyo that proclaims “This is where the magic happens”. There have been numerous books published on the Japanese misuse of English in their signage and advertising – indeed on this trip I’ve seen ‘are you excited stretch hero’ outside a gym, ‘do not flash your sanitary goods’ on a toilet door and ‘no dropping thing out of window’ on the Tokyo monorail. These signs can be confusing, bizarre and often downright hilarious but this time, there’s no sniggering at any poor translation as the Shangri-La nailed it perfectly. For tonight was certainly magical – one of those special happenings when live music truly transcends huge cultural differences, time zones and language barriers. Mick Head first came to Japan in 1985 with The Pale Fountains and it made a big impact on the Anglophile Indie scene at the time, leaving a lasting legacy that was apparent in the number of people in the crowd tonight that were there back in ’85. In fact, one of my friends even bought along her original gig ticket for Mick to sign. Now Mick is back and we were at the second of two nights with The Red Elastic Band at the Shangri-La in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo’s less commercial and less tacky version of Camden – it’s a lively area that’s crammed full of live venues, bars, record stores, vintage clothes shops and you see countless musicians wandering about carrying guitars, trying to look as cool as possible. It’s also home to probably the best ever Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll bar ever, the Poor Cow, run by Fi-Fi of the brilliant Japanese band Teengenerate. It’s the go-to place for touring bands to pop into to relax after a show, King Salami & The Cumberland 3, The Courettes have all visited and Baby Shakes told me about their love of the place in our Retrosonic Podcast. It’s an area that’s also personally very important to me as on my first trip to Japan in 1989, I was taken along to a superb Indie nightclub called Zoo which was an unforgettable experience that’s stayed with me to this day. So, to be able to see Mick in Japan was special enough but the fact it happened to be in Shimokitazawa, made it even better.

Opening up the night was Red Elastic Band guitarist Nathaniel Laurence with his second only solo live performance, the debut being the night before. Apparently, he wasn’t quite as nervous to be alone under the spotlight as the first show and he told me later, he found the experience quite daunting and if he’s going to try out new material then the other side of the world, far away from familiar, possibly more expectant or judgemental faces, is probably the best way to do it. Nat, seemed rather unsure but he needn’t have been, he did brilliantly. It was an emotionally charged performance which kind of took me by surprise, and I could understand his concerns as when you lay your soul on the line with such an intimate performance, it can be very precious. Opening with “Zombie Girl” by Adrianne Lenker he also included excellent covers of songs by Townes van Zandt and Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie but it was his own songs that really shined. Nat was visibly moved on a couple of occasions, particularly when he dedicated a song to Bill Ryder-Jones for his support and friendship through some tough times and also before the wonderful original song “Jaime” as he denounced the recent laws in Florida that will suppress minority groups even more. The sadly all too short set is received really well by the appreciative crowd. Nat has a great voice and if he can capture that raw intensity he showed tonight in (hopefully) future recordings, he could easily carve out a spot for himself in the somewhat overcrowded solo singer-songwriter market. 

 

 

There’s a brief respite and then the red velvet curtains are pulled back to reveal Mick and the Red Elastic Band and the first thing that hits me are the dazzling smiles as the waves of love and affection flowed from the crowd. The band certainly looked chuffed to bits to be in Japan. They opened with the brilliant “Kismet”, the first track from the stunning current album “Dear Scott” and you realise that ‘our greatest songwriter’ as the NME once dubbed him back at the peak of Shack’s success in the 90’s, has if anything got even better as the years have gone by. Songs like “Newby Street” from the “Artorius Revisited” E.P. and tracks from “Dear Scott” such as “Gino and Rico” and “American Kid” rub shoulders easily alongside the much-loved classics from The Pale Fountains and Shack. Probably the most encouraging signs are that the as yet unreleased songs played tonight promise even more greatness is to follow. The powerful, rocking “Human Race” ups the tempo and is an immediate hit with the crowd. Then the emotional nostalgia of “Shirl’s Ghost”, an instrumental teaser of which was included as the run out track of “Dear Scott”. Tonight, we get the full vocal version with Mick changing the lyrics to include tonight’s location “I’ve been to so many fabulous places, marvellous stages, beautiful faces, I’ve danced in New York, Paris and Tokyo”. It’s a beautifully evocative song. Then there’s more variety in the unashamedly romantic “You Smiled at Me” with its Burt Bacharach strains telling of a Parisian love affair. 

Mick looks in great shape and seems visibly touched by the reaction of the Japanese fans (not forgetting us visitors and ex-pats in the crowd of course…), he’s wearing a Love T-shirt so it’s no surprise that we get a rollicking version of “A House Is Not a Motel” which goes down a storm. But the audience really goes wild during the two Pale Fountains songs “Reach” and “Jean’s Not Happening” which are absolutely superb and spark off much singing along and audience participation. At one point, Mick gently coerces daughter Alice on stage to join him on “Broken Beauty”, a song they co-wrote and there’s a touching scene when they hug as the song finishes. I think one of the key aspects of Mick’s resurgence is the support that he is getting from Alice and his sister Joanne, who is also present tonight, it’s a tight knit family unit and is so refreshing to see. Of course, the Red Elastic Band concept was always meant to be flexible with a revolving cast of musicians and collaborators but the current, more settled, line-up seems to be an extension of the family and the freedom Mick gives each of the band members to express themselves creates a wonderful chemistry, particularly on stage. Too many frontmen and women from successful bands embark on solo careers and surround themselves with faceless session musicians – but I think fans and audiences really respond to that ‘band as a gang’ atmosphere. 

It’s a five-piece line-up tonight, second guitarist Danny Murphy missing out on the trip due to other touring commitments. Martin Smith on trumpet also shows off some nifty dance moves, there’s bassist Tom Powell’s smile as he loses himself in the music, long hair swaying (Tom's a popular guy, Mick superfan Ana once dubbed him ‘Jesus’ and another friend commented ‘he looks like Keanu Reeves’). Then of course there’s Nat’s brilliant guitar work and when you think he has to cover for the absent Danny and also follow on from the guitar genius that is John Head, it’s mightily impressive. He does such an amazing job and also adds his very own charismatic stage presence to proceedings. Phil Murphy on drums is another key component in the success of the Red Elastic Band as he nails the various styles and genres that snake through Mick’s music – tonight, I’m particularly struck by his work on “Stranger” with its Bossa Nova and Tropicalia feel and it kind of reminds me of The Doors’ John Densmore Jazzy style of accentuating the vocals and feel of the song. Having a supportive and empathetic record label also helps and Modern Sky have certainly delivered with “Dear Scott”, building on the great work that Violette did in establishing the Red Elastic Band with their stunning graphics and beautifully designed releases. Having Nathaniel involved in the recording process along with Bill Ryder-Jones superb production and orchestration is also a vital cog in the wheel that also includes the stunning photography of John Johnson – another important element that should not be overlooked and all the pieces of the jig-saw seem to be perfectly in place right now. 

There’s an acoustic interlude when just Nat and Mick play “As Long as I’ve Got You” and “Freedom” and then Joanne joins them to deliver a stunning performance of “Daniella” from Shack’s “HMS Fable”. There’s something so emotional in Mick’s music – the tough looking Scouser who has battled trials, tribulation and addiction as documented in tonight’s superb performance of the “Streets of Kenny”, he just has this knack of gnawing at your heartstrings and often at his shows, I find myself with a lump in the throat and a tear in the eye – it must be the dry ice eh?  I think it’s the way he wears his heart on his sleeve, allied to a totally down-to-earth attitude that endears Mick to his fans. I’ve seen some great shows by Mick over the years, but this was something else, another Shimokitazawa experience I’ll always treasure. The band were buzzing after the show, happy to meet and chat with fans, signing memorabilia and gushing about the fact that they were in Japan. They seemed as happy as we were and in these often cynical and jaded musical days, that’s a very refreshing thing. Super fan Hiro, proprietor of the unofficial Mick Head Museum (his apartment in Tokyo!) and his lovely wife Rie had made some Red Elastic Band Japanese tour souvenir wristbands which he generously handed over to us and it was nice to see Mick and the band all wearing them onstage. It was so great to be there to witness Hiro get his wish of Mick’s return to Japan and he made the most of every minute. He also stocked up on more merchandise to add to his huge collection and to paraphrase Chief Brody’s famous line in Jaws, “Hiro, you’re gonna need a bigger apartment…!” The only thing that could make the evening any better was a nightcap or two at the Poor Cow so a gang of us headed off to marvel and talk excitedly about the wonderful night that we’d all been lucky enough to have experienced.

 

For Mayumi, Kaz, Kurt, Hiro, Rie, all the Mick fans we met on the night, the Red Elastic Wristband Gang, Fi-Fi and all at the Poor Cow. For more videos from the show please subscribe (for free) to the Retro Man Blog YouTube channel here. For our features on previous Mick Head & The Red Elastic Band, check out the Index/Archive. For more information on Mick & The Red Elastic Band, check out their official web-site here.

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band at Liverpool Arts Club August 7th with Previously Unseen John Johnson Photos

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

One of the very last gigs we went to back in February 2020, just before the onset of COVID and the impending troubles of the pandemic, was seeing a superb show by Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band at EartH in Hackney. It was one of only five shows we managed to attend in that terrible year which saw the live music scene completely decimated but I guess, if you’re going to be without live music for a while, what better way to wind down than with a Michael Head show. So, it was fitting that some eighteen months later, our very first post-lockdown venture to a proper sold-out, all standing, no social distancing gig would be to see Mick play again, this time back in his Liverpool home-town. Despite a worrying postponement of the original date, due to the lockdown deadline being extended, we finally turned up at the doors of a live music venue once again. We went along on the Saturday night; the second of two full-to-the-rafters shows at The Arts Club on Seel Street. I was a bit worried at first when I saw it was part of the O2 Academy group as I haven’t had good experiences with this chain in the past, but it really was a great venue, despite the two large columns blocking the view of the stage somewhat. The staff were friendly and our COVID vaccination ‘passports’ were checked on the door, but I must admit it did feel a bit uneasy at first as the crowd swelled around me. However, that trepidation was soon replaced by the overwhelming and much-missed feeling of excitement and anticipation that makes you remember just how special live music can be. And yes, this turned out to be very special indeed. 

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

The band take the stage and as always, the self-effacing singer looks genuinely chuffed with the level of love and admiration pouring forth from the crowd. What follows is a masterclass in exceptional song-writing with a set that is crammed full of nuggets from all aspects of Mick’s musical career from The Pale Fountains, Shack, The Strands and then bang up-to-date with new and unreleased songs from the forthcoming Red Elastic Band album, the wittily titled “New Brighton Rock”. The Red Elastic Band has always had, if you pardon the terrible pun, a flexible line-up but now Mick seems to have settled on a quite magnificent band that do full justice to his songs and I think this was the best I’ve seen them play so far. Brothers Phil on drums and Danny on guitar are joined by their colleague Nathaniel from the impressive Liverpool based Indie-Pop band The Peach Fuzz, also on guitar. Nathaniel is actually The Peach Fuzz’s frontman so he has that extra touch of charisma that really adds something to The Red Elastic Band’s energetic live show. Supercool bassist Tom Powell grooves away at the back and there’s the crowd favourite, Martin Smith on trumpet. After seeing the Red Elastic Band play shows at seated venues like the Liverpool St. George’s Hall and then Union Chapel, EartH Hackney and the solo acoustic show at the Social in London, it was nice to see the band in a proper “Rock ‘n’ Roll” standing venue again and overall, I think it probably just about topped the similarly stunning show at the Islington Assembly Hall back in March 2016. (Click the highlighted venue names for previous features). 

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

The set-list is in particular, a Shack fan’s dream especially if like me, "HMS Fable" is your favourite album as we are treated to a fair chunk of it. The immensely moving “Comedy” scores a direct hit, straight to the hearts of the adoring crowd. Then, there’s a storming full-on version of “Pull Together” and an almost transcendental “Natalie’s Party”, both quite superb. Mick’s sister Joanne takes the stage for the haunting “Daniella” and we also get a rare outing of “Oscar” with the crowd singing along to Martin Smith’s insistent trumpet riff.  Mick is capable of writing such heartfelt, emotionally charged music, there’s real beauty inside that tough looking Liverpudlian. I must confess to a lump in the throat and a tear in the eye on occasion, especially when the crowd sing along and shout their encouragement. Sometimes there are terrace chant sing-alongs in-between songs and I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of youngsters enthusiastically jumping about at the front of the stage, singing along to all the words. The kids are alright...!

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

There’s “Reach” from The Pale Fountains which sends the crowd into raptures and “The Prize” from the fantastic Michael Head & The Strands album. Only one recorded Red Elastic Band track gets an airing tonight and of course it just has to be the classic upbeat bounce of “Newby Street”. The new songs all sounded excellent and promise much from the new LP. “Grace and Eddie”, “Broken Beauty” and “American Kid” all captured the imagination. There’s an acoustic interlude with Mick delivering “As Long as I’ve Got You” and “Byrds Turn to Stone” from “Here’s Tom with The Weather” and then cranked-up versions of “Cup of Tea” and “Al’s Vacation” are both warmly received. However, it’s the mini-symphony of “Meant to Be” that is one of the night’s undoubted highlights, and I suddenly get ‘something in my eye’ during the Love-like trumpet refrain. The Psychedelic rocker “Up” almost lifts the roof off the Arts Club but the really pleasant surprise was the inclusion of “Sgt. Major” from that classic album “Waterpistol”. Hearing this was a cathartic experience, all the stress and hardships of the previous eighteen months of COVID, lockdown, bad news after bad news and the lack of live music – just seemed to disappear for the four minutes or so of this quite brilliant song. Tonight though, was much more than just a long-awaited return to seeing a gig, this was an experience that I won’t forget, this was emotional. 

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

With sincere thanks to John Johnson for his photos. John has been documenting The Red Elastic Band from the start and is responsible for the superb cover to their debut album “Adios Señor Pussycat”. You can check out his official web-site here for limited edition prints and further examples of his photography. John also co-owns the great bar The Angus Tap & Grind at 83-85 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2HT, we went along the evening before the gig and not only were they playing some fantastic music, we were also treated to an acoustic live set by a very good singer-songwriter. Finally, John has also started up a clothing range called Sound and Fury and one of their first ventures includes a limited-edition Mick Head T-Shirt which you can check out at the web-site here. 

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - copyright John Johnson

For more news on Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band please check out their official web-site, their Facebook page or their Instagram page. The Peach Fuzz are also well worth investigating at their official Facebook page here. There's also a fantastic Pale Fountains Facebook group here, which covers all of Mick's musical career. Thanks again to John Johnson and Ana for the pic of the set-list and "hello, wish you were there" to Mick's biggest fans out in Japan - Hiro, Rie, Kaz & Kurt!