Welcome to the ramblings of a man who really should have grown out of listening to "that sort of music" a long, long time ago...A place to share thoughts and photographs on music and related paraphernalia.
Showing posts with label The Pale Fountains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Pale Fountains. Show all posts
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.
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.
In our recent Retrosonic Podcast Episode 53 you would have heard the excellent track by def.fo called "Play It Cool", well we liked it so much we named the episode after it and even featured the man behind the project, Tom Powell, on the cover. You might recognise Tom as the bassist with former Shack and Pale Fountains frontman Mick Head's latest outfit, Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band and here, in a thoroughly entertaining show, Tom discusses the concept behind def.fo and the superb album "Eternity", some of the varied musical influences that helped to shape the sound and the contributors that played their part in creating one of the best albums of 2023. "Eternity" is a concise and perfectly plotted debut that effortlessly moves between an eclectic mix of genres, from 60's West Coast Californian harmonies, pastoral Folk Rock with lush orchestral arrangements to 90's Trip-Hop and contemporary Neo-Psychedelia, but despite the varied reference points, it all sounds completely fresh and unique. It brings to mind the similarly studio-based project 5 Billion In Diamonds which was created by Nirvana Producer and Garbage drummer, Butch Vig along with the Bristol based Producers and DJ's James Grillo and Andy Spaceland and a list of impressive studio guests including Ebbot Lundberg from The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Damian O'Neill from the Undertones and members of Ocean Blue, Massive Attack, Spiritualised and The Blue Aeroplanes.
With def.fo, Tom has called on dad, Steve Powell from Ark Recording Studios in Liverpool who has worked with Mick Head, The Stairs, Cast and Echo & The Bunnymen among others and here his production and guitar work, lifts "Eternity" to another level, the album just sounds fantastic, especially on vinyl. Then there are contributions from Tom's Red Elastic Band colleague Phil Murphy on drums, Chris Geddes from Belle & Sebastian on keyboards and Mick Head himself, who adds vocals to a couple of songs and also more intriguing, the bongos! In fact, the time spent working with Mick Head, who the NME once dubbed as Britain's "Greatest Songwriter", has certainly rubbed off on Tom as "Eternity" is packed full of immediately memorable songs, ringing with superb guitar riffs, beautiful melodies and choruses that will stick in your head for days after the very first listen. His Red Elastic Band boss must be very proud. Talking of which, during our chat, Tom also covers the amazing reaction to the "Dear Scott" album and the wonderful experience of playing in Japan with Mick and The Red Elastic Band earlier this year. We were lucky enough to be there to catch one of the Tokyo shows and you can see videos over at our YouTube channel here. Anyway, please enjoy Tom's company in this latest episode which is also soundtracked with a selection of songs from the "Eternity" album - you can subscribe to Retrosonic Podcast for free at Spotify, iTunes, Apple Podcasts or direct from our SoundCloud site below.
You can order "Eternity" directly from the official def.fo website here and check out more news and information at the Facebook page here. With thanks to Tom and to John Johnson photography for use of the excellent photo in the Podcover. We recommend the Pale Fountains fan's Facebook group here for all Mick Head music-related chat and resource. Retrosonic Podcast has a valid PRS licence.
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.
This was the third time to see Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band in London this year and each show couldn’t have been more different yet all were equally as memorable. First of all, back in May we squeezed ourselves into the tiny packed out basement bar of the Heavenly Social where only drummer Phil and guitarist Nat accompanied Mick. After this show, the crowd filed out of the venue and followed Mick to a nearby pub to watch Liverpool in the Champions League Final. Then in June we went along to the superb 2,000 capacity Shepherds Bush Empire where we were treated to a full-on eight-piece Red Elastic Band line-up including brass, woodwind and cello to hear the songs from the new album “Dear Scott” in all their glory. Then it’s another change of direction for tonight’s intimate show at the St. Pancras Old Church, the grounds of which were used as a photo shoot location by those other Scouse musical legends The Beatles during their 1968 “Mad Day Out” jaunt around London. The grounds and the church itself are stunning and we’ve got front row seats although I was a bit disappointed to find out they weren’t pews though. It’s as though Mick and the band are right there in your front room, well that is if your front room just happens to be a chapel that pre-dates the Norman Conquest of course. It really is a beautiful setting and Mick seems taken aback “I know we’re standing on gravestones but I’m sure it’ll be OK” he says, the stained glass window above the altar behind him adds a suitably ecclesiastical backdrop.
It’s great that Mick doesn’t just follow the routines of the traditional touring circuit, it’s as if he’s determined that each gig be treated as a very special one-off event, something to be treasured and remembered. The flexibility that he has carved out for himself since Shack’s indefinite hiatus is admirable, he’s working on his own terms so seems to be able to escape the pitfalls, pressures and clichés of the corporate music industry and that’s such a rare commodity these days. Tonight’s line-up of The Red Elastic Band features Nathaniel Cummings on guitar, Tom Powell on bass, Phil Murphy on drums and Martin Smith on trumpet, but unfortunately guitarist Danny Murphy is missing as he’s currently on tour with Jamie Webster. The band kick off with “Gino & Rico” from the new album "Dear Scott" and the sound is surprisingly excellent – I say surprising, as Church’s tend to work best for acoustic or orchestral performances but rarely for a full-on Rock band. However, tonight it really works and the impressive acoustics really highlight the nuances of Mick’s intricate songs. I do notice that Phil has dampened his snare drum with what looks like a tea towel but otherwise, the band put as much into the performance as if they were on the stage of a large traditional Rock venue. Tonight’s set consists of a dip into most aspects of Mick’s musical career post-Pale Fountains so we get “Undecided” from “Waterpistol”, the always emotional “Comedy” and a blistering “Pull Together” both from “H.M.S. Fable”. “As Long As I’ve Got You” is the choice from “Here’s Tom With The Weather” and then there’s the superb “Something Like You” from “The Magical World of The Strands”.
The now classic “Newby Street” from The Red Elastic Band’s debut E.P. “Artorius Revisited” raises the tempo and temperature with Martin blasting out that insistent trumpet riff. Then of course, there’s a large chunk of the current critically acclaimed Bill Ryder-Jones produced album “Dear Scott” which has raised Mick’s profile to heights not experienced since the peak-Shack era of the late 90’s/early 2000’s. In fact, as much as I love Shack and in particular John Head’s guitar work, I don’t find myself longing for a reunion anymore as the quality of the new songs and the excellent chemistry between Mick and the Red Elastic Band members certainly stops you getting all nostalgic. Rather like Ebbot Lundberg did when The Soundtrack of Our Lives split up, Mick has surrounded himself with super-talented younger musicians who don’t only do justice to familiar classic songs but they manage to inject their own personalities and styles into the music. Interesting that both front men decided to cherry pick the nucleus of already established bands, Ebbot from the Stockholm based Side Effects to form The Indigo Children and Mick took from The Peach Fuzz, augmenting them with other musicians to suit. They both seem to understand that the dynamic and chemistry of a band works far better than any bunch of assembled faceless session musicians will ever do and The Red Elastic Band embody this, all have their own characters which really helps them connect with the fans. Phil is a really great drummer, navigating the twists and turns and sudden tempo changes of Mick's songs perfectly. When he's not playing trumpet Martin spends his time dancing away in the background and in front of him, bassist Tom Powell grooves away, long hair swaying around him as he immerses himself in the music. Guitarist Nat is a bit of a star, after all he is the frontman of The Peach Fuzz and his guitar playing is superb, especially tonight as he has to cover for the absence of Danny. It can't have been easy for both of them having to follow in the footsteps of John Head but they have both excelled. Not only are they all great musicians but they are great guys too as was proven by their concerns over the health of one of their biggest fans Ann. In fact, Mick dedicates a song to her tonight and the band make sure they all sign a set-list to present to her at the next opportunity, it’s such a nice touch of class.
There are too many highlights to mention, but the vocal version of “Shirl’s Ghost” is truly beautiful and it’s strange that they only included a short instrumental take to close “Dear Scott”, it’s almost as though that was put there as a tantalizing trailer for the next album. New song “The Human Race” is a cracker, it’s more of a powerful straight-ahead rocker than the material on “Dear Scott” and Nat’s guitar work is immense. As the song builds to a climax, Mick drops to his knees thrashing away on his acoustic guitar hunched over and as the song finishes he realizes he’s kneeling on a gravestone and I catch him put his fingers to his lips and blow a kiss in way of respectful apology. It’s this church thing, it seems to be making everyone come over all saintly. However, Mick just can’t stop swearing and each time an expletive escapes he cringes and says “sorry” as if a big bolt of lightning is going to flash from above and strike him down. “I blame my Ma,” he says, “She was always swearing” and then corrects himself, “sorry Ma” with a glance to the heavens. The set closer “Meant To Be” is almost like a cathartic experience when the crowd take over the main riff singing along and turning it into something akin to a football chant. Mick even joins in as he and the band take a bow and lap up the well-deserved applause. They are called back for an encore and we get the excellent “Stranger” from “Waterpistol”, but then it’s all over sadly despite the calls for more. So, another memorable night in the magical world of Michael Head and The Red Elastic Band and I'm already looking forward to the next adventure.
Special mention for tonight’s support act, the engaging Harry Tonks who went down really well with the crowd and was a perfect choice to get us in the mood for Mick. Harry was joined on stage by Mick’s sister Joanne for a cover of The Civil War’s “20 Years” and his own “Community Church” before which Harry commented that he’d always wanted to play the song in a church. Anyone who has seen Joanne sing "Daniella" with Mick at recent shows will know she has a wonderful voice and her appearance was a real highlight. Harry introduced a new song “Middle of The Night” with self-deprecating humour, saying it was a difficult one to play and he wondered why he always made things difficult for himself. Indeed the intricate guitar work was pretty mind (and finger) bending and it reminded me of none other than The Strands. Harry has some excellent songs and a great voice, free of the gimmicks and affectations of many modern day singer songwriters and I look forward to hearing more from him in the future.
Harry Tonks at St. Pancras Old Church
The Red Elastic Band - Martin, Nat, Phil and Tom
For more information on Micheal Head & The Red Elastic Band please check out their official website here. You can find out more about Harry Tonks here and you can see more videos of the show at our Retro Man Blog YouTube channel here.
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!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
