Albany Down (Page 1 of 3)

I'll be with you guys in spirit but my body will be in Tenerife with a few beers watching the Vagabonds who just might play Bridge to better days

Sedgefield R'n'B Club 16-3-13

Well, finally caught up with these alumni from Jock’s Juke Joint on Saturday at Sedgefield. Lately, they’ve been doing some gigs with Henrik Freischlader round Scotland and a number of dates with Chantel McGregor, but this was one of those rare oppertunities to see the guys at full-stretch.

For those who don’t know or haven’t come across Albany Down, they comprise:- PAUL MUIR is the band’s excellent front man - delivering powerful vocals with just the right balance of arrogance and angst as well as “guy-candy” looks to interest the women. The floppy-haired bassist is BILLY DEDMAN - he has a prowess for solid bass lines - but demonstrates the aptitude and dexterity for a higher vision and pulls off some nifty bass solo pieces. Drummer DAMIEN CAMPBELL provides the power - keeping the beat steady. PAUL TURLEY on lead guitar makes most of the magic happen on stage. He puts on an accomplished performance with a few daring and flaring Hendrix-style licks but reverts down to a sensible chug-a-chug chord or two when things are brimming.

Would I say they were the best at each instrument - sorry lads, but no: that’s not saying they don’t know what they’re doing though….. Thing is, Albany Down is greater than the sum of its parts; each guy gets on with what he’s supposed to be doing and something exciting happens; and boy, when they rock, they really rock.

End of the first session, they closed with South Of The City, title track from their current album, and that is a bona-fide classic. Their 2 sets at Sedgefield were made from this album, and a soon to be released follow-up, Not Over Yet! which from the sounds of, they are really turning up the heat. Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile got a rattling, odd to see it done with vocals and guitar handled separately; but the 2 Pauls carried it off. That was about the extent of the covers until the encore with a crashing Rock and Roll and a scrabble to do Johnny B Goode at the audience’s demand for more.

Albany Down can be counted on for insistent guitar hooks, stripped down licks and rattling good-time rock; about as subtle as a Glasgow Kiss. On the strength of Saturday’s performance, they’re heading to be counted with some of the legendry Scottish bands from back in the 70s though - a new wave of heavy blues.

Know they've attracted attention from another of this region's Blues Clubs, and look forward to seeing them on their rosta, but sticking my neck out - I bet the lads would go down a storm on the Continent, Germany & Holland especially.

The lads' encore from Sedgefield:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl … T22OtbfkS0

Other recent shows:-
The Working Man - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5uwv7usD54
South Of The City - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXb7kwiZTaM
The Train Song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2VoqpiQF3g

PS - watch for thier new album; due 8th April - Not Over Yet!

On the books for Guisborough, mid-September.

Happy to return a favour.  The guys' new album is out in a matter of days, and from what I heard at Sedgefield, it'll soon be in my shopping basket.

Second promo video is now live! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRIMVaJq … e=youtu.be

Well, got my copy through the door yesterday; 70% Rock, 30% Blues, 100% crackin' good album.

From a "spaghetti western" intro, the lads crash in with a gritty rock number Back Again, like 80s Rainbow. The following 2 numbers keep it at a steady boil before the guys take it down a couple of notches with Southern Rock tinged A Man Like Me. Kicking it back up, the grinding title track, Not Over Yet, with its machine gun lyric verses leads into a swaggering harmonica driven My Lucky Streak.

What would be side B in the vinyl days opens with the slow blues number You Ain't Coming Home, and they pull out not only some Zepp tinged guitar but a bloody string section! That's ballsy for a 2nd album, but pays off. That said, She's The Light maybe over-cooks the idea a little, with its North African / Persian feel, some wags will probably use the K(ashmir) word: still can't say I dislike the number. You Want To Be My Baby takes us back onto a safer strut and the next 2 numbers rattle along.

So, where's the "South Of The City"? For me, they've kept it until the end, The Working Man. Everything is in here, solid ryhthm, moody strings and keys, blazing guitar and Paul Muir singing his lungs out. This would even make Manic Street Preachers look over their shoulders!

They've delivered again.

Nice one. Hope you're coming back up to Scotland sometime. Loving the new album by the way

forgot to mention that tomorrow night (30th) we are at the 100 club London, 7pm start.  Anyone fancies coming then come on down! ;-)