Guisborough 4/9/13
Oh boy - where do you start on a review of last night’s Hoax gig at Guisborough? Probably best to firstly apologise to Albany Down who are due to play the venue on the 14th - when I left just before midnight there was just a smoking crater where the football club stood only hours before: Kath has promised that they’ll do their best to re-build before the next gig…..and it has just had a fresh coat of paint too….
Were they that good? Oh yes, and then some. The Hoax came and went inbetween the times I was listening to Blues/rock, so over the last few years their legend, whispered in awed tones has given them a sort of “urban myth” status, like a 12bar Bigfoot; early hayday performances happening in pre-YouTube days, lost to the ether; there’s little evidence of the claims. However, they never really went away, did they? Keeping their hands in with solo and side projects, producing other bands, re-uniting for anniversary gigs or their own “Hoaxfests” but now they are together again, with purpose. And such is their reputation, even for a mid-week show, this was sold out months in advance.
Where to start with last night’s show? After a half-hour acoustic set from local lad Alan Barnett, another Guisborough top find from their regular Monday Jam nights, The Hoax took the stage shortly before 10pm, and came out swinging; this wasn’t going to be a reunion, comeback gig, they were lean and mean and taking no prisoners. The set was a mix of Hoax classics, with new songs from the Big City Blues album slotting in seamlessly from the hypnotically driving opener, entreating us to Stick Around. The packed out sweat-box that the room was gave Give Me A Drink, the 3rd number added meaning, but by then Hugh, Jesse, Jon, Robin & Mark were more than in their stride and the 100 minute solid set just seemed to fly. Jon and Jesse, the twin leads have such contrasting styles, but there is such chemistry between them. Hugh is a double whammy or top class vocalist with the range and power of any of the best soul singers to come out of Philly or Detroit as well as a leading harp player. Those three held together by the tight but fluid rhythms from Robin on bass and Mark on drums, I doubt we’ll be looking far for nominees in next year’s Blues Awards. Title track Big City Blues and the dirty riffing Hipslicker already at home among more established Hoax numbers, but easily the evenings highlight was the epic Don’t Shake My Hand, not to be outdone by the different guitar styles of Jon and then Jesse, Hugh took his vocals from low growl right up his range.
The two song encore didn’t include the signature Jon and Jesse reaching to plays each other’s guitar, maybe down to stage size limitations, but just had the feel that the band wanted to play on and on, every bit as much as the audience did – makes you wonder what a Hoax hometown gig must be like. In the heat, it was also going to be a wonder what would give out first, the amps overheating, the band passing out from dehydration or the audience giving out with heat exhaustion. In the end, by unspoken mutual agreement, it was a three-way tie.
Biggest question of the night then, not so much why have they left it until now to jump back into the fray, nor why haven’t the crowd at Guisborough been there at other shows there; but how the devil did Jesse Davy manage to do the whole show and keep his leather jacket on?
Seriously though, my ears are still ringing and I could barely sleep last night, I'm still buzzin' so to anyone heading to tonight's Edinburgh show, brace yourselves for a hell of a gig.
Mike
PS - If you missed out this time round, watch this space for news of a further tour in December: dates for Cranleigh and Bristol already out there.
When life gives you lemons; don't make lemonade.
Give back the lemons. Why were the lemons free? What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
