The Producers (Harry Skinner & Dave Saunders)

12th August - Darlington Forum.

Welcome return to the town & R’n'B Club by Harry Skinner, Dave Saunders, Ray Drury & Biff Smith - collectively The Producers, on their 25th Anniversary tour.

Things were slightly delayed due to a nightmare road trip from the bottom of the country, but once set-up the guys were soon working their magic. The first half of the show re-acquainted with Darlington after a few year’s absence by picking from the London Blues album as well as the new tracks from the 25 Years album such as the powerful Change Change Change and the driving Bees & Honey and the rockin’ Rollercoaster Blues.

A good part of the show was given over to covers; the songs that made their sets over the previous 25 years, such as Lazy Lester’s Sugar Coated Love and a mesmerising take on Baby Please Don’t Go and an earthmoving cover of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s One Kind Favour where Harry looped some howling slide to build an eerie backdrop.

So hard to pick out any one defining moment from this gig, Dave & Biff are such a tight rhythm unit, and the interplay between Harry’s guitar & Ray on keys is so fluid: not the youngest or loudest or fastest band around but everything just works so well together: they exude Blues cool. If I had one wish, it would be to see these guys with a horn section.