Re: What song are you listening to right now?
Newcastle Cluny: 6th October 2023
Bywater Call + Mitch Laddie Band (supporting)
Third of five gigs in a week, and a Friday night at The Cluny, what could go wrong.....
Well, getting the evening underway was the Mitch Laddie Trio, and a great pleasure in seeing Mitch, Rhian & Matt back on a local stage; they're harder to catch than a NHS dentist. It must be all of 5 years since the last time I managed to catch them (Ryan McGarvey gig at [the then] Gateshead Sage). Have to say, they've hardly changed, well, Matt's getting a distinguished grey, but otherwise, they still deliver searingly hot Rock/Funk. If SRV had been taught by Buddy Guy; that's how Mitch sounds, and when he takes centre-stage, the eyes roll back, and he's gone.... But not so far that Rhian & Matt loose touch; they're a dream of a backline. They took the stage this evening and didn't so much throw down the gauntlet as ride in on a huge black charger, and slam it down....
And then it was time for Canada's Bywater Call to take up the challenge, ay. Very much the "in-band" over here at the moment, judging by the number of sold out shows on the tour so far: somehow this Toronto based septet managed to squeeze themselves onto the Cluny stage, and burst forth with their powerhouse blend of Southern Soul, Blues & Roots Rock.
Now singer Meghan Parnell is one of those leather-lunged, teflon-throated belters of a singer, much like our own Rebecca Downes, just with a different accent; but what kept happening in the songs? The second number seemed to keep changing key more times than an old 20 minute genesis epic. And usually I'm a sucker for a "Muscle Shoals" style horn section, but either just after this song, or maybe part of it, I don't know, there was a sort of dual between the sax and trumpet as to who could play the most odd key (off-key?). When the band did roll, My God, they did; and it was all the poor sound guy could do to stop everyone one red-lining: in among this, there was some sublime slide work from Dave Barnes that would have turned the gig around, had I heard more. However, they were doing a cracking rendition of Love The One You're With, which broke down into a piano & sax section that was in the key of toothache. That, at only 4 songs was more than flesh & blood....
I think, had I caught Megan & Dave when they toured earlier in a stripped down form, this might have gone down better; however verdict for the night; if Bywater Call again, tell them I'm out and look like you're taking a message, ay. As for Mitch Laddie & the guys, even a support set was worth the price of admission, so not a wasted night, but still, my mood matches the weather (and it's teaming with rain, as I write).
Give back the lemons. Why were the lemons free? What's wrong with the lemons?
Do Not trust the lemons...
