The Lightning Threads

Newcastle; Cluny2 - 26th April 2025

They whetted my appetite last year, supporting Darnell Cole & The Vibe, so when the chance came up to see a full-set from Sheffield's Lightning Threads, I jumped. Tom Jane on Guitar & Vocals, Sam Burgum on Bass & Vocals and Hugh Butler on Drums & Keys, bring with them them vintage Blues with the intensity of a "new" Cream.

Getting the evening off to a lively start were a late substitution, Sunderland's Milk Lizards who had a back out (next time guys...) were replaced by Johnny D & The Space Cadets (who bore an uncanny resemblance to a couple of Milk Lizards) and the duo gave a set of Rockabilly, surf, psychobilly, filthy blues, rock n roll. Laying a good vibe for the evening.

However, the night was The Lightning Threads, and as I've said, the support slot I saw them do last year, I had the feeling there was a very good band in there, and was I ever right. Building the set around their debut album, Off That Lonely Road, they felt out the audience; a bigger house than some of the more established bands, of late; and just turned it up to a rolling boil by the 1st cover, "Born Under A Bad Sign", proving their Blues credentials.

That I think gave them the impetus to drop in a couple of new numbers from the new album, currently brewing at Superfly, and it's sounding pretty good. For the next cover in the set, they segued their own Tattooed Girl into a very Santana-esque Black Magic Woman; another high for Tom Jane's fiery guitar. Chillin' back to the vibes coming from the stage, just at the points where you were beginning to think a bit keyboard would be sweet here, and your mind started to fill in, it wasn't, hidden in among the drumkit Hugh Butler has a keyboard, and he knows how to use it, and not with the sticks; though how? And you can't leave out Sam Burgum's deft basslines, gluing it all together. Striding not only around the stage for his feature part, but into the audience too. Something he repeated toward the finale when Tom was really shredding: I mean, what do you do on a small stage when your guitarist needs the room to express himself? Talk a walk across the floor and find a comfortable seat and watch the action, while never missing a beat.

So, if ever there's a band that give VFM (Value For Money) it's these guys. No strangers to Newcastle, or the local N.East area, but definitely most welcome. Looking forward to the new album and tour.

From Blues At The Bay, last year:-
Born Under A Bad Sign - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ6eqjDQtpU
Pushing / Thrill Is Gone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EvOyWClkXg
Stick Around - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qrLQOkFapc