Tag Archives: classic rock

We are the Brick City Three. Who the **** are you?

Running this blog I often get bands (or their PRs) offering to send me free CDs. Almost without exception it’s usually when they’ve got a new album to promote and are looking for a review.

Recently, however, I received the following email from a guy called Todd Jasko who was once in a band called the Brick City Three:

“Quick random question for you: my band is trying to get rid of our CDs. We’re goofy party hard rock. Can I send you one for free? More detail: we had a band. We had a blast. Our drummer got sick and passed away. Now I’m left with 30ish CDs and I would rather give them away free than try to sell them. Happy to mail you one for free if you like! Or if you want to check us out first, we’re called Brick City three and we’re free digitally on Bandcamp. Let me know, and thanks for your time!”

Intrigued, I checked them out online, instantly liked what I heard and emailed Todd back to take him up on his very kind offer.

https://brickcitythree.bandcamp.com/track/show-me

A few days later, said CD arrived in the post all the way from New Jersey. Quirky, punked-up, party rock with witty self-deprecating lyrics and irresistably catchy hooks, it’s been blasting out of my stereo all week. As per the email, it’s not a recent album. It came out in 2008 and the back cover still advertises the band’s Myspace account! So I’m going to resist doing a full blow-by-blow review but the good news is that the band still have some unreleased tracks and Todd is planning to put a final album together. That, I definitely will review.

A bit more background on the Brick City Three:

Brick City Three was formed in 2006 in Newark, NJ (aka “The Brick City”.) Mike (bass) and Cal (drums) grew up in Jersey listening to Rush and Yes, but none of their friends enjoyed rock music, so they didn’t know any local guitarists. In the early 00’s, Mike met Todd through Mike’s coworker (Pete Levine – former drummer of Flowerhead), and Todd’s habit of remembering people’s birthdays led to him reach out to Mike in August of 2006. Mike remembered Todd from some previous jams at Pete’s house, and he asked Todd if he would want to come out to play some music with Cal and him. Considering Todd was anything BUT an in-demand guitarist, singer, or songwriter, he jumped at the chance! Their first jam included covers of “Rockin’ in the Free World”, “Dig In”, and “Space Oddity”, and they enjoyed it so much that they decided to do it again!

One of their improvised jams during that initial meeting stuck in Todd’s head, and he asked Mike and Cal if he could try bringing an original tune to their next jam. Their second jam birthed this first song as a band, “Show Me”. Eventually, this song would be their album opener as well as every show’s closing number.

Rehearsals continued most Saturdays in Newark, and by the spring of 2007, the band had enough solid originals to start playing shows. What they lacked in talent they made up for in enthusiasm! After a few months, they settled on the moniker “Brick City Three” since Newark was such a big part of their formation.

Between 2007 and 2011, the band played several shows in NYC and NJ, released one studio album, and developed a repertoire of approximately 20 original songs and 15 cover songs. And they weren’t afraid to mix it up! For example: they knew that Mike and Cal’s friends at the Juke Joint (a backyard venue in Newark) weren’t huge rock fans, so they once surprised the crowd with a more dance-friendly set of covers ranging from 70’s disco to 80’s hip-hop to 90’s R&B including a variety of guest singers.

Sadly, Cal’s health slowed the band down, and he eventually passed away in 2015. But we are still left with memories, video, and hours of audio from shows and rehearsals. Todd is currently planning to put together a final, second, posthumous album in the near future to honour the band’s and Cal’s legacies.

Brick City Three and Cal – we salute you! And I very much look forward to hearing the second (and final) album.

More information on the Brick City Three here: https://linktr.ee/brickcitythree

Album review/live review: Praying Mantis ‘Defiance’ + album launch, The Carlisle, Hastings 25/4/24

One of the advantages of living in Hastings, now the adopted home-town of Praying Mantis founder Tino Troy, is getting the chance to see the band performing tracks from their new album, Defiance, down the road in your local rock pub within days of its worldwide release. Indeed, introducing the title track of the new album tonight, Tino Troy acknowledged it would be the first time it has ever been performed in public.

First, however, we hear from Gypsy’s Kiss who have the claim to fame of being the first band Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris played in. Like Praying Mantis, they formed over fifty years ago, with their first gig being played back in April 1974. Founder Member and guitarist, David Smith, reformed the band in 2018 with a new line-up and they’ve gigged solidly since then, as well as releasing an album and a couple of EPs. Indeed, this is their third time playing the Carlisle and they’ve built up quite a local fan-base now. They play a mixture of songs from their original tenure and off their new album and if you like that brand of good, honest, 1970s, guitar-driven hard-rock, in the vein of say Stray or a heavied-up Wishbone Ash, it’s a very enjoyable set. Not to mention the historical curiosity element that comes from hearing the songs that were performed by Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris at his first ever public gigs.

And then it was on to the main event. The set from Praying Mantis included material from the early days like ‘Captured City’ and ‘Praying Mantis’ alongside more recent material, like ‘Keep It Alive’ and ‘Cry For The Nations’, together with two tracks from the brand-new album, the aforementioned ‘Defiance’ along with ‘Standing Tall’, with its unexpected dance-beat. A packed-out Carlisle gave the band a rousing reception, with bass-player Chris Troy, in particular, visibly moved by the response. The band rewarded the crowd with an encore that included a rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Simple Man’ and their own ever-green ‘Children Of The Earth’.

But what of the rest of the album?  Eleven tracks that are “a perfect blend of classic Praying Mantis with a contemporary twist,” as bass-player, co-founding member and principal song-writer, Chris Troy puts it.

As well as nine original songs and an instrumental track, there’s all a cover of the Russ Ballad-penned classic, ‘I Surrender’, a huge hit for Rainbow in 1981 and a track I absolutely loved as a young teenage rock fan and still love today – a song that marked the high-point of Rainbow’s post-Dio embrace of more accessible, melodic hard rock. Rainbow are now long-gone, of course, but who better to continue flying the flag for accessible-but-intelligent, polished, melodic, hard rock than Praying Mantis? Interestingly, Praying Mantis, themselves, were actually in the running to release this song back in the early ‘80s but were overtaken by events when Blackmore and co. were given the nod to release it themselves. They certainly do it justice here. Other album highlights include the instantly-catchy rocker, ‘Feeling Lucky’ and the nicely mellow ‘One Heart’, with its lovely keyboard flourishes and Spanish-style guitar.

Both a highly-enjoyable album and a equally enjoyable album launch, Praying Mantis have definitely earned themselves the right to be a tad defiant these days.

Released: 19th April 2024

Related posts:

Live review: Tytan / Praying Mantis at Blackbox, Hastings 22/11/23

Live review: the final ever Giants of Rock, Minehead 21-23 January 2022

Live review: Four Sticks Classic Rock Weekender at the New Cross Inn, London 5-7 October 2018

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Flight Of Fancy’

I first came across the Julie July Band in the band’s early days when they were performing their lovingly-collated and extremely well-received tribute to Sandy Denny. Time has flown by and the band have been together a decade now and are about to release their fourth studio album.

While the first one stuck to material that had been written or performed by Sandy Denny herself, subsequent albums have been composed of original material. The last album, the post-lockdown Wonderland, saw the band draw on a more eclectic range of influences. With Flight Of Fancy they continue on that journey still further.

The band themselves characterise it as “music inspired by the folk, rock and blues movements of the ‘60s and ’70;s with a 21st Century twist.”

The title track picks up that laid-back, sun-kissed, US country rock -meets- English folk rock vibe which Sandy Denny’s post-Fairport outfit Fotheringay delved into so wonderfully but there’s many, many more influences here beyond Denny, Fairport and Fotheringay. From the psychedelia-tinged ‘All In Our Minds’, to the funky reggae party of ‘Boho Woman’, to the wistful minor-key singer-songwriter vibe of ‘Lost In A Crowd’ to the sparse, delicate beauty of piano-and-vocal closing track, ‘Simply Yours’, it’s like a magical mystery tour through a fifty-year-old, recently-rediscovered record collection for the discerning buyer.

Holding it all together is Julie July’s crisp, clear vocals; great five-part harmonies, thoughtful but accessible songwriting, and a superbly versatile band – now with an established line up of Steve Rezillo (Lead guitar), Caley Groves (acoustic guitar) Dik Cadbury (bass), Mick Candler (drums) and Carol Lee Sampson (keyboards).

Flight Of Fancy is a really enjoyable album and it’s not at all fanciful to conclude that the Julie July Band continue to soar and continue to deliver great music.

Released: May 2024

https://www.juliejuly.co.uk

Related posts:

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Wonderland’

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes?’ – A Tribute To Sandy Denny

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Lady of the First Light’

New Collateral single ‘On The Long Road’ out now ahead of 24th May album release

I was fortunate enough to enjoy a sneak preview of the new single from Collateral when they played legendary Hastings rock venue, The Carlisle this month. ‘On The Long Road’ (released today 19th April) is the second single to be released from the band’s forthcoming album Should’ve Known Better. With this latest single the Kent-based hard rock band slow things a notch with an emotive ballad on a deeply personal theme.

Collateral frontman Angelo Tristan comments: “I’ve never been in a position to write about such a personal painful subject,” says  about the new single. “During the pandemic, my partner’s mum passed away with no real warning. It was a real dark time, and there was no way of escaping it, so I did the only thing I know how, and that was to try and get those feelings out. It’s about tragedy, but I’m starting to see an underlying hope within the song. After all, it’s a story that sooner or later, we all take part in.”

‘On The Long Road’ is available on all streaming platforms HERE.

On May 24th, the album will be released by Big Shot Records on red vinyl, picture disc, CD and digital with worldwide distribution by Cargo Records Direct. The album is available to pre-order from www.collateralofficial.com and Cargo Records Direct.

Collateral are comprised of Angelo Tristan (lead vocals, guitar), Louis Malagodi (guitar), Jack Bentley-Smith (bass) and Ben Atkinson (drums). 

Photo credits (this and header image): Rob Blackham

Both the new single and the forthcoming album are produced by Dan Weller (Those Damn Crows, Elles Bailey, Enter Shikari, Monster Truck, Kris Barras). It’s the band’s second album following their eponymous debut in 2020 which secured a Top 5 placing in the UK Rock Album Chart. A remixed and remastered version of the album, retitled Re-Wired, also saw the band back in the UK rock charts.

Commenting on the new album Angelo Tristan added:

“We felt that our debut album was lacking the production. For the sophomore album, I wanted to make sure that this time we left no room for error and so got one of the hottest producers in the music industry, Dan Weller, to help lift these songs into a new dimension. With Dan’s pioneering studio expertise, this album has massive production quality that enables you to get lost in each character-filled track. Dan really brought out the emotions we were trying to portray and has achieved it with his own unique style.”

“We wanted this album to express where we were in our own lives since the release of our first. So much has happened since then, I mean the world shut down for what felt like a lifetime! And it was obvious that people were going to need some sort of optimism.  I hope ‘Glass Sky’ is one of those songs that gives people the belief to find themselves again.”

“Whereas, the feel-good ‘Just One Of Those Days’ is trying to find the good side of a bad day. Me being me, couldn’t help but to write a big power ballad, ‘The Long Road’, that I wrote from a very hard and deep place, in hope that it could maybe bring some peace and comfort to people who need it. I think there’s all aspects of life running though this album and what it means to us will remain in our hearts forever.”

“Should’ve Known Better” is an album that goes beyond specific music genres. It’s almost like a soundtrack to a beating heart.  It’s an album that will remain timeless in years to come.”

https://www.collateralofficial.com

Live review: Saving Grace with Robert Plant & Suzi Dian, White Rock Theatre, Hastings 23/3/24

Like many regional theatres in the UK, the events programme for the White Rock In Hastings has been the typical mix of touring tribute shows, musicals and panto with the odd stand-out musical gem thrown. Recently, the theatre saw a change in operator with Trafalgar Theatres (who run many similar venues across the UK), giving way to the Guildhall Trust. The latter are a charity that operate the Portsmouth Guildhall and they came in promising “exciting times ahead” and a “broader programme of entertainment” for the White Rock. Certainly, having Robert Plant on stage sets high bar and is hopefully a foretaste of what’s to come once the new team get their feet well and truly under the table.

In the decades since Led Zeppelin’s demise, Plant has had a consistently fascinating career and some fascinating and highly inventive musical collaborations. I remember braving the mud to witness him with Strange Sensation at Green Man festival in 2007 and, more recently, his superb set with Alison Krauss at Hyde Park when they supported the Eagles two years ago.

His latest band is Saving Grace, composed of Plant, alongside Suzi Dian (vocals), Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone, acoustic guitar), and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic, baritone guitars, cuatro) have been around for five years now with several UK tours behind them. Somewhat rockier than previous projects they are a perfect amalgam of Plant’s long-standing interests in the realms of hard-rock, traditional folk, bluegrass and blues, offering up a compelling mix of rocked-up interpretations of traditional songs and folkified versions of Led Zep classics.

Again, we see him returning to the male/female duet set-up, that worked so spectacularly when Sandy Denny was recruited to provide co-lead vocals for ‘Battle Of Evermore’ on Led Zeppelin IV back in the day and more recently through the work with Alison Krauss. It’s a format that Plant is clearly comfortable with and this latest pairing is equally well-chosen. Whether she’s harmonising or taking the lead, Suzi Dian’s rich but delicate voice is just the perfect fit alongside Plant’s still instantly-recognisable vocal (albeit with a more restrained delivery these days…) The band behind them deliver powerful and at times almost almost hypnotic rhythms, with Tony Kelsey and Matt Worley working their way through a plethora of stringed instruments, both electric and acoustic, alongside Oli Jefferson’s pounding percussion. The effect is simply mesmerising with every song drawing you in completely.

Of all the ‘70s rock gods, Robert Plant is perhaps the one who has most has steadfastly refused to be pigeon-holed in the superannuated, stadium heritage rock act persona. It’s meant he’s continued to surprise and delight with new musical ventures. And it’s meant I could stroll along up the road to see him and his band perform an intimate gig in my local theatre.

https://www.robertplant.com

Set-list:

Gospel Plow

The Cuckoo

Let the Four Winds Blow

Friends

Is That You

Too Far From You

Everybody’s Song

I Never Will Marry

The Rain Song

As I Roved Out

It Don’t Bother Me

Four Sticks

Angel Dance

Gallows Pole

And We Bid You Goodnight

Related posts:

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss at Hyde Park 2022

“We were never about making the same album twice” – Led Zeppelin III: 50th anniversary interviews

July 2012: The night Jimmy Page asked if he could hang out with me

Farewell Frank Torpey – the last surviving original member of The Sweet

Frank Torpey, the last surviving original member of The Sweet, has sadly passed away. His family have posted the following message on Facebook.

“Frank passed away in his home surrounded by family at 1AM on Saturday 23rd March 2024. He will be missed and remembered by all his friends and family, rest well xx”

Frank, along with Brian Connolly, Steve Priest and Mick Tucker, was one of the founder members of The Sweet.

Torpey, Connolly and Tucker had previously been part of the Middlesex-based band, Wainright’s Gentlemen. Torpey and Tucker were unceremoniously sacked and an infuriated Connolly decided to quit of his own accord. The three musicians then opted to find themselves a bass-player and form a band of their own. Steve Priest was recruited, the four of them meeting up in the Swan pub in Ruislip in January 1968 to discuss plans for a new band.

Frank Torpey (seated) with myself and other Sweet fans in the very pub where the band was first formed

Rehearsals began and as well as working up their own cover versions of well-known and not so well-known songs, the four also devoted considerable time to coming up with a suitable name, eventually alighting on The Sweetshop. Priest wrote in his autobiography: “There were many bands around at this time that had silly names like Marmalade, Strawberry Jam or Strawberry Alarm Clock, and so we managed to come up with a silly name too. We thought that Sweet Shop would do it.”

Although the band were still only semi-pro at this stage, Frank and the rest of the newly-christened Sweetshop would play their debut gig on 9th March 1968 at the Hemel Hempstead Pavilion. Things appeared to be moving fast as soon after, the band were recording their debut single, ‘Slow Motion’, after impressing producer Phil Wainman.

The release of the single necessitated a shortening of the band’s name to The Sweet after someone else nabbed the name for another release before they got their own single out. It was to be Frank’s only release with the band. Although the four continued gigging throughout 1968 and the first half of 1969, tiring of the quality of the venues and the lack of money coming in, Frank decided to call it a day with the band to be replaced, initially, by Mick Stewart and then, more permanently, by Andy Scott who joined in 1970. Indeed, very permanently, Andy is still at it now!

Frank Torpey’s role in the history of The Sweet was a small one but, nevertheless, an important one. Moreover, as well as continuing to play and record, he was always happy to engage with fans about The Sweet’s very early days.

It was in February 2022 after Steve Priest’s memorial service that Frank met up with Sweet fans in The Swan in Ruislip, the very pub where the band was formed back in 1968. When I presented him with a signed copy, he was delighted when I told him he got more than just a passing mention in my book The Sweet In The 1970s, even though it primarily focused on the band’s hit-making decade. “Just tell me which chapters I’m in,” he joked. “It’ll save me reading the whole thing!”

Related posts:

‘The Sweet in the 1970s’ published by Sonicbond Publishing is available from all major book retailers – visit here

Death of a glam icon – Steve Priest: 1948-2020

Review: Sweet 50th anniversary concert – Berlin

Review: Sweet live 2017, London and Bilston

The Sweet versus Bowie: the riff in Blockbuster and Jean Genie – origins and influences

Before glam: the debut 60s singles of Bowie, Bolan, Slade, Mud and Sweet

Intelligent Music Project announce new album – Simon Phillips, John Payne and Joseph Williams back on board

Intelligent Music Project, the Bulgarian-based supergroup comprising world-famous rock musicians, is set to launch their much-awaited eighth album, Miracles Beyond, on May 15th. 

The band recently released their first single from the album, offering a fascinating preview of the musical journey that awaits. While the album boasts the presence of globally celebrated rock stars, it’s noteworthy that the lead vocalist for the single ‘Shine for You’ is none other than Slavin Slavchev. Serving as the band’s primary vocalist in live performances, Slavchev, also an X-Factor winner, emerges as the driving force behind the track with his exceptional and powerful vocal prowess.

As mentioned, Miracles Beyond features an ensemble of legendary musicians, including Simon Phillips (TOTO, Protocol, The Who, Judas Priest), Joseph Williams (TOTO), John Payne (ex-Asia), and Carl Sentence (Nazareth), each bringing their unique flair to the project. The artwork shared on the band’s Facebook page has already ignited curiosity and excitement, hinting at the magic Miracles Beyond is poised to deliver. 

Intelligent Music Project captured attention as Bulgaria’s representative at Eurovision 2022 in Turin, showcasing their versatility on the international stage with their song “Intention”.

Milen Vrabevski, MD, producer, songwriter, founder of the project, and the mastermind behind the band, expressed his joy at the collaboration with top-notch musicians. He shared, “I’m so happy to present our eighth album with yet another magnificent line-up!! So great to have all these musicians on board again. This is Simon Phillips’s 6th album with us, John Payne’s 5th and Joseph Williams’s 4th. Such a star turnout is a special privilege for me, and I hope I truly hope to bring to the audience some delight in those strange times. Enjoy our next world-class product!”

The Miracles Beyond line-up includes also the Grammy Award Nominee Ernest Tibbs and the producer’s favourite Richard Grisman.

Besides the aforementioned musicians, over the years the band has seen a stellar lin-eup, including John Lawton (Uriah Heep, Lucifer’s Friend), Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Michael Schenker’s Group), Nathan East (Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Toto, Stevie Wonder and more), Tim Pierce (Joe Cocker, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper and more), Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow, Black Sabbath), and Todd Sucherman (Styx).

‘Shine For You’ available digitally via the following platforms:

Amazon: https://music.amazon.de/albums/B0CXQT3RG2
iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shine-for-you-single/1735347687
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/album/558843472
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3yg8mOoOWXgWfl07tSxEJ7
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=879i-dOvKjI&feature=youtu.be

Website: https://intelligent-music.com/language/en/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IntelligentMusicProject/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs1iAXjp1rafar98KwPI5aw

Notes from the 2024 Lust For Life tour: reflections and reviews round-up

Having worked on the PR for the first Lust For Life Tour last year (featuring Clem Burke on drums, Glen Matlock on bass; Katie Puckrik on vocals, Kevin Armstrong on guitar, Luis Correia on second guitar, and Florence Sabeva on keyboards), it was a real privilege, not to mention a huge load of fun, to be asked to do the same again for this year’s tour.

Photo: Darren Johnson

Talking to Kevin Armstrong a few months after the 2023 tour he explained how the project originally came about:

“Tom Wilcox has these amazing concepts of bands that he’d like to see put together. And some of them work and some of them go on to have a bit of a life and other ones just crash into the dust – however good they are. I recall the one we did with Richard Strange, and Lou Reed material, which I thought was very, very good but only a very few people came to sees it. But this one caught fire. Which is good really because it was originally billed, as you know, around Tony Sales – the Tin Machine bass-player and early Iggy bass-player.”

Kevin Armstrong – Photo credit: Carl Allen

Tony Sales wasn’t able to tour in the UK in the event. He was duly replaced by Glen Matlock at the eleventh hour and from then on the whole thing really developed a life of its own. The response was so overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with every venue on the 2023 tour completely sold-out, it was almost inevitable that there’d be a repeat.

The 2024 tour has seen the band playing some larger venues and, as well as some new additions to the set-list there were some other notable changes, too.

Stuart Fiddes, who performs under the name of Fifteen Lions and did support slots for a couple of dates on the previous tour, was now brought in as support for the whole tour. Influenced by the likes of Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears and Orlando Weeks, singer-songwriter Fiddes opened proceedings with songs from his moodily cinematic debut album The Picture House, which was released last year.

Start Fiddes, Fifteen Lions – Photo credit: Carl Allen

But as Stuart’s set was drawing to a close each night, things would take a leftfield turn as he welcomed Waveney Wilcox to perform the last song with him. Combining the earthy swagger of Ian Dury, the punk-era attitude of John Lydon and the debonaire cool of the late Charlie Watts, Waveney entertained the crowds with his debut solo single ‘Sociology’ which he’s just released at the age of 71.

Waveney Wilcox – Photo credit: Carl Allen

Next up each evening was the wonderful Suzi Ronson, wife of the late guitar legend and ex-Spider, Mick Ronson, talking about her evolution from Beckenham hairdresser to Bowie stylist and inventor of the iconic Ziggy hair-do. I knew she’d be hugely entertaining but spoken-word sets are notoriously difficult to pull off at a rock gig. “I’m a bit nervous,” Suzi confided when we did a Zoom ahead of the tour. Would the crowd listen? No fear! From the first night in Colchester you could hear a pin drop and she was brilliantly, brilliantly entertaining. A really inspired choice.

Suzi Ronson – Photo credit: Carl Allen

Then it would be time for the main event: the Lust For Life Band performing Iggy’s Lust For Life album in full, as well as revisiting songs from across the individual band members’ careers with legendary artists including Blondie, David Bowie, Iggy Pop and the Sex Pistols.

One of the real delights of this entire project has been what an off-the-Richter-scale revelation Katie Puckrik has been to all of those who have witnessed her on stage for the first time. As Mick Burgess, reviewing the band’s North Shields gig, puts it:

“Former presenter of TV’s The Word, Katie Puckrik had the unenviable task of covering Pop’s vocals and on paper, seemed the weakest link. Any such doubts were instantly expelled with an absolute whirlwind of flamboyant energy and a seriously impressive vocal performance which suited the songs perfectly. Puckrik simply, stole the show.”

Katie Puckrik – Photo credit: Carl Allen

It’s as if Katie was pre-destined to do this. What a brilliantly unexpected move at this stage in her career and what a stroke of absolute genius by creative director Tom Wilcox who headhunted her to front the Lust For Life band.

Of course, any project that has musicians of the calibre of Glen Matlock, Clem Burke, Kevin Armstrong, Luis Correia and Florence Sabeva in it (not to mention the incredible back catalogue of iconic songs that they bring with them) is bound to result in a hugely-entertaining series of gigs. It was last year, of course, but things ramped up even more this year.

Luis Correia, Glen Matlock and Katie Puckrik – Photo credit: Carl Allen

This year saw the metamorphosis of Lust For Life from a project into a living, breathing bona-fide band, with a unity of purpose and an unstoppable momentum who went on to deliver an outstandingly memorable tour. A brilliant band and an unforgettable run of gigs. And this is borne out in review after review.

Lust For Life Tour – What They Say:

“Whoever had the inspired idea to ask broadcaster Katie Puckrik to take the place of James Newell Osterberg on this tour performing the Detroit fire spirit’s classic second solo album should take a bow.” Gus Ironside, Louder Than War

“Six world-class musicians who have all worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, rocked Colchester for an unforgettable night of live music.”Cameron Poole, Colchester Gazette

“The full Lust For Live album is expertly showcased but for many in the venue the highlights were the various covers of songs by Bowie, The Sex Pistols and Blondie.” John Brown, Scottish Music Network

“An absolutely stunning evening of Punk fuelled Rock ‘n’ Roll performed by some genuine legends and exceptional musicians made this a strong contender for gig of the year already.” Mick Burgess, Metal Express Radio

“Glen, Clem, and the rest of the band looked so at ease playing together. It was a masterclass to watch. Kate was up front and, wow, you can absolutely see why!” Phil Wright, Wall Of Sound

“Puckrik declaimed in her deep alto range on Tonight and channelled some of Debbie Harry’s irreverent cool on the roistering Success.” Fiona Shepherd, The Scotsman

“Through their musicianship and dedication, the band not only paid homage to a punk legend but also reminded us of the enduring power of live music to unite and inspire. While the night may have ended, the memories and the music will undoubtedly linger on in the hearts of those who were there to witness it.”Waqas Arain, BNN Breaking

“As ‘tribute’ bands go tonight was by far the greatest I’ve seen and why wouldn’t it be, the pinnacle of punk is still rocking away as good as ever.”Neil Winward, RGM Press

“Puckrik owned the stage from the first note of ‘Lust for Life,’ her enthusiasm absolutely contagious. The band ripped through the entire album, from the ferocious adrenaline rush of the title track to the garage rock of ‘Fall In Love With Me”Andy Von Pip, Von Pip Musical Express

“It may seem somewhat excessive to attend both 2024 nights at the Arts Centre, but when the music and musicians on stage are this good you would be foolish to miss even a second of the greatest show on earth.” – Carl Allen, Music Venue Man

“Lust for Life are true to the album that they pay tribute to: a simultaneous blast of fuck-it energy and the cognisant reflection that saying fuck-it can actually be of primal importance.” Raph Pour-Hashemi, Far Out Magazine

“Albums as iconic as Lust for Life don’t come along too often and it takes some iconic performers to do them justice in this kind of tribute format and the Lust for Life band do exactly that.” Frank Ralph, V13

“As soon as they hit the stage it was clear that we were going to get a couple of hours of some of the most fun and exciting live music around.” – Chris Hillman, Reading Today

“Lust For Life, well, the word Down On The Street, Tonight is we had a Funtime and no one said I’m Bored, an unqualified Success. Seriously, if you get the chance to see them, go do it. ” – John Welsh – Into Creative

Clem Burke: Photo credit – Carl Allen

Related posts:

Lust For Live: Lust For Life band (Glen Matlock, Clem Burke, Katie Puckrik) release live album from 2023 tour

Lust for Life 2024: Clem Burke, Glen Matlock and Katie Puckrik reunite for second UK tour

Suzi Ronson joins the Lust For Life Tour – ‘Me and Mr Jones: my life with David Bowie & the Spiders from Mars’

Notes from the Lust For Life Tour – Feb/Mar 2023

Absolute Beginner: Interview with Bowie/Iggy guitarist Kevin Armstrong

Bowie backing vocalist to reprise iconic ‘shopgirl’ role on ‘Absolute Beginners’ – Lust For Life, Islington Academy – 9th March

March 2014-March 2024: Celebrating ten years of Darren’s Music Blog

“You should start writing a blog,” my brother Sam mentioned to me while we were sitting at a festival one afternoon in the Summer of 2013 discussing the various bands we’d each seen recently.

Darren and Sam (right) at Fairport’s Cropredy Convention

I told him the thought had vaguely crossed my mind but it was something I could give more thought to the following Spring once my lengthy stint as a local councillor was coming to an end. My evenings would then be freed up, giving me time to start seeing more gigs and, crucially, sharing my thoughts online about what I’d just seen.

I’d always written a lot about politics and current affairs and I’d never exactly shied away from blatant self-publicity, ever since I got the local paper to run a front-page feature about me doing a stand-up gig in the local pub when I was 16. But I’d never really written about my lifelong love of music before.

That all changed in early March 2014 and Darren’s Music Blog went live.

Although I’d seen tons of bands during my teen years and early 20s, by the time I got into my mid-20s I seemed to have constant overdrafts and less money available to spend on concert tickets. In my 30s and 40s, with my chosen career by now pretty well-established, I found that although I had the money for gigs I no longer really had the time. Once I approached my late 40s, however, I was finally in the lucky position of having both the time and the money. It’s fair to say I went for it…

Darren meets members of Uriah Heep

Looking back at my first month of combining gig-going with blogging, it was quite a busy one. I reviewed concerts by Uriah Heep on 4th March, the Young ‘uns on 5th March, Fairport Convention on 9th March, Judy Dyble on 16th March, Graham Bonnett on 19th March, The Elizabethan Session on 22nd March, Status Quo on 28th March and Peter Knight’s Gigspanner on 29th March. Phew!

That first month pretty much summed up my approach. I didn’t want to get too hung up on genre. I didn’t want to do a classic rock blog or a folk blog or any other sort of genre-specific blog (although there are some great ones out there). Rather I wanted to write about all of the artists that happened to interest me, whether heavy metal, glam rock or folk. If others enjoyed reading that, then great, but the starting point was about any music that happen to please me.

Over time, I started added album reviews as well as gig reviews, along with interviews, book reviews, music history and discussion of iconic songs.

Fairport Convention’s Simon Nicol is interviewed for Darren’s Music Blog

Ten years later, 700+ posts, 400,000+ views, many, many incredible gigs and some wonderful chats with artists as diverse as Andy Scott from the Sweet, Mark Farner from Grand Funk Railroad and  Simon Nicol from Fairport Convention, my blog gets more and more people stopping by to read it with each year that passes.

Thank you!

Darren Johnson

[Header image: Uriah Heep at Koko – my first gig review. Photo credit: Elise Benjamin]

Darren’s music books:

The Sweet In The 1970s

Suzi Quatro In The 1970s

Slade In The 1970s

Live review: Joanne Shaw Taylor at De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill 26/2/24

“I’m a blues guitarist but not necessarily a blues artist,” Joanne Shaw Taylor confides in the De La Warr audience at one point in the set, explaining her desire not to be boxed in too much by the constraints of genre labels. And that pretty much sums up her whole approach on stage tonight. From the pounding rhythm and blues of show-opener ‘In The Mood’ to the heart-wrenching classic blues of the Albert King cover ‘Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me’, to the polished pop-rock of recent single ‘Wild Love’ to the elongated ‘60s-style freak-out of ‘Watch Em Burn’ to the funky licks of ‘Diamonds In The Dirt’ to the mellow, acoustic beauty of ‘Fade Away’ we get a taste of many things tonight.

Photo credit: Marty Moffatt

At the heart of it all is the incredible talent of Joanne Shaw Taylor, her soulful voice and great song-writing much in evidence, alongside her much-praised guitar wizardry. Discovered  and mentored by The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart at just 16, she has uncanny ability to harness the passion, raw emotion, and sheer exhilaration that great blues guitar-playing can engender and then take that and place it in pretty much any setting.

And the results are spectacular – with a packed-out De La Warr Pavilion showing its appreciation throughout. Shaw Taylor is ably assisted, of course, by a hugely-talented band (Shane Sanders – bass, Joey Spina – second guitar, Eric Savage – drums, and Phil Whitfield – keyboards). Whitfield, in particular is a delight to watch, taking us from lush, exquisite, soulful keys to pounding, energetic honky-tonk piano during the course of tonight’s show.

Photo credit: Marty Moffatt

With an eagerly-anticipated new album coming out in June we get a taste of what’s to come via a couple of songs tonight (‘Sweet ‘Lil Lies’ and ‘Wild Love’) alongside more established favourites from her, by now, extensive back catalogue. Heavy Soul will be Shaw Taylor’s twelfth album since her 2009 debut, White Sugar and tonight’s show is proof as to just how much she’s established herself as blues rock royalty these past fifteen years. An absolute masterclass of a performance.

Heavy Soul is released 7th June 2024. For Joanne Shaw Taylor website visit here

Set-list:

In the Mood

Keep On Lovin’ Me

All My Love

If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody

Can’t You See What You’re Doing to Me

Dyin’ to Know

Wild Love

Won’t Be Fooled Again

Watch ’em Burn

Diamonds in the Dirt

Fade Away

Runaway

Sweet Lil Lies

Bad Blood

Going Home

Connor Selby – support

A shout-out, also, for the young blues-roots, guitarist singer-songwriter, Connor Selby, the one-man support act for this tour. The polite, well-mannered introductions to his songs belie a vocal delivery of real depth and grit, some nifty blues guitar work and some impassioned song-writing. Definitely one to be added to my ones-to-watch list, he entertained with a highly enjoyable set in his allotted 30-minute slot.

Connor Selby – photo credit: Phil Honley

For Connor Selby’s website visit here

Related post:

‘Wild Love’ – sultry new single for Joanne Shaw Taylor ahead of February 2024 UK tour