 Great gig! AbaKus at Rising Sun, Slough on Sat 10th May 08 | |
  A thoroughly enjoyable gig from the AbaKus boys on Saturday night (10th May), jammed with full on rock classics but joyfully balanced with up to date chart toppers, seasoned with a hint of the occasional ballad. Disappointed to have missed the first half, I took up prime position to catch the 2nd. This was the first time I have seen the band and I was pleased I dragged myself down the pub in the end!
Great to see effort being put into stage design, with some good use of lights and layout of equipment, lots of colour flooding the performance area, sparkling off the chrome fittings and creating a feeling of atmosphere, I never like to see ambiently lit stage areas, too much like a "bedroom" gig!
Sound was well mixed and set to good volume, although in honesty, I could have personally taken another notch or two on the master volume, but then I do like it loud(er)! Around 10ft+ away from the stage area I found the usually perfect Line 6 amps were sounding a tiny bit too tinny and heavy on the high end and without a full bass enhanced PA system this created a small gap in the sound. It was less noticeable on the more power-rhythm based tracks but switch to solo and it became more apparent. However, this is only a minor point, it was certainly a nice sounding set up, maybe the venue bounced the sound around a bit in this case? Everyone played to a high standard, and I believe my drummer friend who was with me was incredibly turned on by the beautiful DW kit being thumped that night! It certainly looked and sounded the biz, really deep, rocking rhythm!
Material is excellent and well chosen, always a crowd pleaser being played and no selling out to middle of the road chart material or obscure, self indulgent classics, all tracks were appropriate for the venue and seemed carefully chosen for the songs own inherent quality and overall crowd appeal.
Visually the band are interesting, lots of classic rock n roll accessories on lead singer Jay who competently fronts the band with energy and charisma.
Overall, a great night, thanks for keeping me entertained and I'll hopefully catch you guys again in the future! Nice one! | |
| Graeme Nash, Mon 12th May 08 | |
 Reply from AbaKus: thanks Graeme, really appreciate the review! Glad you liked the band - and the lights, it was worth Dave cooking under them then ;o) !!
We are back over there in a few months time (sep 19th) but sometimes Theresa gets is in if she has a cancellation, so if you see us again come and say hello!
cheers! Trish | |
| Unbelievable entertainment The Ploughmen at The Windmill, Hitchin on Sun 4th May 08 | |
 Good weather and a real hog roast meant that the venue was incredibly busy. The pub and garden were packed and the atmosphere positively festive.
The band surprised us from the outset. 9 people is certainly more members than you see in most pub groups! When we saw the unusual array of instruments (Double bass, banjo, saxophone, mandolin etc) we had no idea what to expect. When the music started up it was instant party-time. If there is a single word to sum up the performance, it must be "fun".
Although I didn't know all the songs the set seemed to consist of cover versions of popular songs from many genres: rock, folk, jazz, hillbilly, rock & roll and rockabilly... And all sorts!
Although the playing was absolutely great and the band just kept belting out the songs, it was also totally informal. None of the aloof, them-and-us thing you get with some bands. The Ploughmen were all about having a laugh and getting people involved. They even got a couple of audience members (including the landlord) to sing with them.
Amongst the songs I did recognise were: 'Fat Bottomed Girls', 'La Bamba', 'My Old Man's a Dustman', 'Rockabilly Rebel', 'Johnny B Goode', 'Honky Tonk Women', 'Bad Moon Rising' and more.
If you're familiar with the American "rockgrass" band Hayseed Dixie - well, this is a bit like a local version of that, but with more character!
If you ever get a chance to see The Ploughmen then don't pass it up. Acts like this don't turn up every day. Fantastic, eccentric stuff. | |
| Dorothy, Mon 12th May 08 | |
| Rockin' the Duke On The Edge at Duke of York, Saffron Walden on Thu 24th Apr 08 | |
 As someone not that keen on watching duos performing to backing tracks I was pleasantly surprised by On The Edge.
These two guys are not only extremely competent musicians; they know how to programme in their backing tracks so that the sound balance is just right.
This was no karaoke night - I really felt I was listening to a band with a tight sound and some great guitar riffs.
The venue was on the small side but On The Edge still got people up and dancing and Ian, the landlord, who fronted the former local band Pop Lark, joined in one of the numbers.
On the Edge's greatest strength is its choice of material - ranging from The Killers and The Zutons to Status Quo and - wait for it - even Del Shannon! They have chosen numbers that appeal to a variety of age groups and musical tastes.
It may be unsubtle, but On The Edge knows that if they play Rockin' all over the World they will get the whole pub rockin' - and they did.
They had three standing ovations - and deserved even more!
This is a duo to watch out for. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. | |
| Liz Barrett, Fri 25th Apr 08 | |
| Reply from On The Edge: Wow!! Thanks so much for that and glad you enjoyed the gig. Your comments are very much appreciated, and it's good to know that our hard work in getting the set together seems to have paid off. Hope to see you at more of the gigs very soon... :-) | |
| Funkin Brilliant Plastic Mangoes at The White Lion, St Albans on Tue 22nd Apr 08 | |
 You may think of funk as flared trousers, afro hairdos and Isaac Hayes playing in Theo Kojak's TV cop series, but funk, played right, like last night, is a Most Excellent Thing.
The music itself was flawlessly played: solid, almost understated, but impossible not to move to drumming... locked-in bass playing with melodies in their own right being played along the entire length of the neck... spot-on rhythmic electric guitar, again tied-in effortlessly into the bass and drum playing... the keyboard player - who also played sax - contributed much of the soulful groove, and a confident, naturally gifted young lady on vocals to round off this surprising offering.
"Boogie Nights" was one of the most memorable songs, but there were many more - sometimes lesser well known than the 70/80s chart classics - that went down really well with (I have to say) a really appreciative crowd.
The sensitive, and musically engaging drumming set this band aside for me: all too often, you come to the end of an evening of live music with your head thumping... no such problem here. Professional quality musicians playing irresistibly great songs from a golden era when the song still meant more than the band playing it (compare and contrast, I beg you, to today's empty wash of style over content).
A rare find: a fun band playing timeless music at sensible volume levels; a friendly music-loving crowd and a venue with great bar staff... what more could a newly (re-) converted funk freak wish for?! | |
| Stewart, Fri 25th Apr 08 | |
| Reply from Plastic Mangoes: Stewart, thank you so much for your very kind words. We had a fantastic time Tuesday and the crowd really created a great atmosphere.
We look forward to entertaining you again!
All the best wishes
The Plastic Mangos | |
| Against All Odds! Malice at The Black Horse, Haverhill on Sat 19th Apr 08 | |
 How Ash and Chris kept going at the Black Horse through constant against-the-grain mid-song requests from forty-something (self-proclaimed) "Karaoke Queens" is a thing to marvel.
Have I personally (as a musician myself) become less tolerant in my old age?
Whatever the reason, they have a far greater resolve & patience than I!
If the music of Malice had been substandard, I could have understood the handful of numbers receiving no applause except from yours truly. But I've heard far inferior acts raising the roof at other venues, so my fairly reliable guess is that this audience isn't used to quality musicianship.
Which is a shame, because the pub building itself is quite charming in its own down-to-earth, plasma-screen-free way.
And the staff seemed to be working hard to keep things running smoothly too.
There's plenty of comfortable places to sit down and lots of space for dancers. There is a slightly raised stage for a small band to play, and a separate front bar for those who don't wish to moan at the band all evening!
I've met Chris and Ash a few times now (and even did an impromptu paid gig with Ash when Chris was ill on one occasion!), but this is the first time I've seen them play as a duo. Don't let the term "duo" put you off - the backing tracks used by Malice are drum-only and were programmed by Ash. So apart from the kit samples, their sound is completely live.
Chris plays a variety of styles from his Strat and compact pedal collection, without any of that tinny, piercing mid-range normally so beloved of effects-loving guitarists. Solos were driving and the switches between lead & rhythm playing were completely seamless. He also contributed occasional backing vocals to assist the lead vocals of Ash.
This man should consider a job in a Paul Weller tribute (if one exists), as his vocal impersonation during "From The Floorboards Up" & "Start" was spot-on. But more than this, he was a very impressive bassist too. A cleaner player than myself, slightly less heavy on the slides than I am, but I would have no hesitation in asking him to dep for me in one of my bands - yes, he's THAT good (ha ha)!
Seriously though, the duo had a very solid sound from quite a compact equipment rig and had the tempos, stops, starts and endings down to a fine art, even handling Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way" with ease.
Most important of all, Ash and Chris are decent and friendly chaps with none of the frustrated rock star delusions plaguing a thankfully small number of other covers bands in their late-30s onwards. That's probably why they're so bookable. The fact that they arrive, set-up, perform well and remain amiable in the face of such apathetic or otherwise eternally dissatisfied audience members is something else to be marvelled at too!
I only wished they could have been playing at a private party tonight for another audience who actually appreciated the energy, skill and effort placed before them by this duo.
As for the audience on the night, I think the management should just shove a Supremes CD on in a side room for those with the clinically-diagnosed Motown addiction and publicise bands like Malice for the benefit of other people in the town who would really enjoy live music.
As a P.S., the guys told me that they're just started to play a few numbers with a drummer, so now's the time to get booking what I'm sure could be an excellent 3-piece! | |
| Paul Davis, Sun 20th Apr 08 | |
| Reply from Malice: Wow. Thanks Paul for this review. Anybody reading this must think that you must be on our payroll! (How much do we owe you?) I must say that I'm really flattered regarding your comments on my bass playing. If I had time I may be tempted to dep, but having a full time day job means practice time is limited. (neither Chris or I read music etc, and just play from memory alone ). All being well should have our first gig with the drummer on the 10th May, and very excited about it. | |
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Lemonrock's Top Gig Reviews are chosen by the Editors. We look for intelligent and detailed descriptions that will give a complete outsider a good idea of what to expect, in terms of the material presented, the atmosphere of the gig, the quality of the music and the showmanship demonstrated.
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