Never one for handing out compliments... your band was exceptional yesterday. Brave.. innovative...fun... and playing with ... and for each other. Nigel Spennewyn's solo in Comfortably Numb felt like being in a stadium ... and in my youth and brought me tears... but the absolute jewel was Kashmir! As that intro went into that iconic riff... I emitted a cry of joy... as did the bloke next to me. Quite the best music I’ve heard in a pub for 5 years. Wonderful!

Great gig and would definitely watch them again. Seen many covers bands over the years and The Way Back are one of the best.

There are very few bands around who can command the attention of a packed Sunday night pub. The Way Back are one of that rare breed.

All five players - drummer, bass player, two guitarists and singer/occasional keyboard man - are confident, yet relaxed, as they cut through a score of classic rock and pop hits from years gone by. The band name says it all: you won't find much here that's newer than 10 years old, with the majority of the songs having been hits in the 70s and 80s.

What I love about this band is that they have really listened to the originals and reconstructed each one with finesse. Don't forget that this is LIVE - there's no luxury of overdubs or hordes of special effects when you're playing on your feet (or on your drum stool!) with only your hands and voices (and feet!).

The sound is rich, balanced, almost silky smooth at times as the band rock their way through crunchy guitar riffs and toe-tapping drum and bass rhythms of the hits we loved from yesteryear. Of particular note were the Suhr guitar and valve amplifier used by Nigel - a gorgeously musical tone with great attack and sustain, for me reminiscent of the warm character of a Gibson PRS. The songs chosen are often complex in arrangement and are challenging to play; there's a lot of fingerwork in this set!

I particularly enjoyed "Rubber Bullets", the 10cc hit from 1973, which is, in my opinion, an overlooked classic. The Way Back capture the original energy of this fun and unusual song, with Eric Stewart's guitar solos copied to perfection by Keith, much to the crowd's amazement.

The bass guitar sound was excellent, a clear, musical, rhythmic energy that, along with the great sounding drums, gave the band's overall sound a strong cohesion, and "presence". The sound quality was way beyond what you normally get from a "pub band"; indeed, I feel that the Way Back are worthy of a much better description!

The two main vocalists, Howard and Keith (from the brilliant "Mouth on a Stick" duo), make this band shine. Each has a powerful and easy to listen to voice, and their vocal ranges are exceptional. They tackle Wings' classic hit "Jet" with gusto, adding another layer of shine to an already polished song.

The songs are all classics, and best remembered by folk in their 40s or 50s - but hold on... The pub was packed with a wide range of people, from 18 to 80, and all listening, because there was a lot of great playing going on that simply deserved our attention.

A very talented bunch of musicians playing some of the best hits of all time, in a pub that works hard to keep live music as an important part of our culture. Live music sure brought a lot of happiness to many people last night, courtesy of The Way Back, and The Boot, St Albans!

Mac MacLaren, Lemonrock Editor