This weekend I ventured out to see one of the most enduring local bands, Sticky Fingers at their ‘home ground’, The Wooden Doll in North Shields.
The evening was a double celebration, in that it was singer Mark Evans’ birthday and the first anniversary of live music at the venue.
Sticky Fingers have been going for a long time now and were one of the first bands I saw that ditched the traditional ’blues’ element that local bands insisted on including  in their set.
Years ago, I saw them do numbers like ’Man on The Silver Mountain’ by Rainbow and thought, ’Why don’t more local groups do this stuff?’
A decade later, with the ‘mullet’ haircut’s thankfully trimmed away, Sticky Fingers are not alone in what they do .There has been a plethora (good word that) of first rate pub acts that have taken the path of the ’heavy metal cover band’.
Stickies have hung around and watched and read about some superb acts that have received great coverage locally and enjoyed appreciative crowds at their gigs.
So, do they still cut it and are they still one of the better acts around?
Last night, from what I saw, I will state that they are the ‘best’ heavy rock cover band in The North East.
Not only did I hear great songs played and sang to a superb standard, but I saw a ‘show’ that raised them above every other band of a similar genre .
This was one of the best gigs I have ever been to and that includes the ’big acts’ at The City Hall, Mayfair etc.
For the uninitiated, the band consists of Mark Evan’s on lead vocals, Phil Martin on guitars, Colin Hird on bass (none of them with only 4 strings…oh no) and Keith Moore on drums.
The Wooden Doll was packed out before they started playing at 9.30pm and they still managed to cram more in as the night went on.
They kicked off with a beefed up version of ‘We will Rock You’ by Queen and went straight into ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ by the same band.
The place went into an uproar and the reaction to each song stayed the same right to the end.
They went into ’Only You Can Rock Me’ by UFO and then a Van Halen medley which saw guitarist Phil climb onto the tables at the front of the stage to show off. That’s not an insult it’s a fact. Phil Martin is a big show off and why not. He’s arguably the best guitarist up here and never stops smiling. He kept stopping the solo and milking applause before continuing. He never stops grinning and I think he looks, facially, like Bill Bailey the comedian. You cant help but enjoy his solo spot.

With the Van Halen piece out of the way they allowed Marky to show why he’s a lot of people’s favourite chanter by doing ‘Mistreated’…that’s by Deep Purple and not Rainbow Mark!!!!
I nipped outside for a tab at this point but listened from outside and Mark really put everything into it.
They cracked on with Priest’s Green Manalishi and then a Motley Crue number that worked a treat. I’ve never been a fan of Tommy Lee and co. but this was another well executed hard rock song by the band.
Then they started Crazy Train and as the band had warned prior to the show, the ’guests’ started with myself doing the old Ozzy routine as best I could.
This is not unusual to have people get up and jam with Sticky Fingers but it was just the start of a show that had more ’special guests’ than a Quinn Martin production of The Streets of San Francisco…..
Checking out the crowd I spotted Nick from Shanghai, Dave from Skinflint and Martin from Revolver so it seemed that more people would be ‘stickying’ in the second half.
The first set finished with ’Let There be Rock’ by ACDC.
It was during this set that Phil placed a tab in his mouth and it was as though he’d either forgotten or was about to totally disregard the new ban.
Phil stopped the song to protest at the new law, so I pulled out my lighter and we both burst out laughing, as pub landlord Wilf’s horrified expression. Then we placed the no smoking sign on Phil’s guitar.

So the first set ended and it had been the best set I’d seen the band do.
I’ve been critical to Mark sometimes recently because I always felt that as good as they are, there is an extra gear that they have and that they needed to find to compete with some of the great newer bands on the scene and confirm they’re the top act in the area….with this set they’d shifted up 2 notches and took off.
But the best was yet to come.

The second half started with a complete ‘guest band’ with Phil and Keith on guitar and drums, Martin from Revolver on vocals, Wilf the landlord on guitar and someone on bass who was a great player but I never caught his name. They did the new one by INXS and some ACDC.
Martin admitted being really nervous but there was no need. He had a great voice and excellent stage presence. The band were actually good enough to do their own gig…it was quite a short but very good show.
Then up popped Jennison to guest for the guest band???
He took Wilf’s guitar and joined in on a DC number (Dirty Deeds was it, or was that later?)
By this time I was well on the way to being hammered.
Nick was all over the place and it took me several attempts to get a picture that wasn’t just ’hair’…at last I got his face…

Stickies returned and Nick stayed to do ‘Radar Love’ with them.
Like the Rainbow Rising gig it was ’Star Wars’ part 2 with old Jedi master Phil trading ‘widdles’ with young upstart Nick.
At this point Nick and Phil decided to go walkabout over the pub tables in opposite directions.
Me, my missus, Davy Potter and several others frantically shifted pints and held down tables as they did so.
Then they converged on our table in the middle, but so did Hirdy and Mark and it’s a testament to traditional pub furniture craftsmanship that this particular table with stood about 50 stone in weight.
Only Keith was at ground level.
Nick retired but then Mark announced that it was time for some Sabbath and he wanted to sit down and read his birthday cards…both of them…he’s a slow reader.
So he gave me the mic again for N.I.B (started off by a great bass solo by Colin Hird on his 37 string Kawasaki 1300 bass thingy) and then Fairies Wear Boots.
But Evan’s had in fact fooled me because this was no simple guest appearance.
He stayed on stage and we duetted the two songs…he did a line, then I did a line.
It was like Elton and Kiki, John and Olivia…or the state we were in after the beer…Corbett and Barker.
I was just pleased to be a part of ‘the Sticky Fingers Anniversary Special…with guests’.
It was then that Mark showed the band his theory that when you are playing loudly then no one will hear you break wind so it’s okay to do it…..it wasn’t the sound that made me feel sick Mark (if you’d wanted me to sit down you only had to ask).
Then the band did Metallica’s ’Enter Sandman’ and up popped Dave from Skinflint like a young (very young) warrior entering the arena.
Also joining the band was Mark’s 19 year old daughter Lauren on backing vocals.
When Nick got up again to do backing vocals it was like ‘Live Aid’ all over.
I wanted to get up and sing ’Well tonight thank god it’s them instead of yooouuuuu’…but there was no room left.
The crowd were absolutely loving every second of this.
Surely now the band would just finish off the night?
No.
Mark gave me the mic again for ‘You Got another thing Coming’ by Priest, but then botty coughed again on stage, worse than the first time, so I gave him the mic back and he finished it.
The night ended with Paranoid, Whole lotta Rosie and Sweet Child of Mine to rapturous and much deserved applause.
If you were gonna go and changed your mind then kick yourselves.
If you aint ever seen Sticky Fingers than treat yourself but don’t expect the same show because there’s no way this will happen again…until next year.
Last night Sticky Fingers moved up to a new level, fuelled on by loads of support and an excellent atmosphere…and beer.
Musically they were awesome. The sound from Big Jimmy was spot on. The song choice was excellent, but the showmanship……best I’ve ever seen in a local pub.
This was the ultimate gig.
I asked Mark for some sensible answers to some questions about the band….but could he do it. Read on.

1. How did Sticky Fingers start? Who was the original line up and who thought of the name?
Mark-All I  know is that Phil Martin and Jem Caisley are the only ones I know from when the band first started. Phil knows that question better than me !!
Phil-1 Sticky fingers came out of an original band I put together with Nick Dinopolous (Heavy load) on vocals.  Jem (bass FM) joined because he was mates with Nick and we recruited a guy called Steve Wheatley on drums. We decided at the time we would get a lot more gigs doing covers and a better laugh, but we still planned to run the original band along side. We rehearsed for about 2 months in which time the covers took over so we said ‘F*ck it we'll just get out there‘.  Jem booked a few gigs and off we went, problem being we didn't have a name. The first gig was looming so we had one of those ‘we have to pick a name’ type sessions. Usual sh*te. Went round in circles for a couple of hours until me and Jem had a conversation about Rhodes where we had both been and a dirty little rock club that was there called ‘Sticky Fingers’,  when somebody, cant remember who, said ‘That'll do‘. We discussed the Stones connection, but because tribute bands weren't prevelant at the time we just plumped for it.

2. Do us a quick family tree with all the different members up til now and what they played?
Mark-Another question that Phil would know better than me. I know we’ve had more drummers than spinal tap .. hee hee hee !!!
Phil- Well already mentioned Nick and Jem. I’ve  no idea where Steve went to after he was sacked (had a tendency to go awol).Next drummer up was Dean Reynolds who left to play on cruise liners. Then Aaron Walton (skyclad etc) at which point Nick left and Marky joined as chanter.
Aaron left and Rob Johnson took the stool being replaced a year later by Graeme Wall (Back in Black, NEU2, Vertigo) AYE THE SPINAL TAP BIT BLOODY DRUMMERS EH!!! Anyway Graeme was replaced by Geordie Wall (Poor Boys,Blue Diamond etc). Jem left and Paul Bell ( Nobody’s Fool, WFP) took over on bass. When Geordie left,  Paul knew Keith from Nobody’s Fool days, so he fitted straight in. Unfortunately Paul had to leave last year and Mr Hird (Russ Tippins,Damage Control, Zep3 etc etc) brings us up to date. PHEW hope that’s everybody!!!

3. So was there a time when you were not a 'metal' band? When and why did it change?
Mark- Sticky Fingers played all sorts of songs when Nick  was chanting with them , but when I joined I thought this band could do better by changing the style. It was easy ‘cos it was what they wanted to do anyway !!
Phil- Aye, our first sets were definitely not metal. Lots of cheesy rock, blues, funk, soul etc. but in our defence all served up with distorted guitar and driving drums. Not too bad when I listen back like. When Marky ‘metal god’ Evans joined, there was only one way to go, mostly because he had no affinity with James Brown etc. and we were all rockers.It was the natural direction...METAL!!!

4. You got Storming this year. How did you feel when you got asked to do that? What's it like to be on the same bill as UFO?
Mark-Well at first I was shocked as we had not played there for 7 years and had giving up on ever being asked again, but it’s great news for the band and to the people who follow us. We are really looking forward to the weekend. UFO are one of my all time favourite bands and cant wait to see them live on stage and maybe chatting and having a few beers with them !!
Phil- We've played Stormin’ 3 times already, ‘96, ‘97 and 2000. Each time has been a blast, so we are thrilled to be back and to be on a bill that includes our heroes UFO. It  is just amazing and I can’t f**king wait!

5. What did you think of the Doll gig on Saturday?
Mark- superb !!! What a great birthday treat for me. The place was chocka and all me friends were there. It  was great getting Dave Lunn , Dave Skinflint , Nick Shanghi and me daughter up to sing and play ... loved it !!! One of the best gigs I’ve done with the band !!
Phil- The Doll gig was really special.  It felt like a celebration of  venue, band and audience as well as Marky’s birthday.  It just fell together nicely I would say. Hopefully there's plenty more where that came from.

6. Who are your favourite bands and why? Who are the other lads favourites?
Mark- I have loads of favourites. Judas Priest , Dio , Manowar , Dokken , Statovarius , Within Temptation , Queensryche , Journey , Rammstein , Foreigner , Accept , Metallica UFO , Y&T .... still loads more but these one are the ones that have inspired me over the years and I love their styles of music.
Phil I know loves Kiss and Led Zep and many others. Not sure what Keith or Colin are into at the moment to be honest !!
Phil- For me Zep, Sabbath, Purple, AC/DC, Kiss, Van Halen are my top 6 after that there's too many to mention…hey UFO for one!!!  For Marky,  Priest, Dio and most 80s metal (some of which is just plain silly. More of that to come eh?) Hirdy,  originally a punk big fan of the Stanglers but very open minded to everything else.  Keith erm he's a drummer so his opinion doesn't count but i love him anyway!

7. You seem to be well into a band called 'Manowar'. Is this a medical condition or a bit of a fetish thing?
Manowar are the kings of metal , I love there music , fast , hard and heavy ... HAIL HAIL HAIL AND KILL !!
Wimps and posers leave the hall .. hahahahahahaha !!
Imagine the looks you would get walking into a local bar in the northeast dressed like them ?? hee hee hee !!
Phil- Aye back to Marky’s taste or rather lack of taste in music. I'd definitely say in answer to the question, yes on both counts. I've seen his costume!!!

8. It's been proven in a recent poll that Ozzy Osbourne was better than Dio in Black Sabbath. Do you accept this finding and will you shut the f**k up about it now hahaha?
Mark- hahahahahahahahahaha it’s just a poll isnt it ?? Sabbath will always be Sabbath with Ozzy,  but Dio did some great songs as well. Looking forward to seeing ‘Heaven and Hell’ at the arena this year !!
Phil- I truly believe that Marky has conceded as far as Sabbath is concerned. Ozzy is the man. If not I'll give him a rather nasty Chinese burn!!!

9. The band seem to enjoy it when other people get up and sing/play with you....how do you think it adds to the show from a personal point of view.
I love getting people up to play and sing. I’t s great as it gives me a chance to sit back and watch the lads in action. Not one person has ever let us down that has got up to play or sing and I can have a quick pint !!!!!
It adds loads to our show as this is what its all about ... good music that everyone listens to and enjoys watching !!
Phil-Its great having loads of guest players. Personally I think it freshens things up both for the band and audience,  plus it makes for unique nights like Saturday at the Doll.

10. Seriously, what's next for The Stickies, because from what I saw last night there's still lots of miles left in the band.
Mark- loads left in the band. We love playing and seeing our friends out and about. It’s  like this.. why be stuck in your local boozer every weekend when you can go to visit all the boozers around the northeast when you play in a band !! I love the band and its my life. Can’t ever see it ending ... honestly !!!
Phil- The premise for this band is (and always has been) to go out have a good time and entertain. Hopefully, we shall continue to do just that… ROCK!!!

Well there ya have it.
All I can say after last night is that I am glad I play in a tribute band.
As far as ‘covers’ bands go, in my opinion, there are some great one’s out there but, despite my recent doubts as to whether they could do this, Sticky Fingers have just won the title….

Dave Lunn

Who'd have thought Jack Black's Hollywood comedy 'School of Rock', about a frustrated, out of work rocker, fraudulently posing as a school teacher and using the time to put together a heavy metal band of school kids would cause such a stir in The North East of England?
Well it certainly got Gary Melon, bassist and founder member of local band 'Crash', to thinking. Gary, ably assisted by the rest of the band and friends has devised  'RocksCool' project, received funding 13 weeks ago and attracting a number of kids aged 6-18 to the project.
The efforts of the gang came to fruition this Tuesday in a show case gig at Newcastle's Carling Academy 2.
I had to have a look, so took the whole family along, stopping for pizzas on the way and wishing I had a decent camera.
This was about a number of kids, some of who could not play at all 13 weeks ago, getting up on stage at one of the regions premier venues and showing what they were made of.
It started at 7 and we found ourselves queuing outside to get in. The place was packed out. Any band , big or small , would have been overjoyed at this turn out and venue.
I reckon there was 350 people of all ages waiting to see the action.
There was a big p.a. stage and lighting rig and it must have been a dream come true for this lot.
'Crash' kicked the night off with three numbers including one of their own originals. But this was just to let the kids nerves settle and they all got on stage to play 'We Will Rock You' by Queen as an opener.
From then on, the 24 or so participants mixed and matched to form various groups that belted out both popular covers and originals.
Part of the project is about writing as well as playing. There were kids, average age I reckon 13 or 14, who'd not only never played an instrument before, but never written a song, standing in front of a packed house performing their own tunes...all done in about 3 months.
There appeared to be as many girls as boys and they all mixed together effortlessly on the night to entertain the crowd for over 2 hours.
There was a lack of male singers (hats off to the one lad that took lead guitar and vocals on a number)but a few very, very talented female chanters.
So did the boys hog the drums, bass and guitars...no. The lasses took their fair share of thumping, twiddling and er...whatever the term is that bassists use. The bands were mixed throughout the night and at times 'Crash' mixed in with them on numbers.
Anna from the band shared the vocals to Allanis Morrisettes 'One hand in my pocket' with one of the youngsters. It sounded great. The lass even did the harmonica solo in the middle to rapturous applause.
Two of the performers did an acoustic version of 'Knocking on heaven's Door'. Possibly their first performance with just one acoustic guitar and a lead vocal in front of a packed house took some nerve but they pulled it off superbly. Gary was running all over the place trying to keep things moving and he managed to do just that.
The whole event went smoothly and successfully and there was a nice mix of metal and rock from REM to AC/DC.
But I'll let Gary himself answer some questions.

1. Tell us about Rockscool. How did it  start? How did Crash come  to be so involved with the project? What support have you had for it from various quarters?
I had the idea approx 12 months ago and did research for about 6 months. Then we formed a 'Community Interest Company' in January of this year. 'Crash' became the Board of Directors and we are a Ltd. Company, registered with 'Companies House'. Because we all come from different backgrounds and have had different life experiences, we wanted to offer something back to the community and help kids who wouldn't normally be able to access this kind of thing. Living in sunny Blyth makes you realise how fortunate we are.

2. The gig at The Carling Academy was a sell out on Tuesday. How much organising did that take and how pleased were you with the result?
It took so much organising. However, as I am running the project on a full time basis, it was all the other things that needed to be done. Obviously dealing with kids there are a lot of safety measures and procedures in place that are necessary. I am, however a control freak, so I didn't mind. It was  a good 3 months hard work. I'm over the moon with the result, to see their faces and what they had achieved was great.

3. Could all the kids play before they arrived at the project or did you teach some from scratch?
Of 24 kids who started the course, only 2 could play guitar, 2 the bass , 1 drummer and a couple of singers.They really worked hard over the last 13 weeks. So 18 from scratch. It was exausting some times to say the least.

4. What was the feedback like about Tuesday from the kids, the parents and the sponsors/media?
Great feedback so far. Kids are well chuffed. They have been asked to perform nationally for 'Local Network Fund's' (the people that funded the course)10 year celebration in July with national tv & press coverage.
Not many dry eyes in the house on Tuesday and some really nice emails received from parents.

5. What's the plans for the future with RocksCool?
RocksCool is one of 10 projects we run, 5 music & 5 dance & fitness.We aim to expand the RocksCool programme throughout the area over the next 12 months.  We are running another one in September and we are running a few more once confirmed funds have been recieved.We are also workng with the Arts Council on 2 projects at the moment, a RocksCool project & a Made It project(music & dance extreme).We are working with Creative Partnerships again over 13 weeks which culminates in a week long programme which is being recored for TV in July.

6. I noticed a lot of the songs by the youngsters were original numbers. Were they all the kids work or did you chip in with a bit 'Crash' influence?
We split them up into groups and asked them if they had any ideas, riffs, melodies etc. and we helped them with structure and timing of the songs etc. But they wrote them! I would say approx 99% was them .Got some good ideas for our songs from the sessions as well (but dont tell them)

7. What's the best thing about doing this?
The best thing about doing this is, in my opinion, making a difference to someones life.Over 13 weeks we have been there for these kids. We have found out things that makes you respect them as human beings, not kids, and treat them as equals.Our vision is to make NE Music Factory the biggest Community Music business in the North East within 3 years. We have a 3 year plan. Plans to open a Centre for Music & Dance within 2 years, including rehearsal & recording studio,dance & fitness studio, I.T suite and loads of others.We are on course for our 1st year target.

8. How much of your time is this taking up at the minute because, to be honest, I can only see it getting bigger and bigger?
At the moment I am doing approx 60 hours per week. Anna is doing 20/25 as well as her own stuff and Phil & Bri are there when needed. This week for instance it's 5 days. Jill is also doing a lot, designing t shirts, posters, programmes and she also acts as a support worker on the majority of the sessions. She also helps with bass tuition at RocksCool (must have had a good teacher!)

9. I understand Nick Jennison's sister Ellie was one of the performers. I heard a whisper that Nick actually tried to get in, passing himself off as being 15, but you realised and barred him....is that true?
Partly true. Ellie is one of the RocksCool crew, a great singer and great to have around. She's full of youthful exuberance. Regarding Nick, the only thing that made me do a double take was the fact that his hair was in bunches and his liptick was smudged otherwise he was in. He certainly had Bri & Phil fooled.

10. Any more gigs planned and where and when?
Well it looks like its going to be Christmas at The Carling 27th December 2007!..............Can't Wait.

So there it is.
It was a well researched and well devised plan that was executed to perfection. It would appear that this is just the start of big things for Gary and crew and the kids involved.
Next time, treat yourselves and have a look down. It's a great evening with a superb atmosphere.
Hats off to the Crash crew but mostly....well done to the kids themselves.

Dave

The Ramones' music WAS basic; and the lyrics did break the mould of sloppy love songs. But they played with passion and freneticism - as did so many of the Seventies punk bands. The Clash come to mind as top of their field.

I consider myself very lucky to have seen nearly every punk band I can think of in the Seventies at the Rock Garden in Middlesbrough in Newport Road. Some left an indelible impression on me and to now see bands trying to emulate them, with members who were not even old enough to see the punks of the Seventies then I must be honest and say I view any local band with enormous trepidation. Riffs is here to support local bands and not to slag them off so, sticking to an unwritten rule that Val and myself started off the magazine with - if the band is not up to scratch we would not put them down, we would just not review them at all. Either that, or focus on some good points of the evening. Like - well, hey, they turned up on time!!

I honestly believe that with punk - it is the passion and the spirit which comes top of the list; which leads me very nicely to the Rawmones. As one can see that passion and spirit is the driving factor.

I was only just in time for the Rawmones as I didn't realise they were due on at 9 sharp and I did not let Paul from the Three Tuns know I was coming because he always puts himself out for me and I do not wish to ever take advantage of that.

So it was about the second song in that I entered and hurriedly got a JD and Coke and started snapping away...........only after half a dozen photos did I twig that to show the band in full light is to diminish the whole point of what they are trying to do - to look like other people!! They are a tribute, and I am sure would not wish to have their very own fizzogs in clear and coloured detail when they wish to be seen as The Ramones.

Luckily, tonight, they did one full hour of high-octane, sweat-drenched punk and left leaving the audience wanting more - which was not a problem as it was a double bill with Roots Radicals. I say luckily, cos you must remember that the original Seventies punks never did two 45minute sets. Absolutely unheard of. They did around one hour and off they went. And trust me, they would be totally and completely exhausted anyway. So for the present punk tributes to have to do one and a half hours could be a problem.

Many agree that to listen to punk for hours on end is a problem and, myself, when listening to punk at home I pick my tracks and rarely listen to whole albums in one go.

'Not me' said Billy Rawmone. 'I can listen to the Ramones all day long. We don't mind playing for an hour and a half either. We pace ourselves, spreading the more popular tracks throughout the set but obviously leaving the best till last. We love the Ramones so much we would gladly play till we dropped.'

I noticed that they were covered in sweat only about four songs in. Mind you, it was warm in the Three Tuns.....and with all that leather...........
You surely don't need to be told what tracks they sung, let's just say they did not disappoint.

'There was one or two tracks we couldn't fit it, but we crammed in as many as we could.' Just like the Ramones they played at breakneck speed with the songs interspersed only with 'one two three four', faster than you can read it!!! No banter between tracks because the Ramones just didn't do that.

For anyone old enough to remember what the Ramones were like live, then the Rawmones recreate the image superbly. For anyone who never got to see the originals then the Rawmones will show you just what you missed.

I was impressed and I was late - and was not under the influence. So get there in good time, have a few drinks and there is no reason why you should not have one of the best nights of your life............

Oh yeah, do NOT be late, I was and missed Rockaway Beach. Bugga!

The Rawmones have been asked to support the UK Subs in late July. That will be one helluva night.

Riffs

http://www.rawmones.co.uk/

(and thanks to landlord Paul who did spot me eventually and zoomed over with a JD and Coke. I must remember to tell him he is NOT a landlord - he is a very naughty boy).

So when Paul at the Three Tuns was raving about a band called the Happy Cats that always had the place burstin' then I thought 'why not, I'll nip up and see what the crack is.'
I saw landlord Paul as soon as I arrived at the Tuns so we stood outside in the beautiful still, warm night having a natter about local bands, local pubs, Riffs (of course) early staff; and turnouts; Paul is very honest and it does get him down when he puts a lot of time and effort into promoting a band only for a handful of people to show up. You have to only read Riffs letters page to realise that here in the North East is an oasis of live music and at any time it could dry up and we could be talking about 'what was' rather than 'what is'. I mean, whoever thought Rock bands and the Mayfair would fade away?

Anyway, back to me and Paul gassing; while we were talking I noticed hordes of people entering his pub. And then more hordes going in, and hordes of hordes. 'Where are all those people going Paul?' I said quite brainlessly. 'To see the Happy Cats of course. They always cram the place'. After a few minutes more of this one way traffic I decided if I didn't get in I would be stood at the back so after Paul forced me to accept a JD and Coke (some people must wonder what all the commotion is about 'Oh, it's okay,' they must say, 'it's only Paul trying to force another JD and Coke down Nige's throat') I got as near the front as I could for the Happy Cats. In all honesty my expectations were low cos outside on the chalkboard it had 'The Happy Cats - ex Lindisfarne'. 'Brilliant!' I thought. 'It's gonna be meeting people on the bloody corner all night'.

I knew this review would not be as easy as a Rock band review and I really do think I'm going to have a bit of trouble with it.....
'Oh, the band were not very good then?' you may be thinking. On the contrary, they were excellent.
'Then you were too out of ya head on Paul's proferred JD to take anything in?' No, Paul was keeping em coming and I was refusing.(And that took some doing I can tell ya).
'So perhaps the guitarists were not flailing their 'axes' high enough!?' Cheeky bugger. No, there was . . .er. only one guitarist. He was first class.
'Perhaps the drums were too loud - or too quiet?' Actually, there . . .er . . .were no drums.
'Ah, it was the frontman then, didn't swing the mic stand high enough.' He, aaah, didn't touch the mic stand . . . at all.
'So, we have three guys, one on guitar, one singing, and the other one . . .?' Accordian. 'Accordian?' Accordian.

So there you have it. On paper, surely a band stupendously boring. No showmanship. No flailing guitars. No swinging mic stands. And no drums.

BUT, and here is the rub - enough talent to sink the proverbial battleship.
Founded in Spring 2001 by ex-Lindisfarne singer/multi-instrumentalist Marty Craggs, the band features: Les Dodd on guitar and vocals; Brian Duffy on accordian, piano and vocals; Marty Craggs, on saxaphone, accordion, harmonica, penny whistle, bodran and lead vocals.
And if you really want to show me up, just ask me what a 'bodran' is! Every time I glanced at Marty he was playing a different instrument. Kept thinking I was having blackouts!!

Unlike my usual rock nights most of the songs were alien to me - but the perfection in which they were sung and played was rather quite startling. I can see why the place was heaving. And on the sing-a-long songs where, usually, you get the odd group of people waiving their arms and singing - I looked round and the whole bloody place was awash with arms. People were singing along and really getting into it.
Third song in was a Dylan classic which I instantly recognised - 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright.' And about the seventh was a faithful-to-the-original Whiskey in the Jar. Also loved Fairytale of New York by the Pogues. Sang stunningly. Some local songs such as Cushy Butterfield and Blaydon Races had the audience singing louder than the band and I really was envious that the band could command such a great audience when similarly talented Rock bands sometimes get an embarrasingly low turn out.
So there I was, mega impressed and really rather enjoying it. I also noted that the lads were obviously out to break the Bandits' record of alcohol consumption during a gig! Better watch out BBB, the pints and shorts were darting from the bar to the band at breakneck speed tonight!!!

I....er.... suppose you want a description of their music? I was afraid of that..............Thank Jehovah they have a website. I will describe their music as this:
'Take a drop of the Irish, a shot of Cajun, a little country, some folk, a hot spoonful of salsa, a twist of tamla, shake it all up with 30 years of rock ‘n’ roll experience, throw in a dash of three part harmony, garnish with lashings of good humour and you have The Happy Cats!'
Yeah, think that sums it up.

Thanks again to landlord Paul for his tireless support of local bands and also his tireless hospitality to Riffs.
www.thehappycats.com

I first caught Captain Rock at Rocketfest in February 2007. They headlined the Sunday evening and had the perfect audience and venue to show off their mixture of heavy rock covers and bags of personality on stage. I thoroughly enjoyed them. I caught them again at The Caroline in Hetton a couple of months ago and at this time they’d undergone a line up change with a brand new bassist, and although he did very well, he wasn’t the finished article at the time. So I took this opportunity to catch the boys with the new line up after the new fella had a few gigs under his belt.

I arrived at The Greenbank straight from a gig of my own (see review below). I was knackered but determined to see and review a band that aint a regular feature of Riffs but have made enough noise to warrant a bit attention. The Greenbank is a wonderful venue and Mondays are regular heavy rock nights. It was a fair size ‘club’ room with a high but narrow stage. The seating is typically working men’s club with tables all in a row and a dance area at the front near the stage. There were plenty bods in, aging between 20 and 50 and these were all proper rockers. It was a bit like the Mayfair to be honest which can only be a good thing. Captain Rock have absolutely hods of gear. A huge PA and mixing desk and a marvellous laser driven light show. I wish I could take a decent picture as the stage itself looked awesome from a way back. So, onto the performance.

The band opened up with a thumping version of ‘Livewire’ and carried on with some Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Singer/guitarist Steve is a sight to behold. He’s well over 6’ tall with a pirate’s headscarf . Beard, leather waistcoat and Scottish kilt to go with his Gibson flying V. There’s nothing laid back about his appearance or performance. His guitar playing is solid but it’s his voice that I like a lot. Now, by his own admission, he’d belted out a set the night before and was a bit worse for wear. So as the set went on, he was struggling. I know exactly what this is like and have to say that on top form, as he was at Rocketfest, his range is great. The ‘off the wall’ song the band do is ‘Astronomy' by Blue Oyster Cult. It’s played well and last night that was the song where Steve’s voice came across with a nice mix of tone and ‘grit’. He sang it great. ‘War Pigs’ saw the cracks appear but I have to say ….the guy has balls of steel, because he didn’t bottle the set at all and the band are the first band that I’ve seen to even attempt ‘Speed King‘ by Deep Purple. I will have to catch this song again as I know Steve at full strength will do it justice and musially it was well executed.

This brings me on to Lewthy the lead guitarist who seemed to have the lion’s share of the solo’s. He’s the other ‘front man’ and it’s him and Steve that do the posing and showing off. He’s the exact opposite in appearance to the ’kilted one’. He’s as slim as a rake (bastard) with geet lang hair and has that proper ’hippy’ image that never grows old. I’ve seen him playing 3 times now and I was impressed at Rockefest. However, he has improved a lot since then. His soloing on ’All Along The watch tower’ by Hendrix showed how far he has progressed of late. His contribution to ’Astronomy’ was also superb. He lifts his guitar about and puts his foot on the monitor (these two need a good photographer when they’re on a decent stage). Going back to ‘War Pigs’ I have to say, I love their version. They’ve added just a touch of ‘grunge‘ to their version and it‘s more like the ‘Faith No More‘ version than the ’Sabbath’ original.

Captain Rocks rhythm section is Mike Curry on bass and Alan Thompson on drums. Alan is a powerful drummer that likes to get around the kit and belt everything on it. He is not a drummer that would buy a cymbal for show when it’s meant to be beaten up. Mike has settled in well and the songs are now second nature. He’s very laid back on stage and I don’t know whether this is his natural style or whether it’s because he’s still relatively new to the band. Nevertheless, his playing is fine and the band don’t really need him to go mental ‘cos Steve and Lewthy do. So was this gig all wonderful and fault free. Well, to be honest, I would’ve  preferred a sound mix without that much bottom end. At times the bass ‘boomed’ and the top end didn’t cut through enough. But what do I know. By the end of the night, the bank holiday crowd were on the floor and the band were too putting on a show the rockers loved. Check out the pics as Steve and Lewthy let the music take over. I can totally empathise with that cos when I’m playing songs I love it when it gets me and turns me into a 16 year old again. It was a great crowd and despite a few minor points I raised (well, Steve asked me for a brutally honest opinion) the crowd went away well happy. High points for me were Steve’s vocals on ‘Astronomy’ and Lewthy’s playing  throughout. I took the time to catch up with Steve and ask a few questions that needed to be answered.

1. So, how long have Captain Rock been on the go and how did it all start off?
Lewthy and me had been talking about getting a band together for some time during drunken nights at the Greenbank club in Chester (about 5 years back I think). I had always wanted to play bass and stand at the back thumping away with the drummer. Occasionally I would play some bass too. I wanted to get a singer in so I could have a bit less pressure on me but they are hard to come by. Well, good ones are anyway. As far as drummers go, I had a chat with a contractor at work and he said he played drums and agreed to audition. A couple of days before the audition date he phoned me and said he didn’t wanna do it anymore. But, he knew this dead canny lad from down the street who might be interested. I rang him and we met up shortly before Christmas of 2000 (I think I might be a year out but with my sense of rhythm that’s quite close) and agreed to play a couple of rehearsals. I couldn’t find anyone interested in singing so said I’d do it for now. Our first gig was at the Blue Boar in Stanley. I had received a call after the second practise for a gig that Saturday and I said we’d play. The gig went down really well with a fantastic response so I knew we were onto something good. The band was born.

2. Who thought of the name Captain Rock and where does it come from?
We had to think of a name really quickly as I’d taken the Blue Boar gig and they needed something to advertise. Lewthy came up with the name as it’s the name Pat, from the Caroline calls him when he comes into the pub. “Aahh. It’s Captain Rock” Pat has led a sheltered life. Bless him. So when folk call me the Cap’n it’s really Lewthy’s name but he doesn’t mind cos he thinks it’s silly.

3. Who is in the current line up and what's their role?
Ian Lewthwaite – Huge Fan and hair blowing poses. (Guitar / Back Vox / Long tabs)
Alan Thompson – Mid sized fan and incredibly loud dustbin lids that knack my ears. (Drums / Back Vox / Rests in between songs)
Mikey Curry – No fan and impersonations of music store personnel (Bass / Tabs / Driving until he learns!!)
Stevie Wright – Share Lewthy’s fan and irritate Alan with the smoke machine (Guitar / Synth / Vox / PA / Lights / Smoke Machine / Snakebite)

4. What music influences you? Who are your favourites?
My main musical influence is any guitar based driven stuff (surprisingly). Doesn’t have to be rock but that’s where you normally find it. However, I listen to any music that is good. In the car at the moment I’ve got some Rush, Philip Glass, UFO, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Blackfoot, Steve Hillage, Mike Oldfield, etc. My original influence was a long haired yeti who came round our house with me big sister one time. He played like a demon and made me want to play too. I was about 12 at the time and pestered me Mam and Dad for a guitar. He is Paul Rose. I thank you for that. I still haven’t seen you since. That must be 26 years ago.

5. What would you say was the bands greatest achievement to date and what are your ambitions for the band in the future?
Staying together and staying together for some more time. Seriously, I think our highlight has been finishing off Rocketfest this year. It was a rock roaring 45 minutes or so. It’s the main thing that sticks in my mind. That was a marvellous gig and I don’t think we’ve ever played better. It was an honour to do. I can’t actually remember many other gigs but we’ve always enjoyed bike rallies and the like. Ambitions are to keep on playing and entertaining while we can and are still enjoying it. Everything is finite.

6. You always turn out with a large entourage of friends and colleagues. One of them is Zippoman and I was just wondering, which of the crew ensure he takes his medication and if....sorry when , he gets picked up by the police, will you stick by him or say to the officer in charge 'Who? Never heard of him.'
It all depends who is the least pissed really. If the driver can still see it’s normally him. Zippo has his uses and these diminish as the hand of Guinness moves round the evening of sobriety. Medication is normally administered anally but that’s normally left to his carer at home. Mind you, I did have him do a couple of rallies recently and the lack of his normal linctus was obvious. Ooooh, scary (shudders at the thought). This man washes his mouth out with stale Snakebite on a morning after brushing his teeth. Mrs Rock does carry an emergency “punch in the face” if ever required but has only had to use it once. As far as the police go we normally drop him off at the station door anyway. It saves the already overstretched resources.

7. If you had to take one album into a space shuttle on a 5 year mission, what would it be?
Probably “Rush – Exit Stage Left” or “Steve Hillage – Live Herald”. I don’t doubt that I’ll prefer listening to my own farts after about 3 months but that’s what has stuck around for the longest up to now.

8. What's with the kilt?
Just a bit of a gimmick really. Everyone needs something for the audience to identify you with. At least people will remember us for the 6’5” Flying “V” playing transvestite. I originally got it for the Captain Rock’s Hogmania at the Mill House in Crook and it sort of stuck. It may last. I don’t know. It gets people talking anyway. (Thanks for restraining the missus at the Caroline BTW). The bright red huge flares lasted about a year. They may come out of retirement. Oh. Have Gambit and Magic Marty recovered yet or are they still seeing the counsellor?

9. You've recently bought a dog after pressure from your wife. I believe it's a black Labrador, which by all accounts is a bit of a 'girlie' choice for a rock star. Didn't you fancy getting a rottweiller, or better yet a staffy and calling it 'Diablo' or 'Satan' or something?
Hoo yee. She’s F**Kin’ mental. All these so called “hard” dogs run a mile when they see her. She frightens me man. She’s got more bark than a Canadian Redwood. You named her Tess Mr Lunn. It turned out to be rather good because I had a thought at work one day. Here goes. If I stroke her tummy and she starts twitching her leg then that act is what’s known as a Tesstickle. I nearly fell off me poly box. Her name is actually an acronym for Tchew, Eat, poo, Sleep. (Nearly anyway. Couldn’t call her Cess. That’s a bloke’s name.)

10. And finally...you're knocking on a bit now and these antics can’t last forever...what will you do when you finally hang up your sporran?
I am 38 (at time of writing). I may look a bliddy sight younger but no, I am that old. When I retire I think I’ll get an Arran jumper and sit in the corner of a pub in Whitby sipping me ale and sucking on me pipe that went out about two years previously stroking me dog. Seriously though, if I ever can’t play no more then I’ll probably go out as a sound engineer with lots of people to lift gear ‘cos I’ve got lots to lift.

So, I would urge you to go see this band. It’s always a great atmosphere and the guys always put on a show that gets the audience going. You’ll know most, if not all the songs and realise the lads have put their own stamp on it. Check them out.

Dave 29/05/07

Time passed and Dave had just resigned as guitar player with Tubesnake after 12 years and was singing full time with Black Sabbath tribute 'Sabbatica'. They met in The Percy for a pint and they decided a very part time reincarnation of White Noise was again possible.

Ade is guitarist in local band Tokyo and Sean was in 2.22 at the time. Norm Appleby or 'Pop' as he was known had been bassist with Fist and had been in Thrust in the 80's with Sean and Ade and was invited along. There was no need to ask anyone else - once Norm played at a practice he fitted in both musically and personally immediately.

So White Noise was back on the road again and ready for gigging. The full line up of the band is now: Dave Lunn-Vocals, Ade Fisher-guitars, Norm Appleby-Bass, Sean Taylor-drums. I caught them just a few weeks ago at Washington FC Rainbow Trust charity weekend but, at Dave's own admission, they were not on top form and Dave's voice was definitely suffering. But I was well impressed by what I heard. And we are talking four, yes 4, UFO songs, some Hagar, Priest, Bad Co., MSG. Definitely my cup of tea. So when I noticed that the band were playing the Mill House in Crook on Holiday Monday May 28; even though it was not an evening gig, I decided to go along. Chris, who books the bands there, has always been in touch with Riffs and keeps his finger on the pulse of what is happening and is also a regular contributor. (He is also a staunch Rose Tattoo fan). This always helps with deciding where to go and who to see, so the decision was made and I set off to get their for the publicised time of 4pm.

Unfortunately, when I got there, the place was as good as empty and the band were soundchecking. 'Not going on till five Nige' shouted Dave.
'You didn't fall for that old chestnut did you?' asked Mill House band organiser Chris. Fraid I did......

So after nipping to see my daughter who lives in Crook, came back for 5 in time to catch the band start off a really hard rockin' set. Like I said earlier, with four UFO songs in the set there was no way you could keep me away. A few gremlins in Ade's equipment meant a re-start of Shoot Shoot but that did not stop my enjoyment. In fact, Ade had the guitar work on ALL the UFO tracks down perfectly. I was astounded at how accurate it really was - sorry, but I am a bit of a stickler if someone is going to cover such a mega band, they have to do it properly! I wanted to have a word with Ade and tell him how really appreciative I was of his dexterity with the UFO tracks and how he must have practiced for ages to get it just right so that even a seasoned UFO fan would have difficulty in telling the difference between himself and Schenker .................but all I managed to say when I shook his hand was.....'f**kin hell'. Eloquence? I invented it.
Chris and Captain Rock's Steve got to sing chorus on Lights Out (see pic) cos Dave will probably never ask me again cos I sang 'Lights Out, Lights Out in Washington' at....well.......Washington.......Incidentally Ade confided to me that he would quite gladly play Lights Out every other song. Now if only we could convince Dave to go along with that.....

But don't get me wrong, there was plenty of other Rock tracks in there to suit all tastes (well, as long as its Rock!). Rock Steady by Bad Co. stood out as a really well executed track. So with Priest's You've Got Another Thing Coming. I honestly can't think of a track they did that I did not enjoy. Great to hear a Sammy Hagar song: Planet's on Fire. Excellently done; and special mention for Open Fire by Y&T whose lyrics should be the watchword of any Rock band 'fair warning.....I'm gonna explode....'. And I must mention a superb rendition of Heaven and Hell. Really good stuff.

But to be truthfully honest it was Dave who really led the band, not only with his sense of humour and amusing banter but with his true frontman ability. Ade was truly amazing on guitar but if the two of them got together a bit more for some 'hamming' then that would, in my opinion, be a slight improvement.

I was really beginning to enjoy tonight, but I think the special offer on house Vodka doubles may have helped me along quite a bit..............I really wasn't going to drink alcohol tonight but....well.... I can resist anything except temptation.

And it was great to talk to Steve from Captain Rock who was catching White Noise's gig then zooming off to play in his own band further afield......Also a guy from Durham whose name I have forgot. Sorry mate, really crap on names but glad you enjoy the mag and support Riffs sentiments. Nice to talk to you.

Was able to have a natter with Martin after the gig about many things, including how quite not straightforward it is to get the right sound for the venue. Martin is guitarist for Sabbatica but tonight was doing the sound for White Noise. It is quite refreshing to talk to someone who can be quite open and honest (as indeed we hope Riffs always is) and amongst our conversion, with him noticing that Val was there to review the gig too, he said quite openly that he enjoyed Riffs the most when Val and myself ran it as he reckoned we were a 'perfect team'. Val really was the best company one could wish for. Apparently, Martin is not on his own. He also pointed out a spelling mistake on our News page - and then apologised for doing so. Hey, all criticism taken on board. And that mistake was rectified within minutes of me getting in (it was in the article on 'The 7 Ages of Rock'.)

With Ade's stunning guitar work, I could quite easily catch this band on a regular basis. It will take more than a gremlin in the works to keep that guy down....

Marks out of ten on Riffs Entertainment-ometer............a very high 9+

Shit, nearly forgot the technical stuff - for those of you who want a breakdown of the technical aspects of the gig well.........I'll do my very best: Dave sang, Sean played drums, at the back, Norm was on a guitar over to the left; the one with the heavy, slow type of notes, and Ade was searing on guitar over on the right. there was a speaker on the left and another on the right, but a bit further back. Martin was on the box with loadsa nobs which decides whether you really like what the band are playing or not...........Erm, that's all I ever need to know. They do what they do best - PLAY. And I do what I do best. ENJOY.

Nige, Riffs

PS: Now I've got some decent pics of the band please don't do a DC on me and split up! At least give me chance to use some of the pics first. Cheers lads.

A week ago today however (Sunday the 12th of November to be precise), it was for an altogether different reason that I turned up at the Blacksmith’s Arms in Gosforth to lose my Minnikin virginity: my girlfriend Leanne and her friend went to school with Marc Playle (lead guitar) and wanted to see him play, and as she’s the driver, where Leanne goes, I go. This isn’t to say I wasn’t thrilled to see the band at long last, and rightly so – they were f*cking awesome! So much so that we decided we had to go and check them out at The Office the following Friday. As it happened, Colin couldn’t make it down that night due to commitments with another band (Damage Control, another band on “the list”) and was looking for a reporter to review the band in his stead. Seeing as Leanne’s a great photographer and I needed an excuse not to get pissed, I jumped at the chance. What follows is my own amateur account of the evening.

Children In Need evening is always a funny one for bands. This, combined with the cold weather and Blue Diamond playing down the road, meant that there was a good chance of a half empty room, which is never fun at a long venue like The Office, which tends to fill up from the back. “It’s a bit empty isn’t it” asked our mutual friend Nathan (who also went to school with Marc) as we took our position at the bar around 8:45. I assured him that in EXACTLY 15 minutes, the room would be heaving. I wasn’t wrong. Office Syndrome is a funny one indeed. How a hundred odd people managed to sneak into the room unnoticed in the time it took to find something to scribble my notes on (like a true pro, I’d forgotten to bring a notepad) is quite astonishing. Anyway, after a quick chat with a few familiar faces, I settled down to business.

Casting a cursory glance across Minnikin’s setup, the first thing that caught my eye was the lighting rig – no less than sixteen cans! There was no end of gear porn for us guitar dorks too: Marc’s rig alone sports a Mesa/Boogie Triaxis, matching simul class power amp and a mighty Eventide Harmoniser (for the uninitiated, that’s an absurdly powerful FX processor, originally developed for NASA!). A compact yet potent three-way Mackie PA and a MASSIVE double kick Pearl drum kit rounded out a very impressive rig! This band are using the best kit money can buy, and if their magnificent sound is anything to go by, it’s definitely worth it.

9:15 rolled around and the band took to the stage, yet as the background music faded to silence, lead vocalist Richard “Dochaz” Docherty was nowhere to he seen. We were shocked into attention by a piercing scream of “You know where you are?! You’re in the jungle!! Wake up… time to die!!” as guitarist Marc chimed in with the opening riff of Welcome To The Jungle. As the album opener from GnR’s seminal Appetite For Destruction and their own live opener, this track has “great first song” written all over it, and the boys carried it off in spectacular fashion, with bassist Glenn going from melodic to thunderous as the intensity built, underpinning the air-raid-siren-esque vocals. As the song kicked in, Dochaz strode out from the dressing room looking like a young Sebastian Bach. He carries off Axl Rose’s peculiar vocal style very well, nailing those coarse, strangled screams with a great deal of authenticity and ferocity. That said, I actually preferred his performances on lower numbers like Metallica’s Sad But True and the excellent Man In A Box by Alice In Chains, where his voice sounds fatter and rounder. Range is clearly no issue, but he’s got a great sound when he sings a little lower down, and he turns in some wonderful vocal performances around this area. He’s got a great stage awareness too, and plenty charisma too. He even left the stage during longer guitar solos, which was a very cool touch.

Up next was the first of Minnikin’s own songs – the title track from their new album, Europa. The track’s got a distinctly dark vibe about it with *MUSO ALERT* a really cool syncopated groove, an awesome Pantera-esque polyrhythmic descending tritone figure and some great call-and response vocals between Dochaz and Glenn. Aside from his wicked bass-lines, Glenn’s backing vocals are a great asset for this band. His harmonies are spot on, and he can turn on the grit and power when it’s needed. In my opinion, good backing vocals can be that extra 10% that separates a good band from a great one. My only criticism on this front is that I’d like to see Glenn singing even more! Without a doubt though, the highlight of the first set was Marc’s stunning rendition of the Steve Vai instrumental For The Love Of God. It’s a very difficult piece to carry off – playing the notes isn’t too hard, conveying the depth of emotion present in the original performance is very challenging, and Marc excelled in this department, witha lot of class and delicate grace about his playing (not to mention being note-perfect and clean as a whistle in the process). He’s a first class player with a very tasty style and chops to burn. He was VERY loud though, and I have to say it did mar the performance a little. The subtle interplay between the lead line and the underlying harmony is very important to this track, and the effect was lost slightly because the backing was so quiet. The lead guitar sound was very wet with reverb and delay too, which swamped things a little – Marc has an extraordinarily good guitar tone and a flawless technique, and I’d love to hear both more clearly. Perhaps backing off the effects would enable him to cut at a lower volume which would undoubtedly benefit the whole mix (which was otherwise utterly stunning).
Give In To Me by Michael Jackson was an interesting choice, complete with a very tasty solo from guitarist Alex Kyle. Alex is a fine player in his own right, and plays his supporting role very well. His grittier tone locks beautifully with Marc’s and the two of them sound massive when they’re riffing away. He’s also probably the most visually animated of the band, which is cool in my book. He also sings the occasional backing vocal, but I’d like to see him doing more – if nothing else, it looks cool in a song when the whole band get on the mics to sing the chorus!

Secret, another original, was brought the back up nicely, with a kick ass bass solo, more ripping guitar work and probably the best vocal performance of the night. Another noteworthy inclusion set was a version of Blood Pollution from the film Rock Star. As cheesy as it is, I loved the film and enjoyed having a chant along (anyone who knows me knows that once I’ve got a few brews inside me I love to sing along, usually loudly and badly!), followed by a scarily accurate version of The Snake by local rock legends The Force. With two Force students in the band (Marc studying with Phil Thorell and drummer Marc “Jaxon” Jackson under tutorial from Mick Kerrigan), the Force influence is very evident (I’m resisting jokes about “The Force being strong in this one…”), which is no bad thing. In fact, this number probably had more folk dancing than any of the covers! As I mentioned, their version was startlingly accurate and very, very good indeed, especially the solo section, which (as I’d come to expect by now) Marc ailed to the back wall.

Halftime came and went, and we picked up a couple of copies of the album. It’s very professionally presented with cool cover art from Glenn’s young lady Chris (a very talented artist and photographer) and even a wee parental advisory warning in the corner! It sounds magnificent too, with awesome songs and immaculate production. Do yourself a favour and get one.

Anyway, enough plugging, on with the second set! From the opening medley of Thin Lizzy classics (Jailbreak, Don’t Believe A Word and The Boys Are Back In Town), the vibe was a little less aggressive and more upbeat, which I think is a good quality in a second set, by which point the audience is a little more, erm… merry, shall we say? Now I’m not a very big Thin Lizzy fan, and The Boys Are Back In Town always reminds me of the theme from Blockbusters, but that said, the band played brilliantly (although once again Marc was a lot louder than Alex on those important harmony guitar parts). All Along The Watchtower was very cool indeed, capturing the pensive vibe of the Hendrix version very well. Next up, we were treated to another original, Devil In You, a really cool song with some excellent work from drummer Jaxon, particularly the ambient, syncopated verses with their cool displaced snare patterns. As you might expect from such a fine group of young musicians, Jaxon’s a superb drummer with great feel, awesoe chops and rock solid tempos. His enormous kit sounded beautiful this evening with lovely crisp snap to the snare and those elusive punchy-yet-deep kickers. I was also informed that he was playing injured that, having he’d pulled a muscle at the Blacksmith’s Arms less that a week earlier. I’d never have known if I hadn’t been told, and if he plays this well when he’s injured, I can only imagine him on full form.

A cracking pair of more recent covers, Motley Crue’s Sick Love Song and Velvet Revolver’s Slither took us nicely to my favourite cover of the evening, We All Die Young. Best known from the film Rock Star, it was originally by 80s-styled 90s rockers Steelheart, and this original version features my favourite vocal performance ever. It’s just wonderful. My expectations were high, but Dochaz rose to the occasion very well. I could have done with a little more Glenn in the mix for this one, as the high, melodic bass-line didn’t cut as well as a the low notes, but when the song kicked in it was first class. It’s an unusual cover, but it’s such a wonderful song, and for me it was the highlight of the evening.

Another original next, in the form of Down On Me, the “mid-album epic” as it were. I love the chorus on this one – soaring and anthemic, it had me singing along by the second repeat. AC/DC’s Back In Black was very well executed indeed. The whole band effortlessly shifted from their own brand of tight, muscular modern rock to ’DC’s swaggering looseness, and the vocals were spot on. Fade To Black by Metallica was, for me, the only duff choice of the evening. Putting such a melancholy number this late the proceedings is a risk, and it didn’t work for me – but then again, I reserve a special loathing for this song in particular (along with most of ’Tallica’s more mournful numbers), it was more a case of “the song didn’t do the band justice”, rather than the other way round. Don’t Be A Great Man was a totally different story though! First of all, what a riff! It’s awesome! Factor in a beautifully complimentary melody and a heart-wrenching-yet-hard-rocking vibe, with subtly yet brilliantly applied chants and grea sentiment to the lyrics. The guitar solo is magnificent too, with *MUSO ALERT* a great stretch pentatonic opening lick and a delightfully fusion-y key change. The breakdown is fantastic too. I’ll just come out and say it, I love this song. I wish I’d written it. I’ll be singing it for the next month. For me, it’s the jewel in the crown. Marvellous. Sweet Child O’ Mine brought the show to a close, and love it or hate it, it’s always nice to end on a crowd-pleaser. I’m led to believe it’s something of a Minnikin stalwart too, and as an anthem of my generation, I can’t begrudge them it. They did a great job too.

With no Colin to compere, it was down to the band to coax their own encore from the audience, and after such a great performance it wasn’t hard. First up was a storming version of Rocking In The Free World by Neil Young. Despite the rocked up vibe, the vocals were very faithful to the original, with some excellent harmonies from Glenn (which I’ll be nicking for our version – cheers man!). Alex took the first solo (only his second of the evening), slung the guitar behind his head and rocked out. Ten out of ten for showmanship, but there was a fair bit of note-cramming going on, which felt a bit like he was cramming a set worth of guitar solos into sixteen bars. I know I’m not one to talk on this subject but after such a tasty, melodic solo in Give In To Me, I’d hoped for a more of the same. Perhaps he just needs to be let loose a little more – every musician deserves to get their rocks off once in a while. Crazy Train and Whiskey In The Jar brought the evening to a close, although it must be said I had no great affection for the last song of the evening. Looking back, I’d sooner have had another song off the album in the set (Old Pages perhaps? In fact, let’s get shot of Fade To Black for Adrenaline while we’re on it) and had Sweet Child as the last encore, but folk seemed to enjoy it, so why not eh?
To sum up, I had an awesome time. Minnikin are without a doubt some of the finest young musicians this region has to offer, and they can’t half write a catchy tune too! Combine these elements with a beautiful mix, spades of ambition and a great team around them and this lot are destined for great things. Superb.
Oh, and buy the album, it’s mint!

Yours, vowing never to write another one of these ever again,
Nick J.

(thanks to Minnikin for allowing us to use photos from their website).