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Live reviews
Thursday 21st September. Flamin’ Groovies. Under the Bridge. It’s a step back in time tonight to see power pop originators of the sixties and seventies. I am safely in the younger members of the crowd and it’s fair to say that there was more hair on stage than in the audience.
It’s arguably the classic lead duo of Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson tonight supported by an excellent rhythm section with special props to Chris Van S on bass. Fantastic grooves and the best trousers I’ve seen in ages.
The set pulled from their back catalogue of originals and covers along with their brand new album is beset with sound problems from the off that lasted throughout the evening. A mixture of electrical feedback shocks, microphone cut outs, bouncy stage and sticky tape were confronted. But it didn’t really matter. Yes the vocals were not spot on every time, yes the set was a little disjointed, yes the performance was borderline shambolic in places but none of this mattered, it was great great fun. The musicianship was still there as was the strength of the songs and it’s rare to see a gig when every member of the audience has a large grin on their face.
Highlights were the obvious ‘Teenage Head’ and the magnificent ‘Shake Some Action’ and both the band and the audience were all forty years younger. The joy was short-lived with a short seventy minute set but it’s a minor grumble. Despite the problems. A thoroughly enjoyable night and my abiding memory was a line from Chris Wilson regarding electrical shocks so I’ll leave this with you.
‘If you aint alive you can’t feel pain’
Keep on rockin y’all
garyw66
Flamin' Groovies are one of my favorite bands to see live. The have an awesome way of blending Pub rock, rockabilly, power pop, protopunk, and blues rock into one sound that is completely unique to them. They might not be the most spry anymore but they still give one hell of a show!
The way that they throw themselves into the music and give it their all helps the crowd to connect with their energy. Their music promotes really good vibes and allows the crowd to just let loose and just really get into the sound and connect with the energy of the music. Their sense of style gives the newer generations of fans a way to connect with the vibes and energy of the 70's, an age long past. This is reason enough to check them out alone but they go beyond that.
They still project a very strong sense of love and acceptance through their music that helps the crowd to connect with their selves and others a the performance in a way that does not happened as much as it used to. They did a very good job with their set that allowed them to play a good number of their hits from the past, no easy feat considering they have so many!
Seeing the Groovies at Under The Bridge last week fulfilled a long held ambition to catch them live.
Having become a relatively recent fan as a result of hearing 'Shake Some Action' on a proto-punk compilation I found myself to be a bit younger than the majority of the audience but coupled with the superb intimate venue this combined to create a fantastic atmosphere. No-one talking themselves to seriously and a real connection with the band.
The Groovies' set was dogged with technical problems throughout but the band handled this with a good humour which spread throughout the audience.
The set was a tour through a selected 'greatest hits' back catalogue sprinkled with tracks from the new album which stood comparison remarkably well. The recently recruited rhythm section seamlessly supporting Cyril Jordan And Chris Wilson.
The gig built to a rousing crescendo with powerful renditions of 'Slow Death' and 'Shake Some Action'. Rapturously requested encores featured a rare live outing for a thunderous 'Jumpin' In The Night'
An absolutely top-class evening all round.
jw233
Top show at ONCE Somerville, MA last night... All bands in great form. Tiger Bomb features Chris Horne (from The Brood), and Lynda Mandolyn (from Fabulous Disaster),,, They took a crowded stage (other two bands had lots of gear), and so lined-up 4 across the front... Nobody seemed to mind as they soared through a mix of tunes from their debut LP "Uproar" and some newer yet-to-be-released material. Next up was The Richard Lloyd Group with their own style of grating guitars and off-beats, sometimes reminiscent of Lloyds work with Tom Verlaine in Television. Finally, the Flamin' Groovies got on, and started their set with a rousing version of the Chuck Berry classic, "Round & Round"... They treated the audience to a repertoire of all their key songs - "Shake Some Action', "Teenage Head", and "Tore Me Down", the latter complete with background story by Cyril Jordan behind the making of "Tore Me Down"... Great night!... Large turnout... Good songs!... See Tiger Bomb or The Flamin' Groovies next chance you get...
geets-romo
Standing in the queu for the concert, looked a bit like the usual line of O.A.P's at the post office, getting their pension but despite a lot of old(er) people, the concert was excellent!
I was even able to speak to the main man Cyril Jordan, before the concert, watching the support act.
In Dutch!
I've seen a lot of bands, mostly in the 60's, 70's. From the Pretty Things, to The Mothers of Invention, the Doors (with Jim Morrison in an Amsterdam hospital) Jefferson Airplane, even the Beatles (play backing) Jimi Hendrix in the 'Hippy Happy' fair in Rotterdam and the Flamin' Groovies were on my 'bucket list'
And it was no disappointment, excellent band, rocking before a packed audience in the Scala, London.
I might even consider going over to Belgium in a few days were they're playing as well.
It was that kind of concert!
royaal-modaal
Doncaster Outlook Club 1978....really rocked 40pence to get in. Had a psychedelic rockn roll sound minor chords guitars sounding like sitars Brian Jones style...and we were young ...later got thrown of the same stage when The Ramonesvplayed another great night..
dcmcphie
