BOCCIGALUPE & THE BAD BOYS at CATFORD BLUES CLUB at The Green Man London SE6

They say the grass is always greener on the other side. Well in the case of Boccigalupe & The Bad Boys the band deliver everything you would expect from a hard working outfit from Asbury Park, New Jersey with not a trace of hype.

Mixing some muscular r&b, with rocking blues and all round good time bar room boogie, this is a band that once seen is never forgotten.

For aside from some mighty playing, cracking solo's a twin vocal attack, and some great hooks, Boccigalupe is an outfit full of characters.

Bocci himself aka Tony Amato, is a diminutive Soprano's lookalike, and a very busy keyboard playing vocalist. He got his name from Springsteen no less, and the Bruce/Nils Lofgren/Southside Johnny connection runs deep, as Bocci has been a pivotal figure on the Asbury Park scene for three decades or so.

That said, and in spite of some rip roaring covers of "Treat Her Right", and ? this is a band in its own right. The title track of the album "It's My Turn Now" and the hugely fierce shuffle - simply titled "Hot Blues"- were impressive enough before guitarist Billy "Boy Wonder" Walton and the mighty Rich "The Taz" Taskwitz get to work on the wonderful bluesy ballad "Karma".

In between sets we were treated to a wonderful wordsmith, Mr Bobby Strange, who's songs make you realise that when it all boils down to it, you can't beat heartfelt lyrics.

The band slipped on stage to help Bobby out, before the house rocked to a wrapped up, swinging version of "Jump For Joy" on which beefy harp of guest John O'Leary swapped lines with all the front row instruments, with magical results.

If you can remember those dark distant days when a tour band played until they dropped, then Boccigalupe and his boys played it as it used to be. The rhythm section of bass player Kelly Tyrrell and drummer Tim Moss held down a rock steady beat, while the band tore their way through a set of great songs, played with gusto, and rare passion. Here's to the band's projected return next November.

Pete Feenstra