Take Howden Lives final event in a hugely successful year, a Stratocaster as first prize in the raffle courtesy of DT's Rock Shop, Chris Miley recording proceedings for a possible live album, an audience very clearly up for it and a band so at ease in their respective musical skins that they made cool look easy, you have all the ingredients for a festive finale to the year to beat all festive finales. With a set borrowing heavily from The Times Blues Album Of The Year Highway 17, The Cadillac Kings proceeded to rock the house by ripping in to songs reminicent of the '50's West Coast (California, not Blackpool!!) like the driving Bombshell Blonde and interestingly titled Who's Bin
Lickin' my Chicken? It would be sooo easy to wonder where principal songwriter Mike Thomas's mind wanders sometimes.
This is a band that doesn't need to rely on covers to get an audience moving, testimony, if it were needed, to the depth of talent in this group. Mike Thomas on lead vocals and slide, is the perfect focal point, Gary Potts on harmonica is rightly described as 'one of the best harp players in the UK', the boogie piano playing of Mike Adcock would draw admiring glances from Jools Holland, not to mention his Zydeco accordian expertise! New boy Del Van Dee on guitar fits in perfectly, a much sought after blues guitarist who can swing. he kindly demonstrated the raffle first prize 'to prove it worked' to great effect. Holding it all together in top gear were Orlando Shearer and Roy webber, bass and drums respectively. The very obvious enjoyment these guys were having on stage translated very, very quickly to the audience with people on the dance floor from the very first song culminating with a large percentage of the hall on theirfeet well before the encore, the perfect Christmas mood setter! All in all a wonderful gig to round off a wonderful musical year for Howden Live. Strat winner Robin Drury promised to learn to play the guitar or re-raffle it if he didn't, can I feel a support slot coming on!? Mark Rodger. |