Muleweat featuring Steve Firth @ Rose and Crown Methley Leeds 1 st August 2003

A new venue in this area saw reluctant superstar Steve Firth and his band inject some classy rhythm and blues into West Yorkshire . Got My Mojo Working got things underway in style with Steve's brilliant voice and wonderfully subtle guitar backed by Lee White on 2 nd Lead/Rhythm guitar and a superb rhythm section .

This band's repertoire is excellent and Michael Katon's riffy 12-bar No More Whiskey really hit the spot. In the style of Walter Trout came Red House the Jimi Hendrix classic. What a superb rendition it was too with Steve's fabulous vocals and very well played guitar. Continuing to amaze with the repertoire, this quality band eased into the Lynyrd Skynyrd Blues, Simple Man. I adore this song, as far removed from Freebird as you need to be, this blues has everything and is packed with emotive vocals and guitar. Wonderful. Tom Wait's Heart Attack and Vine (Liar Liar…Pant's are on fire) was a brilliant inclusion and Steve really does this song justice with laid back jazzy style. One song I like to hear in anybody's repertoire is Robert Johnson's Crossroads. This slower tempo funky version has me grasping for superlatives, it is so good, it is hard to describe. Then to finish the first set came the rousing Huddie Ledbetter song, albeit slightly in the Rory Gallagher style, Bullfrog Blues. What agreat 12-bar this is and not a bottleneck slide in sight!

Mustang Sally soulfully funked up the room to begin the 2 nd set. Changing style radically the band played Hard To Handle in the Black Crowe's style before Lee White took the vocals and lead lines of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Pride and Joy. Excellent! The band eased into the instantly recognisable riff of Sunshine of Your Love much to my delight then another change of style brought JJ Cale's The Breeze. Played in “Tulsa time”, this song slowed things down towards the end of the set but the offering of an utterly superb version of Bob Dylan's Knocking On Heavens Door took this hugely enjoyable set to its finale. An encore of Sweet Home Alabama brought the evening's fabulous entertainment to a brilliant ending. I must tell you that this band should be nationwide and I cannot get enough of their music. They are a real class act.

Steve Lally ©