Guests were entertained on Thursday night at The Old Woollen, Farsley, by the country’s two top blues rock bands. Ivor Hughes was among them.
Nine Below Zero
Although Nine Below Zero might have been perceived as tonight’s support, they are on a parallel UK tour with Dr Feelgood, ending in February.
Nine Below Zero was formed in South London in 1977 by current guitarist and lead vocalist Dennis Greaves. Mark Feltham (harmonica and vocals) was also a founding member.
His membership has been interrupted by two lengthy absences, during which he made contributions to an unbelievably long and prestigious list of films and records. Far too long to summarise here, but a list for whom only the best will do.
NBZ have supported Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, The Kinks, Sting and The Who. And, like th night’s stablemates Dr Feelgood, continue to headline blues rock concerts and festivals throughout Europe.
On the night
The band had four performing (see three pics). A mixture of their own songs and covers. Their rendition of Sam Sumudio’s Wooly Bully (1964) was notable, particularly being sung in The Old Woollen.
Never having seen them before, and with a passing knowledge of their repertoire, I had to enlist the help of diehard fan Julia from Cookridge: “We’ve been following and seeing them since the nineties. Hearing them is always a step back in time, good times. They are so consistent.
“For us, one of the best things about their gigs is that the fifty years they’ve been going, and the fans they have retained, make us feel not quite as old as at others.”
Good point, applicable to both bands.
One entertaining aspect of the NBZ performance was Dennis Greaves’ running commentary between numbers. And not confined to the band or those numbers. For example, he lamented the amount of money taken away from recording musicians by streaming services such as Spotify. And highly critical of the fact that Spotify owner Daniel Ek was trying to use that money to buy Arsenal – enemies of his own side, Tottenham Hotspur.
Dr Feelgood
The seeds of Dr Feelgood were Sixties friends from Canvey Island in Essex. The band was formed in 1971.
The current four are the distillate of eighteen members over the years. Three joined in 1983, with some breaks in continuity. Lead singer Robert Kane joined in 1999, replacing founding member Lee Brilleaux. Brilleaux had died in 1994 and was the hardest act to follow.
So, is today’s line up really Dr Feelgood? Yes. I was a fan back in the day and heard no significant differences when I photographed them in 2010. Nor at The Old Woollen – though they had revised their performance of my own favourite, Back in the Night (not as cutting).
But to deny them the title would be akin to denying the Royal Shakespeare Company theirs due to the absence of all founder members.
Back to the night…
Robert Kane – strong strong vocals. Loud, passionate and a quick mover. All over the stage. Strong engagement with the audience.
Gordon Russell (lead). Not as choppy a style as his benchmark predecessor Wilko Johnson. Notas hyperactive. Including slide guitar. The audience was captivated.
Kevin Morris (drums) and Phil Mitchell (bass). As tight as you like – mind you, they should be after 41 years together. But there was no hint of complacency. No going through the motions. Mitchell’s face was a study of concentration throughout the gig, attention fixed on drums or lead. And Morris made it all look so easy.
So, the county’s two top blues rock bands – but…
With a hundred years of performances, exceptional musicians, dozens of albums and thousands of appearances between them, neither has enjoyed an enduring high street chart presence. Here’s maybe why.
According to DigitalDreamDoor, the four greatest blues rock artists of all time are The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Cream (Eric Clapton). Their recording histories precede tonight’s bands’ by ten years and more. With the benefit of hindsight, blues rock may already have been on its way out. The Stones are the only ones who continued to top the charts. And only by moving on.
The good news
An audience fewer than 200 – up close and personal. In a venue for which there was nothing but praise. With tickets at £30, not five times that price for newcomers such as Oasis. Free adjacent parking.
I was at the Old Woolen on Thursday too. Being a fan since the early 80s I was expecting a great gig.
I was disappointed. NBZ twice before at the venue have been brilliant. Not on Thursday though. The sound was too bass and drum heavy and distorted (for me). Nothing wrong with the effort put in by the band, however.
Dr Feelgood blew me away in 1975 on the ‘naughty rhythms’ tour. I have several cds of theirs. The current line up don’t really cut it. Good tribute band at best.
I agree with the right to use the name and the RSC comment made by the reviewer. Again nothing wrong with the work rate they put in.
The plus points about the venue I totally agree with.
Looking forward to the Fabulous Thundrrbirds next year. Just hope the sound is better.
Gand Hebden
Thank you, Gand, for taking the trouble to look at my images, read my report and share your views with West Leeds Dispatch. Feedback is vital and I wish I received more.
As I wrote, I am unfamiliar with NBZ. Which is why I consulted several fans on the night. Evidently you weren’t one of them. The stage at Old Woollen is very low. Might the sound have been dulled by the time it reached your part of the venue? Just a thought. I have photographed two other gigs there, neither that loud nor on the main stage.
You and I both remember the Dr Feelgood of fifty years ago. Three of Thursday’s performers were with them forty years ago, alongside Lee Brilleaux. Was Thursday’s performance going to be as novel, hungry or angry? Of course not. But it was more polished. Maybe that was the difference.
By coincidence, particularly in the light of Dennis Greaves’ (NBZ) comments about the losses caused to recording musicians by streaming, I have just read an article about the fact that the number of live gigs in smaller venues has recently halved. The reason given was the rising cost of maintaining those venues. Many have closed. Promoters cannot afford the increased costs of using those that remain open. So, even more credit to The Old Woollen.
After seeing Dr Feelgood on Thursday I decided I needed a top up. Looked online. I have just bought their 24 track greatest singles CD for £2.50 including postage. Who needs Spotify?
Then it occurred to me that the all-in cost for couples seeing them last Thursday would have been the wrong side of £100. Perhaps bands should provide entertainment and engagement over and above playing the numbers. Something Dennis Greaves certainly did on the night.
Fabulous Thunderbirds? I’d never heard of them. But they do appear big on the blues rock scene. I’ll take the pics, you write the review. Subject, of course, to the agreement and consent of The Old Woollen and West Leeds Dispatch. Just a thought …
Regards and, again, thanks
Ivor