Travelling blues
Albany Down - Nice 'N' Sleazy, Glasgow, 12th August 2016
Albany Down - Nice 'N' Sleazy, Glasgow, 12th August 2016
From the powerfully performed one-two introductory punch of the meaty, blues rockin’ 'Back Again' and the melodic grit of 'Dirty' through to a storming pedal down rendition of set closer 'Revolution' a shade less than two hours later, Albany Down could do no wrong for a small but vociferous and highly appreciative Nice N Sleazy Glasgow club crowd.
While giving it 100% each and every time is the modus operandi of the excellent blues rock outfit, they could have been forgiven for performing in a lower gear after a ten hour drive from London for an eleventh hour, barely time to promote gig that was only booked because the Whitehaven Festival, where the band were due to play, was cancelled.
It's enough to give you the Travelling Blues the band sang and performed in fine and funky up-tempo fashion mid-set.
But the Albany boys and girl – Paul Muir (lead vocals), Paul Turley (guitars, backing vocals), Billy Dedman (bass), Donna Peters (drums) – don’t do lower gears other than musically, exemplified by the slow, southern-tinged 'South of the City' (the title track of their 2011 debut album; on the night featuring some impressive slide work from Paul Turley), the hard blues ballad 'Like a Bullet' and the poignant 'Home,' the latter quite fitting for the band’s returning north of the border Scottish front man Paul Muir.
But there’s a lot more light and shade to Albany Down than just hard and soft/ slower melodic blues...
'Feeding the Flame,' stripped back from its bigger production on The Outer Reach (the band’s current and truly outstanding release), is a song that carries punch, edge and melody in equal classic rock measure.
Then there's 'Supersonic Girl,' a Jamiroquai with attitude slice of funkin' fun.
Or how about 'Sing Me to Sleep,' which channelled the subtlest hint of a Zeppelin-esque vibe across it’s understated opening verses before tasty little bursts of six-string colour from Paul Turley led to the 'Hey Jude' styled "nah-nah-nah-nah" chorus outro.
Music wise, the twenty two songs performed (every number from The Outer Reach, five from the debut and six from Not Over Yet including a snappy, staccato drum-fire rendition of the pacey title track) can’t be faulted.
Sonically, things weren’t too bad either. While the treble was a little washed out (falling victim to the low ceiling basement club room) the sound was generally solid throughout – Billy Dedman’s bass and Donna Peters' drums (which had a minimal mic set up, the sound carrying direct from the kit) sat comfortably in a mix that delivered the two Pauls’ instruments of vocals and guitars strongly and cleanly.
While giving it 100% each and every time is the modus operandi of the excellent blues rock outfit, they could have been forgiven for performing in a lower gear after a ten hour drive from London for an eleventh hour, barely time to promote gig that was only booked because the Whitehaven Festival, where the band were due to play, was cancelled.
It's enough to give you the Travelling Blues the band sang and performed in fine and funky up-tempo fashion mid-set.
But the Albany boys and girl – Paul Muir (lead vocals), Paul Turley (guitars, backing vocals), Billy Dedman (bass), Donna Peters (drums) – don’t do lower gears other than musically, exemplified by the slow, southern-tinged 'South of the City' (the title track of their 2011 debut album; on the night featuring some impressive slide work from Paul Turley), the hard blues ballad 'Like a Bullet' and the poignant 'Home,' the latter quite fitting for the band’s returning north of the border Scottish front man Paul Muir.
But there’s a lot more light and shade to Albany Down than just hard and soft/ slower melodic blues...
'Feeding the Flame,' stripped back from its bigger production on The Outer Reach (the band’s current and truly outstanding release), is a song that carries punch, edge and melody in equal classic rock measure.
Then there's 'Supersonic Girl,' a Jamiroquai with attitude slice of funkin' fun.
Or how about 'Sing Me to Sleep,' which channelled the subtlest hint of a Zeppelin-esque vibe across it’s understated opening verses before tasty little bursts of six-string colour from Paul Turley led to the 'Hey Jude' styled "nah-nah-nah-nah" chorus outro.
Music wise, the twenty two songs performed (every number from The Outer Reach, five from the debut and six from Not Over Yet including a snappy, staccato drum-fire rendition of the pacey title track) can’t be faulted.
Sonically, things weren’t too bad either. While the treble was a little washed out (falling victim to the low ceiling basement club room) the sound was generally solid throughout – Billy Dedman’s bass and Donna Peters' drums (which had a minimal mic set up, the sound carrying direct from the kit) sat comfortably in a mix that delivered the two Pauls’ instruments of vocals and guitars strongly and cleanly.
Paul Muir, who has a natural engaging-with-crowd charm, was on fine vocal form throughout, ending on a high (note or three) at set end.
He was also, clearly, the youngest and best looking Muir in Nice N Sleazy that night (I hate him).
Meanwhile Paul Turley has the ability to showcase his six-string talents within the framework of a great repertoire of songs without ever showboating (something many a more noted rock guitarist could learn from, but probably never will).
And what "the engine room" of Albany Down bring to the table – make that stage – should not be underestimated.
Donna Peters (who joined the band in 2013) drives a song such as the pacey and feisty 'The Drop' with a power-groove, but she can also deliver the beat with the snap and punch of a heavyweight boxer.
Her rhythmic partner Billy Dedman provides both solid bottom end and tasty bass runs that melodically thread through a number of the songs ('South of the City' in full four-string groove for example).
Albany Down’s first show in Scotland for some time deserved a far bigger crowd, but the band was scuppered by the circumstances described earlier.
However the hard rockin’ fact of the bluesy matter is Albany Down are a band that shouldn't be in a position where they ever have to drive ten hours for a half full club show – but then gigging life is, sadly, a bit of a crap shoot for so many similarly talented bands.
But are Albany Down?
Hardly.
They love to perform; the audience size at Glasgow was the exception, not the rule; the band clearly had as much fun as the crowd that came out to see them (winning a fair few new fans in the process) and in The Outer Reach they have one the best rock-based albums of the year.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Click here for FabricationsHQ’s Feature Album review of The Outer Reach
Photo Credits: Gail Keatings
He was also, clearly, the youngest and best looking Muir in Nice N Sleazy that night (I hate him).
Meanwhile Paul Turley has the ability to showcase his six-string talents within the framework of a great repertoire of songs without ever showboating (something many a more noted rock guitarist could learn from, but probably never will).
And what "the engine room" of Albany Down bring to the table – make that stage – should not be underestimated.
Donna Peters (who joined the band in 2013) drives a song such as the pacey and feisty 'The Drop' with a power-groove, but she can also deliver the beat with the snap and punch of a heavyweight boxer.
Her rhythmic partner Billy Dedman provides both solid bottom end and tasty bass runs that melodically thread through a number of the songs ('South of the City' in full four-string groove for example).
Albany Down’s first show in Scotland for some time deserved a far bigger crowd, but the band was scuppered by the circumstances described earlier.
However the hard rockin’ fact of the bluesy matter is Albany Down are a band that shouldn't be in a position where they ever have to drive ten hours for a half full club show – but then gigging life is, sadly, a bit of a crap shoot for so many similarly talented bands.
But are Albany Down?
Hardly.
They love to perform; the audience size at Glasgow was the exception, not the rule; the band clearly had as much fun as the crowd that came out to see them (winning a fair few new fans in the process) and in The Outer Reach they have one the best rock-based albums of the year.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Click here for FabricationsHQ’s Feature Album review of The Outer Reach
Photo Credits: Gail Keatings