SAHB songs (say so much)
Chris Glen & The Outfit - Concert Hall, Troon, 12th May 2018
Chris Glen & The Outfit - Concert Hall, Troon, 12th May 2018
The South Ayrshire coastal town of Troon is famous for links golf and numerous hostings of the British Open Championship but it’s also becoming known as a location for many a rock or blues act to visit via its South Beach Sessions series and the annual WinterStorm Rock Weekender festival.
While the latter is a packed out Concert Hall event with an ever-growing reputation the South Beach Sessions are intentionally downsized, allowing for smaller and more intimate shows in a club sized room.
Which is exactly what transpired when a relatively small but highly appreciative crowd were treated to an evening of band specific covers courtesy of one of Scotland’s favourite rock sons, Chris Glen (Sensational Alex Harvey Band, MSG, Michael Schenker Fest) and his side project The Outfit.
Glen and his band played their part in what was not just a great gig but an event that helped contribute towards the Tom Jones Fund, for the late Ayrshire DJ and Promoter (somewhat fittingly, the evening was compered by Scotland’s Godfather of Rock DJ’ing, Tom Russell).
A "well kent" face around Ayr back in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and rockin’ 80s day, Tom Jones brought the Powerhouse rock disco to Ayr’s Beach Pavilion before it evolved in to Pavilion Powerhouse nights of live music (everyone, from the folk pop of Lindisfarne to the neo-prog of Marillion and electro rock of Gary Numan, through rock stalwarts such as Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep, Magnum, Budgie, Saxon, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, to name but ten, played the Pavilion in the 80s and early 90s).
More tellingly, if not for Tom Jones (who died of a heart attack in April at the age of 68) and his tireless efforts to get the best rock and pop bands to the seaside town of Ayr, there’s every likelihood that, thirty years on, there’s no South Beach Sessions or WinterStorm eight miles up the road in Troon.
While the latter is a packed out Concert Hall event with an ever-growing reputation the South Beach Sessions are intentionally downsized, allowing for smaller and more intimate shows in a club sized room.
Which is exactly what transpired when a relatively small but highly appreciative crowd were treated to an evening of band specific covers courtesy of one of Scotland’s favourite rock sons, Chris Glen (Sensational Alex Harvey Band, MSG, Michael Schenker Fest) and his side project The Outfit.
Glen and his band played their part in what was not just a great gig but an event that helped contribute towards the Tom Jones Fund, for the late Ayrshire DJ and Promoter (somewhat fittingly, the evening was compered by Scotland’s Godfather of Rock DJ’ing, Tom Russell).
A "well kent" face around Ayr back in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and rockin’ 80s day, Tom Jones brought the Powerhouse rock disco to Ayr’s Beach Pavilion before it evolved in to Pavilion Powerhouse nights of live music (everyone, from the folk pop of Lindisfarne to the neo-prog of Marillion and electro rock of Gary Numan, through rock stalwarts such as Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep, Magnum, Budgie, Saxon, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, to name but ten, played the Pavilion in the 80s and early 90s).
More tellingly, if not for Tom Jones (who died of a heart attack in April at the age of 68) and his tireless efforts to get the best rock and pop bands to the seaside town of Ayr, there’s every likelihood that, thirty years on, there’s no South Beach Sessions or WinterStorm eight miles up the road in Troon.
Opening with a one-two MSG punch of 'Armed and Ready' and 'Ready To Rock' was always going to be a crowd pleasing start but it was the meat of Chris Glen & The Outfit’s set that really caught the attention via an inspired and at times surprising (but highly effective) selection of MSG and SAHB numbers, the latter outweighing the former two to one.
In classic rock covers terms that ratio may seem lopsided but given the esteem with which the late, great and legendary Alex Harvey is still held it was a welcome, and hugely appreciated, treat and tribute to a man who was never destined to be the greatest singer Scotland ever produced but was, without question, its finest theatrical, and
charismatic, rock and roll front man.
SAHB’s 'Buff Bar Blues' was given the full amps to 11, honky-tonk and twelve bar treatment before the swaggering and weighty 'Midnight Moses' took centre stage (and if you’re being flown over to Amsterdam by the Dead Daisies to join the band on stage to play that number you know SAHB songs and Chris Glen have more than made their mark on the rock and roll landscape).
SAHB contrast then came by way of the romp and roll fun of 'Swampsnake' and the more sinister, yet slightly funky, 'Snakebite.'
'Victim of Illusion' was not an MSG set-list surprise but 'Let Sleeping Dogs Lie' was; a tricky number to perform and sing live, both band and front man Peter Scallan (who also fronts the highly respected blues outfit The Brian Rawson Band) did a more than able job however. It’s also the first song Chris Glen and Michael Schenker wrote together for MSG.
Powerful as that brace of MSG songs were the selected SAHB songs, in terms of theatrical and prog-themed impact, stole the show.
'Amos Moses' was given a full gator blues treatment and featured the swampiest and meanest slide guitar this side of the bayou while 'Tomahawk Kid' (Robert Louis Stevenson meets rock theatre) gave latest addition Sean McQueen his moment to shine with a rippling piano keyboard intro (it also provided one of the funniest moments of the night – the keyboardist is such a fresh face in the band that Chris Glen had to introduce him as "Sean... so new to the band I don’t even know his second name!")
In deference to Alex Harvey his inimitable rendition of the Leiber & Stoller classic 'Framed' was completely rearranged as a big, bluesy bruiser of a song but Peter Scallan still made sure Harvey’s trademark "ah never did nothin’!" lines were present and correct (to the degree that if you looked within the shadows between the spotlights you would swear you caught a glimpse a tousled mop of black hair, an equal parts cheeky and chilling glint in the eye and a familiar black and white hooped top).
Across the ninety minute set both MSG and SAHB numbers benefited from the twin guitar attack of Peter Higgins and Dave Cuthbert, while the overall sound (other than Sean McQueen’s keyboards being lost in the mix for the first twenty minutes or so) was remarkably crisp and clean for a small club room.
Chris Glen, for his part, was in fine four-string and cheeky-chappy form throughout (delivering anecdotes and one liners as firmly as he ran his bass lines).
Gregarious and generous of his time, pre-gig Chris Glen could be found supping a couple of pints and chatting to the fans; he also quickly adapted to what was, quite genuinely, an intimidating setting for a musician more used to arena shows in front of distant thousands as part of the Michael Schenker Fest.
("I was scared stiff about this gig but I have to say, in all honesty, I’m absolutely loving it!")
In classic rock covers terms that ratio may seem lopsided but given the esteem with which the late, great and legendary Alex Harvey is still held it was a welcome, and hugely appreciated, treat and tribute to a man who was never destined to be the greatest singer Scotland ever produced but was, without question, its finest theatrical, and
charismatic, rock and roll front man.
SAHB’s 'Buff Bar Blues' was given the full amps to 11, honky-tonk and twelve bar treatment before the swaggering and weighty 'Midnight Moses' took centre stage (and if you’re being flown over to Amsterdam by the Dead Daisies to join the band on stage to play that number you know SAHB songs and Chris Glen have more than made their mark on the rock and roll landscape).
SAHB contrast then came by way of the romp and roll fun of 'Swampsnake' and the more sinister, yet slightly funky, 'Snakebite.'
'Victim of Illusion' was not an MSG set-list surprise but 'Let Sleeping Dogs Lie' was; a tricky number to perform and sing live, both band and front man Peter Scallan (who also fronts the highly respected blues outfit The Brian Rawson Band) did a more than able job however. It’s also the first song Chris Glen and Michael Schenker wrote together for MSG.
Powerful as that brace of MSG songs were the selected SAHB songs, in terms of theatrical and prog-themed impact, stole the show.
'Amos Moses' was given a full gator blues treatment and featured the swampiest and meanest slide guitar this side of the bayou while 'Tomahawk Kid' (Robert Louis Stevenson meets rock theatre) gave latest addition Sean McQueen his moment to shine with a rippling piano keyboard intro (it also provided one of the funniest moments of the night – the keyboardist is such a fresh face in the band that Chris Glen had to introduce him as "Sean... so new to the band I don’t even know his second name!")
In deference to Alex Harvey his inimitable rendition of the Leiber & Stoller classic 'Framed' was completely rearranged as a big, bluesy bruiser of a song but Peter Scallan still made sure Harvey’s trademark "ah never did nothin’!" lines were present and correct (to the degree that if you looked within the shadows between the spotlights you would swear you caught a glimpse a tousled mop of black hair, an equal parts cheeky and chilling glint in the eye and a familiar black and white hooped top).
Across the ninety minute set both MSG and SAHB numbers benefited from the twin guitar attack of Peter Higgins and Dave Cuthbert, while the overall sound (other than Sean McQueen’s keyboards being lost in the mix for the first twenty minutes or so) was remarkably crisp and clean for a small club room.
Chris Glen, for his part, was in fine four-string and cheeky-chappy form throughout (delivering anecdotes and one liners as firmly as he ran his bass lines).
Gregarious and generous of his time, pre-gig Chris Glen could be found supping a couple of pints and chatting to the fans; he also quickly adapted to what was, quite genuinely, an intimidating setting for a musician more used to arena shows in front of distant thousands as part of the Michael Schenker Fest.
("I was scared stiff about this gig but I have to say, in all honesty, I’m absolutely loving it!")
'Boston Tea Party' and 'Doctor Doctor' (the former a Top of the Pops hit for SAHB; the latter a staple of any Michael Schenker show) gave the crowd their sing-a-long opportunities before 'Faith Healer' and 'Delilah' (two dynamically different but definitive SAHB classics – and it’s not every band that could take a Tom Jones number and stamp it as their own) brought a great gig to a fun close.
Built around Chris Glen and the percussive backbone of drummer John Clelland The Outfit have had a number of line-up changes but in this guise they are one of the most fun, but professional, club covers bands on the circuit, as witnessed by a small but highly appreciative South Beach Sessions crowd.
More importantly, Tom Jones (the Ayrshire DJ and promoter, not the Welsh singer) would have absolutely loved it.
Cheers, Tom.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Band photos: Alistair Mulhearn Photography Tom Jones (1949 - 2018)
Built around Chris Glen and the percussive backbone of drummer John Clelland The Outfit have had a number of line-up changes but in this guise they are one of the most fun, but professional, club covers bands on the circuit, as witnessed by a small but highly appreciative South Beach Sessions crowd.
More importantly, Tom Jones (the Ayrshire DJ and promoter, not the Welsh singer) would have absolutely loved it.
Cheers, Tom.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Band photos: Alistair Mulhearn Photography Tom Jones (1949 - 2018)