Small but perfectly (per)formed
John Verity Band – Cottiers, Glasgow, 8th June 2017
John Verity Band – Cottiers, Glasgow, 8th June 2017
"Sign up to my religion!" sung John Verity on the chorus of the title track of his latest blues based release (and best to date); it was also one of many highlights across a nineteen song, one hour fifty minute show at Cottiers Theatre in Glasgow, part of the extensive My Religion tour schedule.
Bolstered by a great sound on the night and a tight rhythm section pairing of bassist John Gordon and drummer Liam Gray (John Verity swaps and interchanges between half a dozen rhythm section musicians, based on location and availability) the good news was Cottiers played host to an excellent show.
The the bad luck and trouble-some news was Cottiers also played host to one of the smallest crowds John Verity has ever had the misfortune to play in front of ("you're small, but perfectly formed!")
The reason so few blues fans did sign up are many and varied, but the fact John Verity hadn’t played Glasgow for longer than any of us care to remember has to be acknowledged as a factor, as does the fact Cottiers is an out-of-town-centre gig, it was on a school night (an absolute club-gig killer in these here parts), had zero local mainstream media coverage (a sadly recurring theme for blues and blues rock club gigs in Glasgow) and was fated to fall on the same night as Pollling for the snap-called General Election (the Mother Theresa of all political backfires – how’s yer "strong and stable" looking now, Mrs May?).
The upshot was the vast majority of Glasgow’s blues rock fans missed a belter of a show which, I’m delighted to report, was far better attended at the busier Edinburgh and Inverness gigs the following nights.
Hitting his blues stride early with the earthy tones of his favoured Fret-King signature Corona JV to the fore (Robin Trower is the undisputed Godfather of tone but John Verity is quite the Tone Hound, as the title of his 2014 solo album attests) the band opened the set with a salvo of blues standards.
The distinct twelve-bar blues of 'Help Me' allowed John Gordon and Liam Gray to establish a solid, mid-tempo groove before the pace was slowed for the Otis Rush classic 'Double Trouble,' John Verity spraying tasty notes across the spacey, rhythmic backing supplied by Messrs Gordon and Gray; things then loosened up for a boogie-fun rendition of 'Looking Back.'
Anyone thinking this was going to be a covers fest, however, were mistaken.
As much as John Verity loves to play some of his favourite blues numbers within any set he performs, he has plenty of top-notch material of his own to draw from, such as found on My Religion; the end results are shows (or, as performed at Cottiers, two sets with a short intermission) that are a 50-50 split between covers and originals.
The aforementioned My Religion was well catered for with four original numbers aired, including the smooth blues and melodic licks of 'Hope For the Best' (lyrically, John Verity’s method statement) and 'The Devil’s Music' a 70s rock throwback that should, quite frankly, be a staple of the rock radio airwaves.
Of the four covers recorded for My Religion, 'Cocaine' was the one chosen to feature on the night.
Stylistically closer to Eric Clapton’s famous rendition than the JJ Cale original, John Verity’s more rock orientated voice, his chunky guitar solo and the hefty beats laid down by Liam Gray made for a seriously beefy take of the classic number.
The second set opened with the funky melodic blues 'Nothing's Changed' from Tone Hound but ended as the show had started, with three covers.
Argent’s 'Hold Your Head Up' (a nod to John Verity's time in the band) and a full-bhuna rendition of 'Purple Haze' (complete with John Verity’s take on the 'Star Spangled Banner,' here more 'Blues Spangled Banner') put the Power in power trio while the delicate, take-it-down interpretation of 'Need Your Love so Bad' was a fitting finale to a quieter show, audience-wise, than could ever have been expected.
Outside of the obvious enjoyment of a great show and great performances, from a personal point of view it was great to catch up with John Verity and his wife Carole, the fourth member of the band and John’s right hand gal in all things John Verity Band.
It was also a pleasure to meet, and shoot the breeze with, John Gordon (an unassuming gentleman with a knack for making you unaware of just how much presence he has, much like his bass playing) and spend some time with Liam Gray, a young man whose enthusiasm, passion for learning his craft (he readily admits to still serving his apprenticeship) and total disdain for the glossy, commercial side of the music industry made for great conversational company.
Indeed if Liam and King King drummer Wayne Proctor (if there’s a better groove drummer in the UK blues or rock scene right now please point him out, because I’ve not seen or heard him) ever get together over a ginger beer to discuss drums, rhythm, musicianship and craft, I’m selling tickets for it.
But not in Glasgow at an out-of-town venue on a school night when election votes are being counted.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo 'poster' credit: Laurence Harvey
Bolstered by a great sound on the night and a tight rhythm section pairing of bassist John Gordon and drummer Liam Gray (John Verity swaps and interchanges between half a dozen rhythm section musicians, based on location and availability) the good news was Cottiers played host to an excellent show.
The the bad luck and trouble-some news was Cottiers also played host to one of the smallest crowds John Verity has ever had the misfortune to play in front of ("you're small, but perfectly formed!")
The reason so few blues fans did sign up are many and varied, but the fact John Verity hadn’t played Glasgow for longer than any of us care to remember has to be acknowledged as a factor, as does the fact Cottiers is an out-of-town-centre gig, it was on a school night (an absolute club-gig killer in these here parts), had zero local mainstream media coverage (a sadly recurring theme for blues and blues rock club gigs in Glasgow) and was fated to fall on the same night as Pollling for the snap-called General Election (the Mother Theresa of all political backfires – how’s yer "strong and stable" looking now, Mrs May?).
The upshot was the vast majority of Glasgow’s blues rock fans missed a belter of a show which, I’m delighted to report, was far better attended at the busier Edinburgh and Inverness gigs the following nights.
Hitting his blues stride early with the earthy tones of his favoured Fret-King signature Corona JV to the fore (Robin Trower is the undisputed Godfather of tone but John Verity is quite the Tone Hound, as the title of his 2014 solo album attests) the band opened the set with a salvo of blues standards.
The distinct twelve-bar blues of 'Help Me' allowed John Gordon and Liam Gray to establish a solid, mid-tempo groove before the pace was slowed for the Otis Rush classic 'Double Trouble,' John Verity spraying tasty notes across the spacey, rhythmic backing supplied by Messrs Gordon and Gray; things then loosened up for a boogie-fun rendition of 'Looking Back.'
Anyone thinking this was going to be a covers fest, however, were mistaken.
As much as John Verity loves to play some of his favourite blues numbers within any set he performs, he has plenty of top-notch material of his own to draw from, such as found on My Religion; the end results are shows (or, as performed at Cottiers, two sets with a short intermission) that are a 50-50 split between covers and originals.
The aforementioned My Religion was well catered for with four original numbers aired, including the smooth blues and melodic licks of 'Hope For the Best' (lyrically, John Verity’s method statement) and 'The Devil’s Music' a 70s rock throwback that should, quite frankly, be a staple of the rock radio airwaves.
Of the four covers recorded for My Religion, 'Cocaine' was the one chosen to feature on the night.
Stylistically closer to Eric Clapton’s famous rendition than the JJ Cale original, John Verity’s more rock orientated voice, his chunky guitar solo and the hefty beats laid down by Liam Gray made for a seriously beefy take of the classic number.
The second set opened with the funky melodic blues 'Nothing's Changed' from Tone Hound but ended as the show had started, with three covers.
Argent’s 'Hold Your Head Up' (a nod to John Verity's time in the band) and a full-bhuna rendition of 'Purple Haze' (complete with John Verity’s take on the 'Star Spangled Banner,' here more 'Blues Spangled Banner') put the Power in power trio while the delicate, take-it-down interpretation of 'Need Your Love so Bad' was a fitting finale to a quieter show, audience-wise, than could ever have been expected.
Outside of the obvious enjoyment of a great show and great performances, from a personal point of view it was great to catch up with John Verity and his wife Carole, the fourth member of the band and John’s right hand gal in all things John Verity Band.
It was also a pleasure to meet, and shoot the breeze with, John Gordon (an unassuming gentleman with a knack for making you unaware of just how much presence he has, much like his bass playing) and spend some time with Liam Gray, a young man whose enthusiasm, passion for learning his craft (he readily admits to still serving his apprenticeship) and total disdain for the glossy, commercial side of the music industry made for great conversational company.
Indeed if Liam and King King drummer Wayne Proctor (if there’s a better groove drummer in the UK blues or rock scene right now please point him out, because I’ve not seen or heard him) ever get together over a ginger beer to discuss drums, rhythm, musicianship and craft, I’m selling tickets for it.
But not in Glasgow at an out-of-town venue on a school night when election votes are being counted.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo 'poster' credit: Laurence Harvey
John Verity Band - 2017 tour dates, festival appearances and Solo Unplugged shows:
Saturday June 24th - Stables Theatre, Wavendon, Milton Keynes
Friday June 30th - Tavistock Wharf
Saturday July 1st - Tivoli Theatre, Winborne Minster, Dorset
Sunday July 2nd - Palladium Club, Bideford, Devon
Saturday July 8th - The Hootabilly Festival, Crosby Garrett, near Kirkby Stephen (Sold Out)
Sunday July 9th - Tarzan & Jane Blues, Boot & Shoe, Greystoke (early show)
Wednesday July 12th - Malt Shovel Blues, Northampton
Friday July 14th - Milkmaid Blues Club, Bury St Edmunds
Saturday July 15th - Private Blues Festival, Beds.
Thursday July 20th - Blue Funk R&B Club, Poynton
Thursday July 27th - Fine City Blues @ The Murderers, Norwich
Friday July 28th - Blakeney Harbour Room, Norfolk
Friday August 4th - Black Market Venue, Warsop
Saturday August 5th - Haven & Hell Fest., Whitehaven
Sunday August 6th - North Wales Blues & Soul Festival, Mold, N Wales
Friday August 11th - JV Unplugged at the Red Lion, Leighton Buzzard
Sunday August 27th - JV Unplugged at the White Hart, Aldeburgh (early show)
Saturday September 9th - JV Unplugged at The Bear Club, Luton
Saturday September 16th - JV Unplugged at Midlands Game Fair, Weston Park
Thursday September 21st - The Bassment Bar, Chelmsford
Friday September 22nd - Cellar Bar @ The Bear, Devizes
Saturday September 23rd - Kent Blues-Rock Fest., Gravesend
Sunday September 24th - JV Unplugged @ The Wig & Pen, Northampton (early show)
Saturday September 30th - Greystones, Sheffield
Friday October 6th - Barnoldswick Arts Centre
Friday October 13th - JV Unplugged at Plough, Langford
Friday October 27th - Pokey Hole Blues Club, Lichfield
Saturday October 28th - Meeting Room, Elland
Sunday November 5th - JV Unplugged @ Farmers Boy, St Albans
Friday November 10th - Dreadnought, Bathgate
Saturday November 11th - Ripley Live, near Harrogate
Sunday November 12th - Clowne Rock & Blues, near Worksop, Derbyshire
Friday November 17th - Mid-Wales R&B Club (venue TBC)
Saturday November 18th - South Shropshire Blues Club @ Ludlow Brewery
Thursday November 23rd - Blues Bar, Tring, Buckinghamshire
Wednesday December 6th - Malt Shovel Blues, Northampton
Saturday December 9th - JV Band Xmas bash, Village Hall, Cardington, Beds.
Friday December 22nd JV Unplugged at the Red Lion, Leighton Buzzard
Wednesday December 28th - Roadhouse, Birmingham (Double-Header with Trevor Burton)
Saturday June 24th - Stables Theatre, Wavendon, Milton Keynes
Friday June 30th - Tavistock Wharf
Saturday July 1st - Tivoli Theatre, Winborne Minster, Dorset
Sunday July 2nd - Palladium Club, Bideford, Devon
Saturday July 8th - The Hootabilly Festival, Crosby Garrett, near Kirkby Stephen (Sold Out)
Sunday July 9th - Tarzan & Jane Blues, Boot & Shoe, Greystoke (early show)
Wednesday July 12th - Malt Shovel Blues, Northampton
Friday July 14th - Milkmaid Blues Club, Bury St Edmunds
Saturday July 15th - Private Blues Festival, Beds.
Thursday July 20th - Blue Funk R&B Club, Poynton
Thursday July 27th - Fine City Blues @ The Murderers, Norwich
Friday July 28th - Blakeney Harbour Room, Norfolk
Friday August 4th - Black Market Venue, Warsop
Saturday August 5th - Haven & Hell Fest., Whitehaven
Sunday August 6th - North Wales Blues & Soul Festival, Mold, N Wales
Friday August 11th - JV Unplugged at the Red Lion, Leighton Buzzard
Sunday August 27th - JV Unplugged at the White Hart, Aldeburgh (early show)
Saturday September 9th - JV Unplugged at The Bear Club, Luton
Saturday September 16th - JV Unplugged at Midlands Game Fair, Weston Park
Thursday September 21st - The Bassment Bar, Chelmsford
Friday September 22nd - Cellar Bar @ The Bear, Devizes
Saturday September 23rd - Kent Blues-Rock Fest., Gravesend
Sunday September 24th - JV Unplugged @ The Wig & Pen, Northampton (early show)
Saturday September 30th - Greystones, Sheffield
Friday October 6th - Barnoldswick Arts Centre
Friday October 13th - JV Unplugged at Plough, Langford
Friday October 27th - Pokey Hole Blues Club, Lichfield
Saturday October 28th - Meeting Room, Elland
Sunday November 5th - JV Unplugged @ Farmers Boy, St Albans
Friday November 10th - Dreadnought, Bathgate
Saturday November 11th - Ripley Live, near Harrogate
Sunday November 12th - Clowne Rock & Blues, near Worksop, Derbyshire
Friday November 17th - Mid-Wales R&B Club (venue TBC)
Saturday November 18th - South Shropshire Blues Club @ Ludlow Brewery
Thursday November 23rd - Blues Bar, Tring, Buckinghamshire
Wednesday December 6th - Malt Shovel Blues, Northampton
Saturday December 9th - JV Band Xmas bash, Village Hall, Cardington, Beds.
Friday December 22nd JV Unplugged at the Red Lion, Leighton Buzzard
Wednesday December 28th - Roadhouse, Birmingham (Double-Header with Trevor Burton)
