FabricationsHQ - Putting the Words to the Music
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    • Robert Jon & The Wreck - Red Moon Rising
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    • Jane Getter Premonition - Division World
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    • Celebrate It Together : The Very Best Of Howard Jones 1983-2023
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    • Hayley Griffiths - Far From Here Hayley Griffiths Band - MELANIE
  • 2022 Reviews
  • 2022 Featured Album Reviews >
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    • SiX BY SiX - SiX BY SiX
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    • Valeriy Stepanov Fusion Project - Album No. 2
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    • Kris Barras Band - Death Valley Paradise
    • Dan Patlansky - Shelter of Bones
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  • Selected 2025 Gig Reviews >
    • Erja Lyytinen - Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
    • Troy Redfern - Backstage, Kinross
  • Selected 2024 Gig Reviews>
    • Silveroller - Backstage, Kinross
    • Dave Arcari - Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
    • Jack J Hutchinson - Bannermans, Edinburgh
    • Gypsy Pistoleros - Bannermans, Edinburgh
    • Kira Mac - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Sari Schorr; Matt Pearce & The Mutiny - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Dan Patlansky - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • The Davey Pattison Band - Backstage, Kinross
    • Verity/Bromham Band - Backstage, Kinross
    • Moving Pictures - Venue 38, Ayr
    • The Countess Of Fife - Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine
    • Connor Selby - Backstage at the Green, Kinross
    • Rebecca Downes - Backstage, Kinross
  • Selected 2023 Gig Reviews >
    • Ben Poole - The Ferry, Glasgow
    • Moving Pictures - The Garage, Glasgow
    • Hamish Stuart & James Bown Is Annie; Hamilton Loomis - Darvel Music Festival
    • Amigo The Devil - The Classic Grand, Glasgow
    • Davey Pattison Blues Band - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
    • Joe Satriani - O2 Academy, Glasgow
    • Walter Trout - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Dan Patlansky - Stereo, Glasgow
    • Sari Schorr - The Classic Grand, Glasgow
    • Focus - The Ferry, Glasgow
    • Elles Bailey - The Caves, Edinburgh
    • The Blackheart Orchestra - Hotel Utopia UK tour
    • The Wilson Brothers - Backstage at the Green, Kinross
  • Selected 2022 Gig Reviews >
    • WinterStorm Rock Weekender - Troon
    • Jack J Hutchinson - Bannermans, Edinburgh
    • Paul McCartney - Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury 2022
    • Daryl Hall - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville
    • Joe Bonamassa - SEC Armadillo, Glasgow
    • Dan Patlansky - Oran Mor, Glasgow
    • Eric Gales - Oran Mor, Glasgow
  • Muirsical Conversations 2025>
    • Sandi Thom (February 2025)
  • Muirsical Conversations 2024>
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    • Walter Trout (October 2024)
    • Albert Bouchard (August 2024)
    • Robert Berry - August 2024
    • Troy Redfern (May 2024)
    • Dan Patlansky (March 2024)
    • Connor Selby (February 2024)
  • Muirsical Conversations 2023>
    • Del Bromham (November 2023)
    • Sari Schorr (October 2023)
    • Suzy Starlite & Simon Campbell (September 2023)
    • Ali Ferguson (August 2023)
    • Leoni Jane Kennedy (August 2023)
    • Joy Dunlop (May 2023)
    • Dan Patlansky - April 2023
    • Hayley Griffiths (February 2023)
    • Steve Hill (January 2023)
  • Muirsical Conversations 2022>
    • Rebecca Downes (December 2022)
    • Chris Antonik (November 2022)
    • Pat Travers (October 2022)
    • Robert Berry (August 2022)
    • JW-Jones (August 2022)
    • Mike Ross (July 2022)
  • Selected Muirsical Conversations From The Archive>
    • Bernie Marsden (December 2021)
    • Robin George (November 2021)
    • Dennis DeYoung (June 2021)
    • Robert Berry (March 2021)
    • Dan Reed (February 2021)
    • Steve Hackett (January 2021)
    • John Verity (September 2020)
    • Steve Hackett (July 2020)
    • Gary Moat (March 2020)
    • Steve Hackett (October 2019)
    • Rebecca Downes (May 2019)
    • Ben Poole & Wayne Proctor (January 2019)
    • Dan Reed (November 2018)
    • Del Bromham (October 2018)
    • Brian Downey (September 2018)
    • Raintown - Paul Bain & Claire McArthur Bain (May 2018)
    • Hamilton Loomis (December 2017)
    • Alan Nimmo (October 2017)
    • Erja Lyytinen (September 2017)
    • Suzi Quatro (September 2017)
    • Biff Byford (August 2017)
    • Dan Patlansky (June 2017)
    • Graham Bonnet (May 2017)
    • Simon Thacker (April 2017)
    • Sari Schorr (March 2017)
    • Stevie Nimmo (February 2017)
    • Dan Reed (February 2017)
    • Adam Norsworthy (January 2017)
    • Colin James (December 2016)
    • John Lees (October 2016)
    • Sari Schorr (August 2016)
    • Mike Vernon (August 2016)
    • Wayne Proctor (July 2016)
    • Laurence Jones (April 2016)
    • Chantel McGregor (March 2016)
    • John Young (January 2016)
    • Michael Schenker (November 2015)
    • Martin Barre (October 2015)
    • Chris Norman (September 2015)
    • Joanne Shaw Taylor (August 2015)
    • Fee Waybill (July 2015)
    • Ian Anderson (June 2015)
    • John Lodge (June 2015)
    • John Lawton (May 2015)
    • Steve Hackett (May 2015)
    • Manny Charlton (April 2015)
    • Ben Poole (April 2015)
    • Alan Nimmo (February 2015)
    • Popa Chubby (December 2014)
    • Paul Young (July 2014)
    • Bernie Shaw (June 2014)
    • Lee Kerslake (December 2013)
    • Pat Travers (September 2013)
    • Steve Hunter (August 2013)
    • Joy Dunlop (March 2013)
    • Gwyn Ashton (Dec. 2012)
    • Greg Lake (October 2012)
    • Ned Evett (August 2012)
    • Steven Lindsay (July 2012)
    • Dave Cureton (June 2012)
    • Jon Anderson (May 2012)
    • Jeremey Frederick Hunsicker (March 2012)
    • Amy Schugar (Feb. 2012)
    • Robert Fleischman (November 2011)
    • Ivan Drever (Sep. 2011)
    • Michael Sadler (June 2011)
    • James Evans (April 2011)
    • Alyn Cosker (Nov. 2010)
    • Scott Higham (Nov. 2010)
    • Kevin Chalfant (Oct. 2010)
    • Francis Dunnery (Sep. 2010)
    • Duncan Chisholm (Aug 2010)
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  • A Personal Journey: Definitive Edition (eBook)
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  • A Writer's Muirsings >
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    • Michael Jackson: The Alternative Verdict (Nov 2011)
    • True Colours (November 2010)
    • It's a New Language, Old Bean (October 2010)
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    • Hey 'Banker', can you spare a dime? (February 2010)
  • Author Bio & Site Info
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Crown-ing achievement
Eric Gales (with Danny Bryant) - Oran Mor, Glasgow, 1st April 2022
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Touring to promote new album Crown, American blues-rock singer-guitarist Eric Gales finally made his highly anticipated (and sold-out) return to Glasgow after several cancellations (courtesy of the pandemic).

Prior to the appearance of Eric Gales and his band, British blues rock stalwart Danny Bryant, here in trio format, opened the show with a short, effective and impressive set that warmed up the crowd with a clutch of original numbers from across his career and a well-chosen cover in the shape of 'Little Wing.'

Danny Bryant also got the crowd on his side with some self-effacing humour, such as referring to his "exercise video available at the merch stall" (the big man of British blues casts a significant shadow).

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​Interestingly The Danny Bryant Trio cut looser towards the end of the set when Bryant’s guitar solos became more adventurous (slow building, much like many of his songs, from solid and safe to seriously expressive).

Highlights of the set included a weighty 'Tired of Trying' and the slow and shufflin’ groove of 'Nine Lives' (both from the excellent Means of Escape album) and a blast from Danny Bryant's RedEyeBand past in the melodically led blues rock shape of 'Last Goodbye.'

There was a tangible sense of anticipation for the Eric Gales set, and he and his band did not disappoint right from the outset.
With a recorded version of 'O Fortuna' heightening the tension and introducing the band’s appearance on stage, the quartet launched into a spirited instrumental that led to blues standard 'Smokestack Lightning.' However, whilst Eric Gales’ music is rooted in the blues it is not an exclusive influence (more of which later).

The blues-infected, mid-tempo shuffle of 'You Don’t Know the Blues,' from new album Crown, then followed; while the song offered up great musicianship from the band the majority of the audience are in attendance to hear Eric Gales (as the gifted guitarist says himself) "play the shit out of this guitar!" (a seriously impressive player, Gales’ solo style is an amalgamation of his own virtuoso skills, Hendrix and Eric Johnson).

Eric Gales however is also an accomplished vocalist, delivering the songs with no small amount of passion.
A vocal case in point was heard on the slow and weighty 'Survivor,' a song that chronicles his own self-confessed personal struggles through autobiographical lyricism and an upbeat hook chorus.

Up next was the soul-funky 'The Storm,' which carried a very clear anti-racism message. 
Starting the number with acapella vocal, as it does on album, made it even more powerful – emphasised by the fact that the audience was (almost) silent at this point; people talking loudly at gigs with bars has, sadly, become de rigueur but not here (that Eric Gales has stagecraft and a rapport with his audience was obvious).

'Put That Back' then raised the tempo and the funk-by-groove quotient, reinforcing the earlier comment that blues is not an exclusive influence in the Eric Gales sound; this was thrown into sharp relief when, just before he kicked in to 'Stand Up' (a soul-fuelled highlight of the set) a single heckle of "play more blues!" was heard.
Eric Gales stopped the number after just a few bars to respond with "When you have sell-out shows you can tell me what to play – I will play my music.”
​
He then further responded, in cheeky acquiescence, by playing a short standard 1-4-5 12 bar blues chord progression (featuring some blistering guitar) before returning to 'Stand Up,' which was delivered with a real intensity.
Unsurprisingly, the song (which featured a solo not unlike SRV in style but with Eric Gales’ fingerprints all over it), and the heckler, got the crowd on his side even more, receiving a rapturous reception.
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                      "When you have sell-out shows you can tell me what to play" – Eric's Gale-force retort
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​The mid-tempo “soul-sister” swing of 'Take Me As I Am' featured the wonderful Ladonna Gales (introduced by Eric Gales as "my wife and inspiration") on lead vocals before 'My Own Best Friend’' dropped the tempo and intensity (but, once again, expertly delivered by Gales and his band).

In an unexpected but welcome twist, the band then launched into an earlier Eric Gales number, the instrumental funk workout 'Sea of Bad Blood;' the bass parts by the mysteriously named (and masked) Smokeface were seriously top-drawer.

The Hendrix influenced slow burner 'Too Close to the Fire' is another song with a powerful anti-racism message. Eric Gales’ vocals were particularly impressive, coupled with a fittingly fiery solo.
A stunning performance and set ended with Eric Gales‘ current calling card, the rhythm and funky rock blues of 'I Want My Crown.'

If you like your blues delivered with a little funk, soul and a whole lot of swagger (and engaging personality) Eric Gales is the guy to see.
If you missed out this time, i
n fact even if you saw him on this spring tour, do yourself a favour and catch Eric Gales when he returns to these shores in June.

Nelson McFarlane
FabricationsHQ


Photos: Ritchie Birnie
 
​
Eric Gales June 2022 UK Tour (with special guest Dom Martin)
Tickets: https://bit.ly/37WsWpc
Leamington, The Assembly - Thursday 2nd June 2022
Chester, The Live Rooms - Saturday 4th June 2022
York, The Crescent Community Venue - Sunday 5th June 2022
Newcastle, The Cluny - Monday 6th June 2022
Bury, The Met Theatre - Tuesday 7th June 2022
Basingstoke, The Haymarket Theatre - Wednesday 8th June 2022

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