With a Little Help From Her Friends…
Rebecca Downes Band – Backstage, Kinross, 17th February 2024
Rebecca Downes Band – Backstage, Kinross, 17th February 2024
You soundcheck, and it goes well (kudos to Liam on the desk who delivered a great sound/ mix for the gig); you return a few hours later and the band musically prep on stage; as the intro kicks in to set the atmosphere, you walk on stage to applause, only for the guitarist to raise his hand with a slight problem...
no sound from the ol’ six-string whatsoever.
What could have made for an embarrassing start actually helped break the ice and settle any 'mind elsewhere' nerves as Rebecca Downes and her bandmates engaged in a bit of banter with the audience and some cheeky finger-pointing at Downes' right-hand songwriting man and guitarist, Steve Birkett.
Nor did said glitch take much time to sort, given it was simply a guitar lead that had given up the ghost (that the intro music was 'Becs Blues' only added to the humour of the moment).
As mentioned above, that false start (resulting in Rebecca Downes walking off stage, then back on, to an even bigger applause) actually worked to everyone’s advantage.
As many in attendance knew, Rebecca Downes recently suffered the passing of her beloved mum to the evil that is dementia; it was therefore a brave decision (albeit one that also acted as a short respite) to go ahead with a pre-arranged trio of weekend dates, the first of which had been in Darlington the night before.
With any guard that might have been up now down, Rebecca Downes and her seriously tight and talented band – the aforementioned Steve Birkett (guitars, vocals), Nigel Darvill (keys), Owen Davidson (bass), Neil Ablard (drums) – delivered a set that concentrated on the rock and rock-blues side of the singer's multi-hued repertoire.
Highlights in the early going included the title track from 2022’s outstanding album The Space Between Us (a cool little piece of mid-tempo, melodic blues rock with a chorus Thunder would be proud of), the rhythmic and brooding 'Lights Go Out,' the atmospheric 'Chains Fall Down' (underpinned by sinewy, low-end bass notes from Owen Davidson and featuring some great keys work and nuanced piano lines from Nigel Darvill) and a full-on delivery of Zeppelin’s 'Rock And Roll,' where Steve Birkett got to let rip.
(For a player who is geared to serving the song – a trait that should be applauded as much as his guitar skills – Birkett going off on one is a rare but welcome treat).
The band then hit their stride with the honky-tonk and roll of 'Wave Them Goodbye' (with Downes & Birkett exchanging lead vocal lines), an edgy take of punchy mid-tempo rocker 'Hurts,' and the more progressively shaped 'Breathe Out.'
The latter was dedicated on the night to Magnum’s Tony Clarkin, who sadly passed in January (he also played on the studio original); it therefore became one of the more poignant moments of the show.
'Take Me Higher' then set itself up as one of the most powerful, brooding and purposeful moments of the entire set (another nod here to Owen Davidson, who has a gifted habit of adding funky little punctuations that never spill in to anyone else’s musical space – a neat bass playing trick in itself).
no sound from the ol’ six-string whatsoever.
What could have made for an embarrassing start actually helped break the ice and settle any 'mind elsewhere' nerves as Rebecca Downes and her bandmates engaged in a bit of banter with the audience and some cheeky finger-pointing at Downes' right-hand songwriting man and guitarist, Steve Birkett.
Nor did said glitch take much time to sort, given it was simply a guitar lead that had given up the ghost (that the intro music was 'Becs Blues' only added to the humour of the moment).
As mentioned above, that false start (resulting in Rebecca Downes walking off stage, then back on, to an even bigger applause) actually worked to everyone’s advantage.
As many in attendance knew, Rebecca Downes recently suffered the passing of her beloved mum to the evil that is dementia; it was therefore a brave decision (albeit one that also acted as a short respite) to go ahead with a pre-arranged trio of weekend dates, the first of which had been in Darlington the night before.
With any guard that might have been up now down, Rebecca Downes and her seriously tight and talented band – the aforementioned Steve Birkett (guitars, vocals), Nigel Darvill (keys), Owen Davidson (bass), Neil Ablard (drums) – delivered a set that concentrated on the rock and rock-blues side of the singer's multi-hued repertoire.
Highlights in the early going included the title track from 2022’s outstanding album The Space Between Us (a cool little piece of mid-tempo, melodic blues rock with a chorus Thunder would be proud of), the rhythmic and brooding 'Lights Go Out,' the atmospheric 'Chains Fall Down' (underpinned by sinewy, low-end bass notes from Owen Davidson and featuring some great keys work and nuanced piano lines from Nigel Darvill) and a full-on delivery of Zeppelin’s 'Rock And Roll,' where Steve Birkett got to let rip.
(For a player who is geared to serving the song – a trait that should be applauded as much as his guitar skills – Birkett going off on one is a rare but welcome treat).
The band then hit their stride with the honky-tonk and roll of 'Wave Them Goodbye' (with Downes & Birkett exchanging lead vocal lines), an edgy take of punchy mid-tempo rocker 'Hurts,' and the more progressively shaped 'Breathe Out.'
The latter was dedicated on the night to Magnum’s Tony Clarkin, who sadly passed in January (he also played on the studio original); it therefore became one of the more poignant moments of the show.
'Take Me Higher' then set itself up as one of the most powerful, brooding and purposeful moments of the entire set (another nod here to Owen Davidson, who has a gifted habit of adding funky little punctuations that never spill in to anyone else’s musical space – a neat bass playing trick in itself).
Melodic blues number and firm fan favourite 'Sailing On a Pool Of Tears,' from Rebecca Downes’ second album Believe, was yet another highlight.
Bolstered by great lead work from Steve Birkett, the song's gravitas was raised further by a couple of sonorous vocal lifts from Downes toward song's end (a classic case of going beyond oneself when emotions are heightened, or still raw – for the reasons already mentioned).
Another highlight then came via an unexpected but excellent, cleverly rearranged cover of Terence Trent D’Arby’s 'Wishing Well.'
The optimistic and uplifting 'Big Sky' followed, which was preceded by Rebecca Downes’ quip that "it’s about the only happy song we’ve written!" (not exactly true, but there is no question she is at her most powerful when in defiant, done me wrong mode); the slightly southern vibed 'Believe,' with its rollicking down the rails finale, then closed out the main set.
Given the small room intimacy of the Backstage venue there was never any danger of the band leaving the stage for the obligatory call-back encore (and to be fair the audience were already shouting for another song or two as the last chord of 'Believe' was still echoing around the room).
The band duly obliged with, first, one of the few down-tempo moments of the show via the atmospheric poignancy of 'With Me,' with Messrs Davidson & Ablard setting the rhythmic tone (some great tom work here from Ablard).
'With Me' was followed by the band’s now well established take on the Joe Cocker arrangement of 'With A Little Help From My Friends,' which featured vocal back and forths between Downes & Birkett.
The song also offered up another hairs on the neck moment when Rebecca Downes had another out of vocal body experience with her biggest and most heartfelt notes of the night on the final "help from my friends" line.
It was a fitting ending – Backstage in Kinross is always warm, welcoming, and appreciative, whether an audience be there in smaller than sell-out numbers or packed out.
And, on this particular night, Rebecca Downes was made well aware of that warmth and appreciation, supported through recent, difficult loss with a little help from her friends.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo Credit (all images): Paul McGowan
Bolstered by great lead work from Steve Birkett, the song's gravitas was raised further by a couple of sonorous vocal lifts from Downes toward song's end (a classic case of going beyond oneself when emotions are heightened, or still raw – for the reasons already mentioned).
Another highlight then came via an unexpected but excellent, cleverly rearranged cover of Terence Trent D’Arby’s 'Wishing Well.'
The optimistic and uplifting 'Big Sky' followed, which was preceded by Rebecca Downes’ quip that "it’s about the only happy song we’ve written!" (not exactly true, but there is no question she is at her most powerful when in defiant, done me wrong mode); the slightly southern vibed 'Believe,' with its rollicking down the rails finale, then closed out the main set.
Given the small room intimacy of the Backstage venue there was never any danger of the band leaving the stage for the obligatory call-back encore (and to be fair the audience were already shouting for another song or two as the last chord of 'Believe' was still echoing around the room).
The band duly obliged with, first, one of the few down-tempo moments of the show via the atmospheric poignancy of 'With Me,' with Messrs Davidson & Ablard setting the rhythmic tone (some great tom work here from Ablard).
'With Me' was followed by the band’s now well established take on the Joe Cocker arrangement of 'With A Little Help From My Friends,' which featured vocal back and forths between Downes & Birkett.
The song also offered up another hairs on the neck moment when Rebecca Downes had another out of vocal body experience with her biggest and most heartfelt notes of the night on the final "help from my friends" line.
It was a fitting ending – Backstage in Kinross is always warm, welcoming, and appreciative, whether an audience be there in smaller than sell-out numbers or packed out.
And, on this particular night, Rebecca Downes was made well aware of that warmth and appreciation, supported through recent, difficult loss with a little help from her friends.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo Credit (all images): Paul McGowan