The band have often found it
hard to shake off the unfairly attributed novelty tag after the success of the
devilishly catchy ‘Two Princes’ and as they take to the stage it’s apparent
that time hasn’t been too unkind to the aging rockers. The livewire Chris Barron limbers up with his
back to the audience as the band launch into fan favourite ‘What Time Is It?’ At this point it’s clear why such stretching
was necessary as between visits to the microphone; Barron unveils a John Cleese
style round-house kick that would draw cheerleader envy. No longer looking with the appearance of
Swampy’s younger brother, the playful singer twitches about the stage comically
looking uncannily like Simon Pegg in ‘Shaun Of The Dead.’
Backed by impressive
guitarist Eric Schenkman -every inch the rock star with Carlos Puyol’s permed
mop and with Flying V in hand, the group cruise through much of the first album
to the delight of the rowdy audience.
Its been over 8 years since their last album together but there’s no
sign of any rustiness and whilst beefy bassist Mark White is pre-occupied with
goading some young lads by the side of the stage, the band are pretty
tight. The trademark bluesy jams
threaten to de-rail the early momentum with a needless extension of ‘Shinbone
Alley’ but with Barron leaping around the stage, his voice as strong as ever;
they just about pull it off.
There’s a change of pace for
the fantastic Creedence Clearwater Revival cover ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’
which although not too dissimilar to the original, goes down a storm. Shortly after, a familiar snare roll brings
the inevitable as Barron declares ‘Some people seem to like this one’ as they
launch into ‘Two Princes’. Like a more
tolerable ‘Place Your Hands’ by Reef it leads to the frontman orchestrating a
well participated sing-back of ‘Just go ahead now’. Hits out of the way, the band move the set
away from the early Red Hot Chili Peppers funk and into heavy blues
territory. Overblown pompous guitar
solo’s galore and a showcase from each band member ensures they hit on almost
every rock’n’roll cliché possible as Barron admires his bandmates from the back
of the stage.
Finishing with a 3 track
encore that includes bonkers funk-fest ‘Yo Mama’s a Pyjama’ its an enjoyable
performance by rock’s forgotten heroes.
Though their time at the top was fleeting their technical musicianship
and ability to make the crowd smile remains intact. After a long studio hiatus, the band seems
re-invigorated and content with what Barron admits was always their real ambition,
‘to play blues for a living and not have to get a real job.’
Kindly published by Venue website
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-s/20124-spin-doctors
Best Track: Click on link below:
Spin Doctors - 'What Time Is It?'
Buy Now!
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