Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Band On The Wall, Manchester (29/5/24)

The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio open with a new track, 'No Talking'. It has funky stabs of organ and guitar which are underpinned by a loose but steady beat. It has some neat bongos too. Another new track 'Get Your Mind Together' features plenty of wah wah guitar and reminds me of the excellent Big Chief. The 70s funk of The Meters is probably the main reference point, as evidenced by songs such as 'Bounce' which turns a simple guitar line into some taut funk. The way they mess with the beats and rhythms towards the end is awesome and highlights the chemistry between the three players. A version of the sad theme from Star Wars serves as an introduction to a blistering cover of Curtis Mayfield's 'Move On Up' (one of my favourite songs of all time). The guitarist gets his chance to shine on an extended jam of 'Voodoo Chile'. The drummer is excellent too even though he is wearing a fucking horrific lime green satin tracksuit. It is truly awful. Delvon holds court behind his organ at the side of the stage and there is no doubt that he is the leader of the trio.

All the tracks build and build so they get progressively better the longer they go on, as demonstrated on new track 'You Didn't Do It, She Did It'. It sometimes takes a little too long to get there though. Drum solos don't even sound out of place here as everyone gets a number of solo spots. One drum solo leads into an impromptu cover of Michael Sembello's 'Maniac'. A lovely 'Careless Whisper' leads into a snippet of 'There's Nothing Like This' and closes the show. An impressive demonstration of instrumental prowess.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio ****

Blancmange & The Remainder - Academy 2, Manchester (25/5/24)

The Remainder comprise of the same members of tonight's headline act so it isn't a major surprise that they also deal in 80s style electronic pop, although I'd say they're more in the vein of Depeche Mode or New Order. Singer Neil Arthur has a deeper David Gahan style delivery than his main band, whilst the music bleeps, belches, fizzes and gurgles in all the right places. The second track pairs 808 (the instrument not the band) style synth bleeps with a dubby groove. Neil is pretty static and seemingly sings with the lyric sheets in his hand. Neil also occasionally sings with a David Sylvian style delivery, which is definitely a good thing. Neil announces that it is only their sixth ever gig, which would normally be impressive but this is tempered by the fact that they all play together as the headliners too. One of their more interesting numbers pairs proggy psych synths with a steady deep and heavy drumbeat. Good stuff.

The same line up return to the stage as Blancmange. They have a similar sound but the vocals have more reverb and Neil is able to open up more and showcase his range. However, everything just sounds flatter which is strange considering that it is the same line up as earlier. 'Feel Me' has a more fuller sound and delights with its angular electronic pop in the vein of Depeche Mode. The classic 'I've Seen The Word' sees them firmly in their stride. 'Mindset's deep electronic grooves are great and it climaxes in an almost trance-like euphoria. Neil's vocals seem off key on 'The Western' and this is one of a number of tracks which fail to engage me. 'Why Don't They Leave Things Alone?' is pretty dreamy though. 'Game Above My Head' mixes camp disco vibes with a harder edge and is great. 'Last Night (I Dreamt I Had A Job)'s thumping techno is excellent too. However, it's been a long day (I'd been to visit my dad earlier today and watched the FA Cup Final with him before coming out tonight) and I'm finding it too inconsistent so I make the decision to leave before they play their big hits. Oddly, I don't feel like I'd be missing that much.

Blancmange ***

The Remainder ****

Long Knife, Heavy Sentence & FAxFO - Gullivers, Manchester (18/5.24)

I wasn't expecting FAxFO to play tonight as another band was billed on the poster so it's a nice surprise to see them open tonight as I'd seen them a couple of months earlier at a DIY hardcore show. They start off as blazing fast hardcore punk in the vein of Infest, Siege or Drop Dead but they gradually mix in sludgy parts. They have a nice level of intensity. The vocalist sings from the floor which is a nice throwback to 90s DIY shows. They seem tighter and more focused than when I saw them previously, and I thought they were great then anyway.

Heavy Sentence play an energetic style of trad metal which sounds like early Maiden or trad revivalists like Enforcer, if they were fronted by Lemmy. It's these rough vocals which stand them out as it means that their melodic side, either in the guitar leads or anthemic choruses, never comes across as wimpy. When this style is done right, it can be joyous and infectious, and tracks like 'Age Of Fire' are certainly that. They have much more energy than on the records. 'Warriors Of Madness' seems supercharged in comparison to the studio version. There's a punkish edge to them, particularly on 'Heavy Sentence', which is probably a combination of the vocals, the energy and the Di'Anno era Maiden vibes. The guitar player heroically carries on playing even with a broken string which then manages to tangle itself in his long hair during the final track. He had to cut it out after the set had ended which sums up their commitment to full on, unadulterated heavy metal.

Long Knife are a hardcore punk band from Portland, Oregon whose 'Curb Stomp Earth' album was probably my album of 2022. Portland and hardcore go together like fish and chips or bangers and mash, but one band stands out from the rest. Poison Idea are synonymous with Portland hardcore. I mention this because it is clear from the outset that they owe a huge debt to Poison Idea. They open with the blistering 'Modern Fatigue' and it is pure Poison Idea worship but they are fucking great at it. It is no mean feat being the closest thing to one of the best hardcore punk bands of all time. They are a bit rawer than the records, particularly the 'Curb Stomp Earth' material. It's been a hot day today and the room is a humid, sweaty mess. They play with so much intensity and it is a reminder of how vital punk and hardcore can be when done right. The slower 'Uncle Phil' sounds immense with its rocking main riff. Even without the squealing sax of the studio version, it sounds ace. 'The Curse's dirty biker riff during the chorus is excellent. The crowd are really into it and don't want the night to end so the band are forced to play a couple of encores, which isn't very punk but is well deserved. Absolutely amazing.

Long Knife *****

Heavy Sentence ****

FAxFO ****

The Black Crowes & Jim Jones All Stars - Apollo, Manchester (14/5/24)

Jim Jones is a fucking lifer man, having been plying his trade for years in the likes of Thee Hypnotics and The Jim Jones Review. He's here now with his All Stars but his raison d'être has not changed. He's still committed to full on rock and roll which worships at the altar of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard with maybe a touch of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion thrown in. I find it a bit too stop/start and mid paced, so it never really ignites, which is a shame as when this type of music is played with intensity, it can melt your face off. It's still pretty fun though. The final track is theatrical Meatloaf/Jim Steinman style rock and roll in the vein of 'Paradise By The Dashboard Light' and is pretty rocking.

The Black Crowes open with new track 'Bedside Manners' which is a nice energetic way to start. The band seem energised and focused, which hasn't always been the case over the years. 'Rats And Clowns' follows in a similar manner. A fantastic 'Twice As Hard' sounds as fresh as it did thirty odd years ago. 'Gone' is full of swagger whilst 'Under A Mountain' is full of warm hypnotic grooves. Chris stops 'Cross Your Fingers' a few bars in because he isn't happy with how it sounds. When they start it back up, they deliver its deep, heavy, sexy grooves with some style. I'm not sure what to make of it when they pull out a cover of Jerry Lee Lewis' 'High School Confidential' but they attack it with some verve. The sweet southern soul of 'Thorn In My Pride' is terrific and Rich's guitar solos and Chris' harmonica solo are excellent. 'Hard To Handle' is still a riot. A glorious 'She Talks To Angels' showcases how amazing that debut album was. 'Dirty Cold Sun', like much of the new album, sounds like prime Crowes. The classic 'Sting Me' is imbued with a renewed passion. One classic follows another, and the band play a phenomenal 'Jealous Again'. They close the regular set with the timeless 'Remedy'. I've seen them on occasions where it has seem like they were going through the motions and every song seemed drawn out and laboured but tonight they are the razor sharp rock and roll band we know they can be.

The Black Crowes *****

Jim Jones All Stars ***

Wallowing & Pist - Aatma, Manchester (9/5/24)

Pist are a local band whose name I've seen around for years but I've never actually seen live before. I guess that's probably down to their style as they're groove metal which sounds like a mixture of Pantera, Corrosion Of Conformity and Crowbar. The cleaner vocals are like Phil Anselmo's singing vocals and are pretty good, and there's some neat Dimebag style leads too but, generally, this doesn't do it for me. 'Chunder' starts with a White Zombie meets Crowbar style stomp. The third song has a few fast blackened parts which grab my attention, and they are generally better when they play faster. The bassist occasionally adds some blackened screams but there's never enough good stuff to raise it above average.

Dry ice fills the venue as Wallowing, donned in beekeeper style outfits, take to the stage. Musically, this is crushing extreme doom with black metal and powerviolence touches. It's a little bit messy and chaotic but this seems to be by design and just adds to the underground charm. They remind me of Knoll live, whereas on record they're more Burning Witch as imagined by Voivod. The dooms parts are oppressive, crushing and tightly played whilst the faster parts are a bit more chaotic. Overall though, it does seems a bit less cohesive than it does on record.

Wallowing ***

Pist **