The Eleventh Hour: November 2011

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Blackfoot Live @ The Flowerpot Derby (11/11/11)

Blackfoot… The Flowerpot… Derby… 11:11:11…

It’s fair to say that I had ‘no reservations’ about buying a ticket for tonight’s show at the ever reliable Flowerpot… The ‘Pot’ not only supplies excellent traditional ales but is unrelenting in its drive to bring live music to the city of Derby. Tonight’s band hail from across the pond originally from Jacksonville Florida, Blackfoot have been playing their brand of southern rock for over four decades now. I first saw them way back in 1981 at the second Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donnington, the following year 1982 Blackfoot toured the UK and I saw them in Derby at the assembly rooms, a stones throw away from tonight’s venue.

Blackfoot these days has a very different line-up from then, with only bassist and backing singer Greg T. Walker (pictured with GD) left from the original personnel, the band have moved forward with new lead singer/guitarist Mike Estes and drummer Kurt Pietro both from the band Skinny Molly and the even newer member of Blackfoot Randy Peak on lead guitar/Harmonica. Opening the show with the classic song ‘good morning’ from their 1981 album ‘Marauder’ Blackfoot seem like they’re enjoying themselves, even though they were a little tight on time when they arrived in Derby. After the show Greg T. told me that they played a gig up north the night before and due to their bus breaking down they took a slight detour to Crew and only got to the flowerpot about an hour and a half before the show. Anyway back to the set and with more great songs such as ‘Fly Away’ and ‘Dry County’ also from ‘Marauder’ along with ‘I Got a Line on You’, ‘Baby Blue’, ‘Highway Song’, ‘Train Train’ and ‘Left Turn on a Red Light’ all coming from their brilliant 1979 album ‘Strikes’ The packed crowd are having a great time. New man Randy Peak plays a mean mouth organ or ‘harp’ as it’s referred to by Mike Estes on both ‘Train Train’ and ‘Fox Chase’ the latter from the 1980 album ‘Tomcattin’ while both Randy and Mike play some mean slide guitar throughout the show. They include a couple of covers, ‘Wishing Well’ which they recorded for their ‘Strikes’ album and with a shaggy dog story attached to it ‘Crossroads’…

A few years ago 2005 I think it was Skinny Molly opened for Blackfoot at the Rock & Blues festival at Pentrich (I was There) apparently Kurt the drummer got locked up in jail so Greg T invited the rest of Skinny Molly to play ‘Crossroads’ with them… Well something along those lines. Front man Mike Estes is somewhat of a whit and raconteur between songs and he trots out several of these stories throughout the night along with his favourite word ‘Awesome’ which he pronounces differently than I’ve ever heard before and if you don’t believe me check out the footage I shot for YouTube… http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?sq=blackfoot

After the show the members of Blackfoot all took the time to hang out and sign stuff for the well satisfied crowd I for one was flying high after watching such an Awesome show… GD.

Blackfoot - Crossroads

Blackfoot - Train Train

Blackfoot - Left Turn on a Red Light

Blackfoot - Fox Chase

Blackfoot - Baby Blue

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Saracen Live Review (The County Chesterfield) 04/11/11

Here goes, it’s been a while, not only since yours truly has written a gig review but it’s also been a while since Saracen released their seminal album, ‘Heroes, Saints and Fools’. Thirty years to be precise since I engaged the stylus of my stereo into the vinyl grove

of twelve inches of sheer genius. Tonight at The County, a packed out pub on Saltergate in Chesterfield the faithful have gathered in force to be part of the rare experience of witnessing a live Saracen show. With past band members and road crew in the audience there’s an atmosphere of an old regimental reunion with lots of great rock n’ roll stories being bandied about. Legends such as Rob Bendelow (Pictured with GD) and Richard Lowe are present meandering around the place, while the current live line-up prepare for an intimate show. After many a posed for photograph and much signing of old album covers it’s time for the highlight of the evening…

Opening the show with Crusader, Rock of Ages and Horsemen of the Apocalypse a trio of songs from the aforementioned ‘Heroes’ album Saracen continue apace with a really old song Follow the Piper and Meet Me at Midnight a song from their 2006 album ‘Vox In Excelso’. I was reliably informed before the show by Paul Bradder, the current keyboard player that the band had rehearsed very little before tonight’s performance, well you wouldn’t know it and with a brand new song in the set Wither the Wind Blows from the recently released 2011 album ‘Marilyn’ Saracen ‘nail’ it with ease. There’s a lot of different line-ups for Saracen these days the recording personnel differ from the band that go on tour, tonight on stage is the aforementioned Paul Bradder (keys), Simon Roberts (lead guitar), Tris Alsbury (drums), Paul Highfield (bass) and from the US of A (the Uther Side of Alfreton) the ever present Steve Bettney (lead vox). Steve possesses amazing vocal gymnastic skills, how he still hits all those high notes after thirty odd years is any ones guess. Saracen in recent years have performed at festivals across Europe and have reinvented themselves reaching out to a new generation of rock fans, with new albums and songs so it’s no surprise when they play a free gig in their home town of Chesterfield it’s almost impossible to get through the doors.

Finishing tonight’s set with the title track from their ‘Heroes, Saints and Fools’ album an epic in any ones book, Saracen then bow out with an encore of Ready to Fly… Higher and higher and higher! Which is the very least this talented NWOBHM band deserve to reach in all their future efforts. Next time these guys play live, come and stand on the rock of ages with me… GD.

Below... Vintage Saracen Re-united...