THE FRONT ROW

It was a big weekend for Merseyside artists. But while the likes of Jamie Webster, The Coral and Red Rum Club were playing to excited crowds in front of a damp Liver Building, some of Liverpool’s other favourite son’s were causing a fuss 1,700 miles away in a slightly warmer climate.

Gibraltar promotors Future Soundz have a simple ambition. They want to support local performers while at the same time bringing some of the brightest UK talent to the shores of the Mediterranean. If this latest show was anything to go by then they are hitting their mark.

The venue for many of Future Soundz events is The Arena in Ocean Village. The outdoor stage is flanked to the left by yachts at their moorings, and to the right by a casino, and a complex of bars and restaurants. Behind the stage towers a static cruise ship, permanently at anchor acting as a floating luxury hotel. Looking out from the stage all you can see is the all encompassing ‘Rock’. It’s not a bad place to see a gig.

I arrived early and was in time to see the evening’s headliners The Heavy North soundcheck. Draped over the drum kit was by a tarpaulin, and the centre of the stage was covered by a huge sunshade. This had the effect of protecting the equipment from the searing 30 degree heat, but it also obscured the giant screen at the back of the stage that would later provide the backdrop for the bands’ visuals. The screen was currently showing the second Ashes Test match. I asked the Arena manager a laconic Liverpool supporter called John Skellet if his regulars were not put off by having their view clouded? ‘It’s only cricket. I hate cricket. Fuck ’em’ was his candid reply.

The local Gibraltarian accent is a hybrid 50% English, 50% Spanish. It’s familiar Anglo-Saxon words expressed with a Latin lilt. First artist of the evening was local singer-songwriter Luke Bosano. He played a mixture of his own compositions like Susie Decide, and covers of tunes from Oasis, The Cure, and Green Day. Listening to songs you know so well performed in an accent you don’t was an intriguing experience.

The next artists on the bill were Layla and Jonathon Bugeja, a daughter and father Country duo. Now, I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of Country music. Songs about pick-up trucks, dead dogs and divorce just don’t float my boat. However I found this set thoroughly enjoyable, and in Layla we find an example of manifesting your own destiny. One of her songs – Where Did She Go? she wrote when she was thirteen. It’s about a young girl from Gibraltar who dreams of going to Nashville. Where is Layla studying music now? Correct -The University of Nashville. Layla and her dad played a highly enjoyable set of original songs including Howl At The Moon, and Soul On Fire, and threw in a couple of excellent covers Lady Gaga‘s Born This Way and the Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty collaboration Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.

A local reviewer recently described the next band – Cedar – as ‘the best thing to come out of Gibraltar since Albert Hammond’. Who am I to argue? They play angsty, angular, challenging modern post-punk indie tunes, and they play them well. Like the Straits of Gibraltar Cedar’s performance was built on twin pillars. Firstly singer-guitarist Patrick Murphy who drifts effortlessly between Frank Black intensity and the amiability of Yard Act’s James Smith. Murphy is as much at home lying on the floor, legs flailing in the air, as he is leaning on his mic stand chatting amiably to the crowd.

Secondly there is lead guitarist Harry Meenagh who doesn’t so much play his instrument but seems to be it. Every note is accompanied by a paroxysm of movement and emotion. If you want to know who Cedar’s influences are then you should look no further than the song they played for their confidently self-declared encore – Fontaines D.C.‘s Boys In the Better Land. They are certainly a band to keep an eye on, hopefully there may be some UK dates in the offing, and first single Nightlife is rumoured to be ready for release in September.

The gig in Gib was the first-leg of a mini-European tour for The Heavy North, and as they entered the stage, over their shoulders the sun was slowly setting over the sea. The heavy, blues, rock outfit aren’t the first squad from Merseyside to have dreams of European conquest, and they may just have the side to achieve success. There’s a solid, talented back-line in Mark Rice (drums) and Andy Horrocks (bass). Guitarist/producer Jose Ibanez typifies the classy, midfield general, a-la Xabi Alonso – holding everything together and pulling all the strings. Jack Birch on guitar and Ste Penn on keyboards exemplify your tricky, maverick, Pat Nevin, wingers, respectively laying down mazy blues solos and Doorsesque organ arrangements. Lead singer/guitarist Kenny Stuart is a soul-fired, guaranteed 30-goal a season front man.

The Heavy North opened their set with The Genie the first track from their debut album Electric Soul Machine. It’s a tone-setter. It starts with heavy feedback, and a clipped Jimmy Page guitar riff, but as the song progresses the lingering keyboards and yearning vocals take the track in a different direction. The Heavy North want to sonically simultaneously slap you in the face and then kiss it better. Next came one of the bands newer songs Where Are You Now – it sounded like Credence Clearwater Revival on steroids. Heavy tunes She Get’s Me Higher and Awake come next before the band slow things down a bit with the more gentle, melodic No Good.

The middle section of the set contained some new material – Don’t Need Money and latest single Round Again, a track which had only been released that day. Both tracks will on the bands soon to released second album Delta Shakedown. Speaking to lead singer Kenny Stuart’s Dad, he told me that someone who has already listened to the new album has described it as being like ‘Cream of the Stone Age’. Now there’s a thought.

The title track from the forthcoming album – Delta Shakedown – comes sandwiched between two of The Heavy North’s best known songs – Satisfy You – a song about doing things on your own terms, ‘I’m not here, to satisfy you’, and Darkness In Your Eyes, who’s premise is – keep an eye on your mates and perhaps have an early night once in a while. Sound advice. The set proper ends with Stuart showing off his harmonica skills, and the crowd raucously joining in with the chorus of To The Wind I Go.

A completely crowd induced encore consisted of a well received cover of Jumpin’ Jack Flash, and As Long As You’re Here With Me, a super-soulful track in the classic mould that builds to such epic proportions that it has to be a set closer. There’s just no way back from that.

Speaking later to cricket-hating, venue boss John, he told me that the crowd was the second biggest they had had for any event. Only beaten by an England World Cup screening.

Definite contenders.

Delta Shakedown is available to pre-order now and is due for release on 27th October. You can see The Heavy North at Kendall Calling Festival; or backed by a 12-piece orchestra at their hometown gig at Liverpool’s Camp and Furnace on 1st December. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Words – Ian Dunphy.

Photos – Ali Dunphy