THE FRONT ROW

Like most artists in the UK, Scottish quintet The Rah’s are feeling the pinch. Financial constraints meant that in the week leading up to this gig the band had to cancel shows in London and Manchester. Touring the country ain’t cheap, especially when you’re based in central Scotland. However, from a personal point of view, London’s and Manchester’s loss was very much Liverpool’s gain as The Rah’s went into their Kazimier Stockroom gig all guns blazing.

First artist of the night was Liverpool singer/songwriter Paul Askew. Just by his stage presence you could tell that Askew’s performance was going to be decent. As his stage time approached he asked the venue staff to give it a couple of minutes to make sure a few more people could make the start of his set. When he stood on stage, guitar in hands, he assumed that John Lennon/Gerry Marsden feet apart, knees slightly bent posture. The stance looked good. And so too was the performance.

He played a strong set of solo, acoustic songs that started with Impatient and concluded with When The Sun Comes Up. His set ran through with tunes that were well delivered and full of timeless rock-pop sensibilities, evidenced by hints of The Beatles, Small Faces, and MOR Oasis (the one’s where Noel sings). Askew is currently looking for a drummer to complete the line-up for a band and although I enjoyed his set, I look forward to the time when I can hear these songs live in a fuller, more fleshed out state.

If you want a band to bring some energy to a gig then you can’t go too far wrong with Merseyside based quartet Room Two. Their sheer enthusiasm alone will drag you along. ‘Alright Liverpool, we’ve only got half an hour so let’s have it!’ roared singer/guitarist Michael Duffy. The band then launched into their opening song Come On, a speed infused R ‘n’ B rocket of a tune that immediately brought to mind the work of Dr Feelgood. All that was missing was a Wilko Johnson 1000 yard stare and a Lee Brilleaux harmonica solo.

We needn’t worry as for the second song, Duffy duly obliged and strapped on his harmonica for another belter. Although not possessing Wilko’s menace, the crowd’s eyes were drawn to bass player Joe Vedir who’s mannerisms and admirable mullet/’tash combo brought to mind the legendary bassist Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn. Third tune from Room Two was their latest single Change, a more melodic song that allowed Duffy to expand his vocal boundaries, as he delved into Joe Cocker passionate, growling territory. Second cover song of the evening came as Room Two expanded their repertoire with a more than satisfactory stab at Gimme Shelter.

The Rah’s hail from Prestonpans on the fringes of Edinburgh, and consist of Jack McLeod (vocals/guitar), Jordan McIntyre (lead guitar), Lee Brown (bass), Jack Miller (keys and guitar), and Neale Gray (drums). Their current tour is in aid of promoting their recently released, second album The Common Ground. The band’s debut album When Does it Become Real? was brimming with straight-up anthemic rock tunes dominated by McLeod’s demanding vocals, McIntyre’s ubiquitous guitar riffs, all backed manfully with Brown’s and Gray’s pounding backbeat. The new album sees The Rah’s spreading their musical wings and expanding their horizon’s. The rock and roll DNA is still there, but Jack Miller’s keyboards are given a more prominent position, and the more varied use of backing vocals give the band’s new songs a bigger, atmospheric, cinematic sound, lying somewhere in an imaginary, misty, no-man’s land between Simple Minds and Arctic Monkeys.

Fittingly, The Rah’s opened their set with side one, track one from the new album – Do I Need It? a jarring, bombastic song with soft interludes where McLeod’s powerful vocals expanded to fill all the available space. This was followed by the more familiar, crowd pleasing She’s Not, a song resplendent with heavy guitars and ‘woo-woo’ backing vocals. Next came a trio of songs from The Common Ground album, I’ve Never Been Wrong, Intrusive Thoughts, and Walk.

‘What’s your favourite song from the new album?’ enquired McLeod. ‘The one with the bagpipes!’ exclaimed an over enthusiastic crowd member (a reference to Fuel To The Fire, closing track on the first album). ‘Hold your horses fella’ said McLeod, pointing backstage ‘We’ve got half the Black Watch Regimental Band behind that curtain’. ‘Anyway, this is mine’ he declared before singing Adopting Changes. This song brought a gentle, quieter, change of pace to the set, always a gamble in a tight, shoebox of a venue like the Kazimier Stockroom, but McLeod’s impassioned vocals held sway over a captivated crowd and kept the chattering classes at bay.

There was a live debut for the psychedelically tinged Crawling, before The Rah’s brought their set to a close with two old, live staples Time Is Now, and Land Of The Dreamers with it’s eminently join-inable chorus, and new, future, live staple Blood For Gold. For better or worse The Black Watch Regimental bagpipes never turned-up.

As I flippantly mentioned at the beginning of this review, Liverpool’s gain was other parts of the country’s loss. That is not true. When band’s can’t perform we all lose. The Rah’s gig in Liverpool occurred on ‘Record Store Day 2024’. This followed on from January’s ‘Independent Venue Week’. It’s a shitty state of affairs when we need dedicated days and weeks to support grass roots music. If you are reading this, then I am already preaching to the converted. Buy the music, purchase the merch, and get tickets early to see bands at local independent venues. That way everyone’s a winner.

Up new music. Up Independent Venues. Up The Rah’s.

Ian Dunphy