Live Review: Blind Buffalo @ Head of Steam, Newcastle
At another Beyond The Wall showcase at the Head of Steam in Newcastle, Blind Buffalo bravely took the first slot in support of The Jackobins and Spitfire Hostels with their new line up; now a trio affectionately referred to as BB3.
The set was short and to the point, 8 energetic songs kicked off by old favourites ‘Burn’ and 'If You Don’t Agree’. This was bassist Elliot Thompson’s debut as backup singer for the band, taking up the duties of former guitarist Harry McPartlan with great zeal; some of the harmonies were resculpted to fit Thompson’s range (and who can blame him) but they lost none of their effect as he belted out the words from behind his gorgeous red Jaguar bass, that played the solo in 'Bedtime Stories’ so wonderfully.
Along with set staples such as 'The Circus’ and 'Alone Tonight’, whose familiar lyrics came as loudly from the PA as they did from me in the audience, the band revisited an older song 'Easy Loving’, written by Owen Sanger prior to his departure. With one less guitar, Chris Kelly (lead singer and guitarist) had double the responsibility, though he was certainly equal to the task of combining riffs and chords and solos to create more involved parts that called for me to stop headbanging and concentrate on his fast fingers for a moment.
Last night saw the introduction of a new song to the band’s growing repertoire: 'Vacant Smile’. This song was certainly the highlight of the set for me; the crunching riff that fractures in the verse to give room for Kelly’s fantastic voice, along with Elliott Bevan’s crashing drums elicited such a reaction from the crowd that I am certain that 'Vacant Smile’ will find a permanent space in the Blind Buffalo setlist. Although 'Vacant Smile’ may have been my favourite song of the night, my favourite moment was undoubtedly the drum fill preceding the first chorus of 'Alone Tonight’. I am continually amazed at Bevan’s speed and precision, keeping perfect time even in the fastest and most epic chops.
BB3 ended, as they always do, with 'Come Away’, though this time the classic closer was augmented with a slightly different outro, a slightly more polished alternative to the previous 12-bar Blues jam. In my opinion, it was the perfect ending to the song and to the set, and had the audience thoroughly warmed up for the next acts.
Though the crowd was small, the sound was big, and I am looking forward to seeing what this iteration of Blind Buffalo will bring! Their debut EP 'From the Water’, featuring some of the songs from last night’s set, can be downloaded free here.
