I've see The Cluny fuller but, to be fair, its clear that Danny & the Champions of the World have a solid hard core following around Newcastle that will turn out every time. The six piece band arrive on the compact stage without any fanfare and with the sound not quite right. Things are quickly sorted and Danny yelps a quick greeting as they launch into the opening track of their recently released 'Stay True' album, ‘(Never Stop Building That) Old Space Rocket.’ The song pretty much encapsulates what the band are all about - great melodies, strong vocals, excellent lyrics and superb playing. The song relates a true story of Danny on the road as a youngster with his dad off to see The Fabulous Thunderbirds that pretty much changed his life and set him on the rock n roll high road.
The band are onstage for a energetic two hour set that is firmly set in Springsteen country with the Champions taking on the roll of the mighty E-Streeters. Occasionally songs sound a little to close to Bruce but they have a great set that involves the crowd with plenty of whooping and massed signing. The highlight for me is 'The Colonel and the King' which Danny prefaces with a shout of "anyone like Elvis?". A lone reply of "No!" is rewarded with "Well, you'll like this one, it's not one of his songs!" The song is marked by some superb interplay between the guitar and pedal steel and some excellent sax from the splendidly named Free Jazz Geoff. Ultimately though, at well over 10 minutes, the song is far too long and this approach mars several songs during the night.
'Henry the Van' comes midway through the set and is clearly a fan favourite and is almost a parody of Neil Young's 'Long May You Run' in that it's a paean to the death of the bands much loved transport. One punter loudly asks if the van was scrapped and Danny quips "Well, I would have buried it in the back yard - if I had one." The new album is heavily featured over the night and we get sparkling versions of 'Darlin’ Won't You Come in from the Cold' and 'Let's a Grab this With Both Hands' that later is described by Danny as the bands current motto.
The gig ends with a massed sing-a-long and much hand clapping and stomping leaving no doubt that Danny and the Champs are an excellent live band with a dedicated cult following. However, unless they cut the lengthy codas on some songs they are unlikely to break through in a bigger way. Nonetheless they remain an excellent live experience and are highly recommended along with a good few cold beers on any night of the week.
Words & Photo: Greg Johnson
No comments:
Post a Comment