Review:
'WYNN, STEVE & THE MIRACLE 3/ LEN PRICE 3, THE'
'Liverpool, Academy 3 ("Hell's Ditch"),26 Nov 2005'
- Genre: 'Rock'
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Our Rating:
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Ever had one of those nights where things are already going well but then something happens to turn it into an event you'll remember for a long time afterwards? Well, you need to cherish it if you have, because they don't come along that often.
W&H experienced this kind of Hallelujah moment last Saturday. Former Dream Syndicate frontman STEVE WYNN was onstage at Liverpool's Academy 3 with his brilliant group of garage-rock charges THE MIRACLE 3 and they'd already been treating us to mouthwatering chunks of their fine new album "...Tick...Tick...Tick", plus a highly-charged version of "Halloween" from the Dream Syndicate's legendary debut album "The Days Of Wine & Roses". Steve was clearly keen to delve into the past as well as the future, and asked - for a second time - if we had any requests.
Given Dutch courage by Steve's friendly, charistmatic demeanour and a couple of pints of Worthington's, W&H decided to go for it. "Still Holding On To You!" shouted your reviewer's shaky voice. "Really?" replied Steve, grinning in my direction. "The only thing is, the band don't know that one." Oh, OK I thought, well that's cool. The next thing I know, Steve's strumming the opening chords by himself and launching into the song. Behind him, guitarist Jason Victor goes over to bassist Erik Van Loo and shows him how it goes. By the time the second verse rolls around, they've joined in along with dynamic drummer Linda Pitmon and proceed to knock out a version (complete with backing vocals) that sounds like vintage Syndicate to these ears. "He's never even heard that song before now," notes Wynn at the end as the unflappable Van Loo - looking unfeasibly cool in a red frilly shirt - rightly takes a bow after performing the track to perfection on the spot. Wowee.
But hold on for a moment. Let's take it back down to bring it back up again. Yes, tonight is an exercise in brilliant, climactic and all-round life-affirming rock'n'roll, but let's examine how it got there to begin with.
Basically, "Hell's Ditch" is the best club night in Liverpool right now for the discerning music fan. Usually held at The Pilgrim in Hardman Street, it occasionally ups sticks and branches out, hence this "Hell's Ditch" at the Academy 3 in the university complex up on Mount Pleasant. Previous stars of the night have included the likes of Bronze and Chris Mills and forthcoming attractions include Amy Rigby and the excellent Ella Guru. Nonetheless, bringing Steve Wynn is something of a coup by anyone's standards and the remainder of the bill is almost as tantalising.
Opening act BLUE DEMON are pretty damn eyecatching by anyone's standards. Describing themselves as "undisputed kings of fuck all" in the 'Hell's Ditch' magazine, they are surely the bastard sons of the '80s mutant rockabilly crew (Guana Batz, The Meteors etc) with sticks of dynamite up their arse and the occasional intravenous injection of neat Gallon Drunk.
They feature a stand-up bassist who makes his instrument sound more like a train pulling a guard's van of cowbells out of the jaws of hell than a mere double bass and a drummer who plays wth an equally manic intensity. These two sport the expected flat-top/ quiff hairdos, though the beefy singer/ guitarist is more of a surprise with his Redskins-style skinhead crop, tattoos and mod-esque Fred Perry polo shirt. He comes brandishing a gorgeous cherry red Gretsch and knocks out riffs that veer maniacally between Duane Eddy twangs to SST-style speedcore and the ensuing racket makes for a fascinating entree. Unfamiliarity with the material prevents further comment for now, though the closing tune ("Turpentine", I think) is certainly a belter. Whether Blue Demon wish to aspire to more than local notoriety in the future I know not, but they are undoubtedly worth crossing the road for.
THE LEN PRICE 3, meanwhile, are already confirmed W&H favourites and their irresistible Medway garage-rock rumble is a dead cert in front of any crowd worth their rock'n'roll salt. Not surprisingly, they do the biz in no uncertain terms tonight and - even allowing for the odd technical hitch (singer Glenn Page's mic takes a dislike to him early on) - they are once again little short of a revelation.
In most bands' hands, a tight 30-minute slot would leave precious room to manoeuvre, but bearing in mind the majority of LP3 tunes last a blistering 90 seconds or so, nonchalently peppering us with at least a dozen or so tunes isn't a problem. They open with the filthy, Kinks-leathering crunch of recent single "Christian In The Desert" and have lit matches under the arses of the likes of "Lai Hai Lam" and Link Wray's "Comanche!" before most of us have drawn breath.
Of course it's no bad thing that the LP3 look so great as well, with their matching breton tops and mop cuts, which bassist Steve Huggins and drummer Neil Fromow have recently been letting grow a little. Steve and Neil lock fiercely throughout and only seem slightly static because of Glenn's onstage antics which are just wicked. His Wilko Johnson stare-you-out routine is fantastic, but he also frequently leaps into the audience, writhes on his back playing solos, stalks the floor and mugs for W&H snapper Kate during "Comanche!" It's impossible not to love them, really.
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Tonight's incendiary half hour is the last LP3 gig until early next year, but a slew of new material including a frenetic "Tin Soldier Man" has been slid expertly into the set. And of course the LP3'S expertise with sticky subjects such as old peoples' homes ("The Last Hotel"), prostitution ("Amsterdam") and the like immediately marks them out as more than simply just another very good garage-rock band and the skill of slowburning anthems such as "Fire In My Heart" also suggests there's far more than mod-revival energy going down here. Word has it they're off to Austin's South By South-West next March and they richly deserve it. Corking.
As a rule, such a by-the-balls performance would be enough to give the headliners a jolt and a half, but this is Steve Wynn we're talking about here. And, as befits one of America's consistently great (and best) singer/ songwriters of the past 25 years, he's firing on all cylinders on what - amazingly - is the very first time he's touched down in Liverpool in his life.
Naturally, it doesn't do any harm to have 20-odd albums worth of tremendous songs to draw upon either, but it's wonderful to discover Wynn is equally at home with the past and present. With the now well-established Miracle 3 (Jason Victor - guitars, Linda Pitmon - drums/ backing vocals and new bassist Erik Van Loo) giving him the invention and firepower of peak-period Dream Syndicate, he has just the team for the job, and within the opening salvo ( including a cranked'n'wired thrash through heist'n'oblivion story "Killing Me" and a positively vitriolic version of the Dream Syndicate's spooked "Halloween") they've already made it clear that they are on unstoppable form.
And so it proves over the course of an ecstatic hour and three quarters. Wynn is friendly and approachable throughout, and takes great delight in mixing and matching and launching into superb versions of Dream Syndicate staples such as the forked-tongue swagger of "Medicine Show" and the inevitable, mood-swinging "That's What You Always Say" every bit as much as the box-fresh material like the Who-style power chords and classic chorus of "Wild Mercury" and the snappy "Bruises" which sounds far bigger and handsome than it's experience-fuelled lyrics (and that great "this is how you learn to fall" chorus) would suggest.
If anything, though, it's on the longer, epic blowouts that they really star. On marvellous new album highlight "The Deep End", Wynn and Linda Pitmon's duet is beautifully sweet and sultry before Wynn and Jason Victor's guitars go on to surf wave after wave and recall the best of Verlaine and Lloyd. That takes some beating, but - again on request - they build up a spine-chilling "Merrittville" and later take a cruise through the bruised and nihilistic desert landscape of "Death Valley Rain" before returning to the desperate glory of the Dream Syndicate's wired early days with a version of "The Days Of Wine & Roses" that even knocks spots off the one gracing "Live At Raji's."
The Academy 3's rather strict curfew policy ensures that The Miracle Three are forced to depart without playing what would surely have been a tumultuous "John Coltrane's Stereo Blues" (surely on the cards), but really who's complaining? Indeed, the only minor tragedy of the night was that the attendance would probably have swelled further had this show not coincided with The Coral's hometown gig in the cavernous Academy One round the corner.
But what the hell. Steve Wynn remains a consummate performer and one of America's most under-rated stars and thanks to The Miracle Three he again has a band to die for. We came away smug in the knowledge we'd been at the only show that really mattered in town tonight. It's been 25 years coming, but Steve Wynn's Liverpool debut was worth waiting every second for. Sublime.
(www.stevewynn.net )
(www.thelenprice3.com )
(www.americana-uk.com/html/hellsditch.html )
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author: TIM PEACOCK / Photos: KATE FOX
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Steve Wynn
Linda Pitmon (Miracle 3)
Len Price 3
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