Yes 2011 is shaping up to be a pretty paisley year so far. Following hot on the heels of Ex Danny and Dusty musicians Steve Wynn and Chris Cacavas' acoustic tour comes Ex-Danny and Dusty main honcho Dan Stuart's new band The Slummers first European tour.
First on tonight and playing his first ever European show is SCOTT RUDD who is a very shy young man who on his own admission hasn't learned how to play and look at the audience at the same time. He is also still learning how to write songs and play his guitar along with his bass drum at the same time. So far, apart from the third song, he was totally unremarkable, slightly whiney singer songwriter stuff. The third unannounded song however showed a lot more promise and if he can find himself another couple of hundred gigs in which to develop and get maybe 8 interesting songs he might be worth seeing. But not just yet.
Second on was a solo set by Windmill regular ADAM KILLIP who I I far prefer in his band the Tailors to the solo version or better still indulging in the drunken bar brawl covers of Green On Red and Dream Syndicate songs he sang at the Paisley Underground tribute night at the Windmill with the Plastic Pals and Sid Griffin a while back. I have to admit I spent most of his set being an annoying git and talking right through it but Adam really needs more than an acoustic guitar. The Tailors new album should be out in the summer. Then we'll see some action.
Then it was time for THE SLUMMERS playing what almost felt like a secret gig! They should have at least packed the Windmill out, if not a far larger venue but then in the midst of the Top Gear Mexican stand-off fiasco perhaps London wasn't ready for a great night of Italian Mex-Americana.
A common moan from most of the people I spoke to was the gig's under promotion, including a good few friends who played the game of naming the greatest Green On Red London show, top contenders being the 4th July Special at the Electric Ballroom or the Town and Country Club with Dan getting his hat stolen and losing the plot a touch. Fond memories.
The Two Italians that make up the rhthym section, Antonio Gramentieri and Diego Sapignoli, look like a couple of Mexican barmen who have just stepped out of from Dusk Till Dawn but as I found out by buying a couple of their CDs afterwards, have a serious pedigree in Antonio's band Sea Of Cortez. The live members of the band have included among others Howe Gelb, Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon, John Parish and Hugo Race. On their other album with Colletivo Mud's Douglas and Dawn CD they worked with Marc Ribot, James Chance, Calexico's John Convertino and Howe Gelb among others. They are joined by JD Foster, producer/ Guitarist and Danny Stuart, who is now a Mexican resident, in his third band since getting back to music a few years ago following on from the Green On Red and Danny & Dusty Reunion shows.
So they started the set with a slow faded in version of Rift Valley Evolutionary Blues looking like they are working their way into the song. It came together nicely and it was funny seeing Dan in a nice Dead Man's suit and Woody Woodpecker T-shirt looking like he is straining to Out Gurn JD Foster as they pull every emotion they can out of the guitars. It wasn't a bad start but they really get going when they give us a good rough and ready version of Cast Iron Soul, the title track of the Danny and Dusty come back record that HMV brilliantly stocked in the Dance section! This version had just the right amount of louche bar room bonhomie about it and a cracking solo from JD Foster.
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In-between the songs, Danny was in light hearted mood joking about the amateur status of the band and at times struggling to get his guitar to stay in tune. He threatened to switch to his Gretsch but unfortunately he sorted the problems and stayed on his other guitar. They name checked Keith Richards, Mott The Hoople as inspirations and best songs for me were probably Bowery Boy and Bread and Water, although I know that the latter of those songs seemed to divide people into the lovers and haters camps.
Dan really shouldn't tempt us by singing a song called Tell Me I'm Crazy as I know several people who would have claimed that about him back in the days when he was the Southgate Cowboy. Iâ'm not familiar enough with the Slummers Love of The Amateur album yet to know which order we heard everything in but this was a good raggedy around the edges set with many digs at the $10 beer crowd he knew when he was hanging with the Bowery Boy which I think is the tune that most freely borrows its tune from the Rolling Stones filtered through Bowie.
They didn't bother with an encore but told us about that in advance and finished the set with Pills & Booze. It went all over the place including another guitar blitz before Antonio was pulled around the front for everyone to see.
This was a good set from a band that would be perfect to see in a Tent in the middle of the afternoon at a festival while avoiding someone awful on the main stage. On this form, The Slummers are the sort of band you discover by accident and end up thinking stole the festival. Go and find the album. You might be pleasantly surprised how good it is.
Buy The Slummers album at Blue Rose Records:
Blue Rose Records online
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