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Review: 'Frankie Davies, Lucy May, Balsamo Deighton,'
'Red Sky July, Raintown'   

-  Album: 'Live at 229 Club Great Portland St London'
-  Genre: 'Alt/Country' -  Release Date: '24.11.14.'

Our Rating:
This was a Grass Roots Music UK showcase gig of the bands or acts they think are going to be big next year in the British country scene, the show started really early so I missed almost all of Balsamo Deighton's opening set as they were on at 6.45, I have to say I'm glad I did as the song and a half I heard had me wanting to go outside until it was over, their band appear to be older musicians who ought to be able to play something more interesting than the watered down middle of the road Fleetwood Mac re-tread that was These Walls, the last song of their set, it was, at best wallpaper.

After a short break it was time for Red Sky July the band I was here to see that features Ally McErlaine of Texas and his wife Shelly who used to be in Alisha's Attic along with Model Charity Hair and what turned out to be the evenings busiest musicians the rhythm section of Ross McFarlane and Mark Neary they also seemed to be the one band on the night to have brought some fans along as they got a good cheer coming on to a very funny fluffed introduction by Tony Moore who didn't know the name of the album they are promoting still Shadowbirds.

They opened with a nice version of Already Gone that sounded pretty cool with some good harmonies between Shelly and Charity and rather more cheers than it deserved for Ally's first guitar solo of the evening. Losing You off of the album sounded pretty similar to the recorded version and they had an ease about them that comes from having played far bigger gigs than this one.

Here Then Gone was introduced as being about Ally coming back from the dead after having an Aneurysm which made it all the more touching and it got an even bigger cheer for Ally's solo in the middle of it. Renegade is apparently inspired by a Cormac McCarthy book and again had good harmonies and had a few people singing along to it. They closed the set with Warm My Heart that I think they said is the band's next single out in January it was a nice love song to leave on and they got by far the biggest applause of the evening. www.redskyjuly.com

Next on was Lucy May a young British Country singer and graduate of the Brits school who has spent part of her year opening for Michael Bolton's most recent tour and getting airplay from Terry Wogan among others. She used the same rhythm section as Red Sky July and a guitarist. Well she has a good voice and looks cool and opened with her debut single Paper Hearts which was OK if you want to hear the new Crystal Gayle. It's just it's so polished as to be like a ball as there's no edge to her music at all, even though she has the voice to be a countrified Imelda May.

Hooked On Your Love was the first of her songs to come from the angle of a woman desperate to keep her man and it sounded like something that could have been written in the prim and proper 50's. Keep Your Hands Off My Man is a re-working of Jolene that strips it of the subtle desperation Dolly Parton imparts and leaves it almost like a come on for a drunken brawl that made it a bit depressing for all the wrong reasons.

The next song about her having a Hole In Her Heart was OK but also rather slight and forgettable she finished with her next single Whirlwind and it was by a mile the best thing she sang all night as it had some spark and energy to it and didn't seem as over thought out as the rest of the set. http://lucymayofficial.co.uk/

Next on were Raintown at last a band with a bit of balls and yet again the same Rhythm section they also won a couple of prizes at the recent British Country Awards and are currently running a pledge campaign to fund the Glaswegian band's second album here http://www.raintownmusic.com/

Well they specialize in Boy Girl rocking country duets and they had a great feel to them a bit like Lone Justice meets Jason & The Scorchers but with lyrics about love affairs the second song If This Was A Love Affair had a great bit of to and fro between Paul and Claire. Bitter Beautiful had a good bit of anger and spite at the problems in the relationship they meshed and the Rhythm Section rocked out for the first time all night.

Never Meant To Be like This was the slowest song they played and well I was happiest with the rocking stuff. They closed with a cover of the old Alan Jackson classic Loves Got A Hold On You that they vamped up pretty good and broke it down into Johnny Cash's Jackson to make sure they got a big cheer at the end of the set even though the place had emptied out a bit by this point as clearly 8.30 was past some peoples bed time!!

Last on was Frankie Davies who had all her own band with her over from Jersey, the one in the Channel Islands. She's a good looking young woman and her Bass player looked like she wanted to be in Grunge band but had ended up in this dull as ditch water bland as they come winsome country act. I'm sorry but no matter how well she sings and plays the material is boring as are the arrangements and musically she was instantly forgettable for most of the set.

What I won't forget it having to suffer a cover of The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, now OK I hate Fleetwood Mac and they did the song OK but damn kids their age have no business thinking Fleetwood Mac is a good influence to have. Oh it was painful. The only song they played of their own that sort of stuck was the last song of the set Shivers which will be her next single it was OK as the band let loose a bit and looked happy to be playing an almost raucous song.
http://www.frankiedavies.co.uk/#new-song

Well of the 5 bands the only ones I can see as being worth watching are Raintown and Red Sky July but I don't think I'm the target audience for any of these acts.
  author: simonovitch

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