Blackbud

It's nearly six months since I last saw Blackbud (in Manchester in early June), and back then they were running through their songs in basic three or four minute versions. Although that showed off their song writing skills, it didn't show the band at their best.

Tonight is the last night of their 'Heartbeat' tour (the Hearbeat EP is released tomorrow - get it here, where there's a special offer to buy CD and 7 inch vinyl together for just £4!) and like a few of the dates, tonight is sold out - good going for a band with just one low-level single release to date.

Surprisingly, they start with Heartbeat - I'd have expected that to be one of the closing songs - and some of the effect is lost as the sound man twiddles away finding the right balance. But before the end of the song it's sorted, and I notice a new complimentary brightness to their sound.

The set is mostly their longstanding songs but as has been the case each time I've seen them they're played in a unique-tonight way, and I'm pleased to see that they've lost the cliché guitar frills that appeared as part of some songs for a while. This is back to the Blackbud I fell in love with the first time I saw them.

During the first couple of songs guitarist and singer Joe Taylor's voice fails him occasionally on the more extreme notes, but as the set goes on his great voice gets stronger while his playing is as awe-inspiring as ever - a true guitar-god in the making.



It would be easy to ignore the very tight rhythm section of Adam (bass) and Sam (drums), but there's no doubt that they provide the platform for Joe to shine, particularly when some of the songs break into freeform jamming and the audience spontaneously applaud mid-song. Finishing off with Hendrix's "Hear my train a'coming", it's noticeable just how much a predominantly teenage audience are lapping up the blues.

There's no doubt: Blackbud's march to world domination continues.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.