Electric Boys / Last Great Dreamers / Takeaway Thieves
Waterloo Music Venue, Blackpool
March 17th 2019
Review by; DeeDee
Photos by; Rockin' Out With
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Lovely place The Waterloo, it has a really friendly atmosphere. The venue is a decent size and the ladies toilets are gaining notoriety for the Drumkit wash basins. The place has been transformed to accommodate quite well known bands and the gig list is growing by the day!
Only existing for a year THE TAKEAWAY THIEVES, have been hard at it, a debut EP came out last May called ‘This is Rock n Roll’ and the first number is the single from it ‘I Wish You Were Dead’. Ok, collect a Hippy vocalist, a Punk Rocker on Bass, a Biker looking Drummer, a Thrash Guitarist and an old school Rocker for Rhythm Guitar and you have TTT. Now normally this would be a disaster, it certainly sounds like it on paper, but no, surprisingly it works. Rolling Stones meet Sex Pistols and Slayer, what a winning formula. The songs are deadly and dealt with in fast procession, ’Stardust’, ‘Big Mistake’ and ‘Hot Cat’ roll quickly as the Thieves are pretty unrelenting. They end up on the EP title track, ‘This Is Rock n Roll’ and on a high. More dates lined up and a slot at next years HRH AOR festival, says it all. A new band with a promising future.
TAKEAWAY THIEVES are -
Peter McLoughlin - Vocals/ Hippy
Neil Hunter - Rhythm Guitar / Old School Rocker
Ben Gibson - Guitar/ Trash Lover
Adam Hall - Bass / Punk Rocker
Max Yates - Drums / Biker
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Next up, are LAST GREAT DREAMERS, go back to 1989 and Silver Hearts, as they were then called, were well known and adored on the UK Glam/Sleaze scene. In the mid 1990s under the new name they appeared in Kerrang on a regular basis and even featured on the fabled Pandora Peroxide comic strip. In 1994 the album ‘Retrosexual’ won them the headline “All hail the new dandies of British rock,” in the same magazine. So after a few years adrift, the return of the LGD is a welcome sight. With a couple of new LPs in 2014 and 2016 they have built up a substantial increase in fans. Together with last years album, ’13th Floor Renegades’ they have proved that the break has not hurt their credibility one bit, still Dandies and still giving us their own blend of Rock and Roll.
The new lineup features Tim Emery on Bass, who fits perfectly alongside the two originals, Slyder Smith on Guitar and singer Marc Valentine. Completing the team is new sticksman, Rik Pratt, a truly awesome drummer. The Bowler hats, waistcoats and velvet jackets still provide a unique look and the stage antics add humour and a feel good factor.
Tonight the Waterloo is well packed and starter ‘Primitive Man’ gets the Glitterball spinning. More from 2018 follow ‘I Think I Like It’, ’New Situation’ and the title track ’13th Floor Renegades’, all get the crowd into party mood. ‘Only Crime’ from ‘Retosexual’ is still brilliant to hear, gutter-rock guitar from Slyder, alongside Valentines sugary sweet vocals. ‘Miles Away’ is slower and has more cool guitar, then the pace quickens with songs from the 2016 ‘Transmissions From Oblivion’, chanting backing vocals on ‘White Light (Black Heart)’, ‘Dope School’ with its punk element and fast lyrics before ‘Oblivion Kids’ which returns us to easy going Glam Rock. A sing-a-long chorus with the endearing ’Last Great Dreamer’ ends the set all too soon.
LAST GREAT DREAMERS are -
Marc Valentine - Vocals / Guitar
Slyder Smith - Guitar / Vocals
Tim Emery - Bass
Rik Pratt - Drums / Backing Vocals
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Heading the bill tonight are the Swedish ELECTRIC BOYS, who hit us in 1989 with the infectious ‘Funk O Metal Carpet Ride’. I still have the infection, as they remain one of my all time favourites. The LP ‘The Ghost Ward Diaries’ came out last year and the reviews were all good. It has a bit of a heavier feel to it and this is witnessed in ‘Hungover In Hannover’, a rather strong beginning. ’Suffer’ is also from the new album, this has more of the groove that we expect from the Swedes . Indeed the grooves get deeper, as we are given ’Groovus Maximus’ from the 1992 album of the same name and the new ’There She Goes Again,’ which is also full of seedy hooks and builds up into a fantastic finish. Following is ‘Electrified’ with an intro of simple twangs that turn into funk induced rhythmic heaven. ‘Knee Deep In You’ carries you away even further, as the funk vibes heat up and it’s now impossible to stand still. ‘Gone, Gone, Gone’ is a steady song in comparison, more soulful. The Waterloo audience are loving it tonight, a lot of interaction and frontman Conny Bloom, cool as ever, takes time to exchange kind words and thank you’s with the onlookers. ‘You Spark My Heart’ is a new and more poignant reflection, that smooths and downs the tempo. The band are capable of changing the pace quite quickly, so next it’s back to the Funk O Metal days and the excellent ‘Rags To Riches’. ’Angel In An Armoured Suit’ from the lesser known 2011 ‘All The Boys Done Swang’ is another that is heavier, but allows the band time to demonstrate their musical ability.
‘All Lips N Hips’ is a masterpiece of groove swaggering rock, that finally brings the show to a rapturous end. They never fail to deliver, 30 years on from when I first saw them, I have been thoroughly entertained yet again, by the amazing Electric Boys.
THE ELECTRIC BOYS are -
Conny Bloom - Lead Vocals / Guitar
Franco Santunione - Guitar / Backing Vocals
Andy Christell - Bass / Backing Vocals
Niklas Sigevall - Drums
