Review & Photography by Manny Manson for MPM
On hearing that the mighty Simon McBride was playing at one of my local venues, it was a simple decision to get my kit sorted and go and see this blues rock legend.
Anyone gutsy enough to cover a FREE track, and at that one of my personal favourites deserves a moment of mine or anyone’s time.
Hailing from Belfast (Gary More, Vivian Campbell, Stiff Little Fingers amongst others), Simon has been making a considerable mark on the guitar scene since, at the age of 15, he won Guitarist Magazines ‘Young Guitarist of the Year’.
At the age of 16 he replaced the great Vivian Campbell in Belfast’s reformed metal band SWEET SAVAGE, and then in ’98 he joined up with the Commitments front man, Andrew Strong with his R&B, Soul driven band for six years. This change in musical direction helped to shape McBride into the formidable Blues, Rock player he is today.
During his rise he has supported the likes of Beck, Bonamassa, Satriani and Grammy award winner Derek Trucks. He has also replaced Micky Moody in SNAKECHARMER and appears on their second album ‘SECOND SKIN’.
Simon’s first album, ‘RICH MAN FALLING’ was released in 2008, and included the aforementioned FREE track, ‘BE MY FRIEND’ along with Jimi Hendrix’s ‘POWER OF SOUL’. This was followed up in 2010 with ‘SINCE THEN’. A ‘live’ influenced album then followed called ‘NINE LIVES’ featuring 9 live tracks recorded during the 2011 live shows, and in 2012 ‘CROSSING THE LINE’ emerged, this being recorded in both Belfast and the USA.
There then began a long hiatus of 10 years before the emergence of a new album, ‘THE FIGHTER’. There was a call from the record company during lock down to release an EP which contains an original, two covers and a live track. A new single, ‘High Stakes’ was released just prior to the tour.
First up tonight we have ‘friend’ of the Musician, Max Manning. With acoustic to hand he sets about getting us ready for tonight’s headliners. Sat on a stool with acoustic across his knee he starts the night off with the Stones cover, ‘Let It Bleed’ with its ‘We All Need Someone We Can Lean On’ hook, somewhat appropriate with what’s been happening in the world, the crowd nod and sing along to this opener.
This he follows with ‘Ophelia’ by ‘The Band’ written in 1975 by Robbie Robertson is a great vessel to show off Max’s stunning vocal. Rich, Creamy and dripping in goodness, this soulful voice, to me, actually sounds better suited to the song than the original, praise indeed.
Third up we finally have a Della Grants track, Max has chosen ‘William Clay’ from the 2017 ‘Live Sessions’ album. With its bouncy blues riff, Max sings this with his eyes closed, his voice oozing a bluesy rasp that sends goose-bumps up your arms. A bit of banter with the crowd about doing the next song follows. ‘Shooting Star’ by Bad Company.
A great song with one problem, It, was sung by Paul Rogers, hailed as probably one of the finest rock voices ever! No pressure Max, again with a bit of crowd help he smashes this one too. A cracking voice.
He follows this one with ‘Am I Wrong’ which featured on the first Della Grants album, ‘Time for Change’, for those of us who didn’t know, we are told it was sung by Tom Best originally. This is played with a slide on the resonator guitar giving it a great Delta Blues sound. Max points out that because it’s a right-handed guitar he had to relocate the tone and volume pots, the leftover holes he covered using a couple of 5p coins. The result doesn’t look out of place at all.
Following this he says he wanted to play something by the great Eric Clapton, something from his ‘unplugged’ album, for this we have switched back to the big body Gibson acoustic as he launches into ‘San Francisco Bay Blues’, a 1955 classic written by Jesse Fuller and recorded by many over the years. An uplifting tune with a ragtime feel to it. Max’s voice curls around the lyrics as again eyes closed, he delivers a superb creamy smooth vocal, you feel that he should have a bass drum and cymbal attached to him to give that one-man band feel such is the vibe to the song, another great choice of tune.
The next song is an original, with a back story that is lock down related. It goes along the lines of Max’s daughter was at home as the schools had closed but each day Max carried on going to work. His daughter, Molly, one day took him to one side and explained to him her plan to make them millionaires so her ‘Daddy’ could stay at home with her.
The song is called ‘Apple Trees’. This was such an endearing song; you could hear a pin drop as Max sang to his daughter about ‘planting the seed to grow apple trees’. Pulls on the old heart strings with its sentiment, and again I find my self wiping dust from my eyes, it’s a lovely song.
Max tells us that his band, The Della Grants are back at the Musician in April (13th) he said they are supporting the Billy Walton Band, a name that has been tagged with Steven Tyler, Gary US Bonds and Little Steven to name a few so a night to look out for.
The final song of the night is another cover, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ from the 1970 Creedence album Pendulum, the song being released as a single in 1971, is dripping with honeyed silkiness, as Max’s delivery caresses and soothes. It certainly gives John Fogerty’s version a good run for its money. A stunning tune to finish off the set. Sadly, there’s no encore as the stage needs to be cleared ready for the nights main act.
So, with an air of expectancy hanging in the venue Simon and the band walk on stage to a huge cheer. You know that tonight the venue has a good amount of muso’s in to watch this amazing talent. Prior to the band starting, several groups of said gents where chimping over the pedalboards and Mesa amp set ups (chimping = a group of people ooo-oooing as they look and point things out, we photographers do it a lot!), They acknowledge the crowd and get themselves sorted.
First up we have ‘Don’t Dare’ a rocky little number just to settle the nerves which is quickly followed by ‘The Stealer’ a FREE track that has been a staple in his set for a while it would seem, having checked the usual sources.
The drum beat is cracking as the bass is nicely wrapped around the kick drum, just behind the beat as per Simon Fraser. The vibrato is there, a must have on any Kossoff guitar piece. With an almost Aire of nonchalance on his face, Simon rips the solo stood centre he’s down in the dirt on his reddish striped PRS guitar neck, eyes closed, bent over, leg in the air he channels Kossoff with a Belfast lilt. Stunning playing and one the crowd love judging by the cheers.
He introduces the next song as ‘King of The Hill’ by saying its off the new album ‘The Fighter’ out May 27th, Simon goes on to say that you’ll hear me say that a lot tonight with a cheesy smile. As he strums his guitar into life.
It’s a great tune full of guitar thrills as Simon’s vocal dances over the top, with a crashing drum battle during the breakdown and a bouncing bassline hitting you square in the chest it’s got all the ingredients in the right places to deliver the goods. It finishes out with a thunderous finish on the toms. Nice!
So, tuning between songs Simon, gives the pegs a quick twist and announces that they’re close enough. Next up we have a song written with drummer Marty McCloskey, from which there’s a low-level cheer in room as a response.
Dave Marks on bass cheekily replies that you’ll hate him more in a few more songs, to which Simon replies that if you think that’s bad just wait until the bass solo. The song is ‘Just Takes Time’ it’s hard and heavy hitting. The bass is smashing you in the gentlemen’s parts as the tune romps along. Simon noodles some tasty trills as he sings along, again his eyes are wide shut a notable thing amongst singers of late.
As they refresh with drinks from the strategically placed bottles of water, the amps buzz away, yearning to burst into life once more. At this point the killer question is asked ‘Are their any Brian Adams fans in tonight? Deathly silence, amid the on-stage chuckles Dave says well that’s a first! To break the silence Simon says between his sips of water that he’ll be drinking a lot tonight as he doesn’t normally eat before a gig as it plays hell with his voice, tonight as they were in Leicester they had a curry and he looks like he might be regretting it no matter how banging it was.
As part of a ‘thing’ with the record company, he was asked during lockdown to put together 4 tracks for an EP, a low-key thing that the company were going to sit on, Simon said if he’s doing it it’s getting out there as he’d not released anything in 10 years. The remit of the EP was 2 covers, 1 new song and 1 live. The decisions weren’t easy as they wanted to get away from the obvious Jimi Hendrix and Gary Moore tracks. They tell the story of how the tracks got narrowed down from some pretty obscure choices. ‘Kids Wanna Rock’ came out as a winner.
Simon remarks on the fact that no one admitted to being a Fan of said Mr Adams that we were not to worry as they fairly mangled their version. OMG! Its heavy and in the dirt from the get go, full of reverb and whammy bar escapes.
The solo goes full on McBride with pinched harmonics and Wah Wah pedal. The whole song has taken on an almost Satriani-esque vibe as the band shock the nay-sayers with a blinding cover. The roof is open and we is ready for lift off. Jesus what a revelation much to the delight of the crowd!
Another staple ‘Heartbreaker’ is up next. While waiting for the drum count in Simon looks at Marty and asks him if he’s waiting for a bus as there’s nothing happening. Amid chuckles a beat starts and Simon unleashes a flurry as he fires up into this old song featured on the ‘Crossing the Line’ Album.
A dirty distorted bass line rumbles throughout as the fireworks explode from Simons corner, fingers up and down the neck like little pink maggots, full of crashing cymbals and tempo changes the song is classic McBride having fun. This rolls into another cover, Ryan Adams and ‘Gimme Something Good’ a slower number, with elements of Moore in the vocal delivery as it starts. Its every bit as dynamic and full of whammy bar shimmers and another tasteful solo.
At this point we get a guitar change to a darker striped PRS. Dave, on bass points out that it’s a very rare thing as Simon doesn’t change guitars during a set unless he breaks a string. A voice shouts out that its Blue after Simon says its Black, Dave jumps on it and says ‘exactly its Blue’, Simon just says ‘your all fecking colour blind its black’ as the crowd fall about laughing.
Marty encourages Dave to do his David Attenborough impression of the guitar change, which he does, and its bang on as he talks about the McBride mating ritual in the voice of an 80yr old. The crowd are in ‘keeks’ of laughter as Dave the bass goes into an improvised episode of ‘The Natural World’.
‘The Fighter’ follows with is jangly intro and bouncing riff, full of double stops as the song romps along to a steady drum and bass beat which, combined, thrust this song forward as Simon asks everyone to ‘take your best shot’ and then drops into an eye watering solo just as he tells us he’s a fighter, a song about being the best you can be at everything you do, a great rocking number. And the Blue, no err, Black guitar goes back into its stand.
The crowd are asked if they’re having a good time but before they can answer Simon says well it’s all down-hill from here. This is the point where the merch gets a mention and a bit of banter follows about whether people still buy CD’s and they point out that they take card as well as cash, Dave retorts cheekily that around here and looking at the crowd ‘it’s probably cassettes tapes and cheque books’ to which the cheer goes up.
‘100 Days’ follows with its country slide vibe. This song we’re told features Marty on drums. As Simon sings the eyes are again wide shut, backing vocals are provided by Dave as the song powers through to the chorus amidst crashing cymbals and promptly erupts into a drum solo as the guitars take a rest and a sip of water.
Simon chirps in now and again with a riff as Marty teaches his drum kit a lesson, arms flailing around the kit, you can’t see him as he has a cymbal front and centre, you can hear the COWBELL though, as that gets a good rattling, you can never have too much cowbell. Simon throws in a Hendrix riff which ups the tempo of the drums once more, the band finally join in with a dirty distorted riff that brings the song home. Another tune smashed out of the park.
As they’re tune for the next song, Simon asks does anyone know what single was released last week, silence from the crowd as if caught off guard with a trick question, then a single voice chirps back ‘High Stakes’. Again, Dave the bass jumps on it, it’s great to be playing to an audience of one! To everyone’s amusement. Leicester is a bit shy tonight.
It’s a great driving tune full of snare drum fills and sonic greatness. Both guitars make full use of the pedal boards in front of them as we are treated to some great playing as they cut and thrust shapes during the solo. Simon looks a lot more relaxed than when he first came out. His playing is just sublime, effortless, as he hammers this new single home.
The band are like three big little kids remarks Dave, ‘we have been wanting to get out and play live for so long’ and now that it’s happening, they are having the best time. It shows, the level of Craic that’s flying around the stage has made this one of the most entertaining shows I’ve witnessed this year. The playing is beyond description but the fun element has really lifted the show to the next level. You’d think they did this for a living.
‘Who likes Marty’s shorts’ shouts Simon, who promptly stands and puts a foot on his tom showing off his rolled-up denim shorts, ‘you should have seen what he was going to wear but we had to say no’, shouts back Dave. So is the level of fun on stage as they fall about laughing.
‘I Gotta Move’ by the Kinks is next, Simon shouts out ‘we’ve destroyed this one too’! With a big grin. Dave shouts back ‘think of the Kinks crossed with Rage Against the Machine’! And so it does, with more than a passing similarity to Bulls on Parade with its crushing drum and bass riff, during the on-stage antics Dave somehow manages to tangle his bass headstock in the microphone cable, which he notices just before things topple over, good hands sir.
From this they go straight into ‘Dead Man Walking’ with its up-tempo distorted intro this song soon gets flying as Simon shows us just how good a player he is. With lots of screaming guitar, enough to satisfy any 13-year-old bedroom fret w@nker this song is, yet again, a veritable smorgasbord of pedal delights, oh and we have some cross stick on the snare for all the tub thumpers in the room, nice!
The night is getting hot, as Simon asks for some audience participation, this means some form of singing normally, Dave says ’wouldn’t it be fun if it was a dance ‘and starts laughing, ‘a dance as you’re led away’ he’s tickled as he carries on about being locked up dancing, oh my how the adrenaline has kicked in. ‘Don’t Be A Fool’ starts up with a bit of a jazz improv which quickly descends into a clay pot driven Santana riff, Dave says ‘I’ve been trying to get him to do that all tour’.
They play back and forth of each other before Simon drops the ‘holy’ ‘Smoke on the Water’ riff into the mix. The crowd cheer loudly and then the music stops. Simon says (this would make a great Christmas game) ‘Are you ready to sing’ ‘Don’t be a fool’ the crowd sing back, and as per normal we get ‘you can do better than that’, more join in next time round.
Simon asks ‘you wanna go higher’ the crowd say no but we get it anyways and we respond slightly higher, ‘All you manly men, you wanna go lower’ which again we do. ‘Let’s hear Marty’ who is busy pointing out the Johnny Cash tee shirt on my Mate Johnny Trash, yes, he’s a guitarist who destroys everything he plays much like tonight. Marty sings the return in a manly low voice. Anyways the song finishes with a three-way jam with some terrific playing down in the dirty end by both guitars.
‘Show Me How to Love’ finishes the set off. A love song with a blues riff with a triplet feel as Simon sings in staccato bursts, strumming delicately as he does so. Simon the takes centre stage for the solo and rips it a new one as this delicate song has now taken on a slight edge, the picked notes jangly as they hang in the air again before we’re swept away on another masterful solo.
Dave the bass is watching on with a smile, grooving, his playing is in the pocket with the kick drum as Simon, eyes closed is rocking back and forth as his fingers scorch the neck of his red PRS. A stunning finish to the set. With cheers aplenty they leave the stage and the chanting and cheering starts, Marty pops from behind the curtain and encourages the crowd to cheer more. It works and they finally file back on stage.
With a joke about the encore being a drum and bass duet as Simon is slower to get back on stage, they quickly drop into a heavy IRON MAN style drum beat. This soon flows into Hendrix’s ‘Power of Soul’ after several restarts due to poor Whoas from the crowd, it’s a very sensible crowd in tonight it seems.
The song builds and we get treated to some funky drum riffs with an overdose of thundering tom work as Simon, throws the guitar skywards as he rips out the solo, fast fingers hitting every note as he grinds it out, the bass is dancing along in the back as we get Simon on the whammy bar making the PRS scream and howl as the strings go from sharp to flat with each ‘Wham!’ Dave’s joins him in a face off as they play back and forth trying to outdo each other .
Simon plays and Dave copies and back and forth it goes, each riff more complex but replied with aplomb. With pinched harmonics and screaming dive bombs that have the strings hanging off the neck of the guitar once again, the interplay finishes as the song romps along to finish with a thumping cacophony of noise as they smash the Musician like it’s been hit by a runaway train.
With a bow to the crowd they leave the stage and are quickly out on the Merch chatting with fans. Simon looks exhausted as he has his picture taken with my mate Johnny Trash.
So, it’s been an epic night of sensational guitar playing. Each tune played carried that little bit of Irish magic that helped it to come alive. Factor in three comedians who just so happen to be next level musicians and you have a night of entertainment that’s worth far more than its ticket price. What a great way to spend a Monday night. If you haven’t caught the Simon McBride Trio, I urge you to do so as soon as possible because if your night is only half as good as tonight, you’ll still have a better night that watching the box in the corner of the room. Live Music is back people and tonight it was full of the Craic!
