Review & Photography by Ritchie Birnie for MPM
My favourite bunch of Norfolk rockers finally set foot back in Glasgow and blew the roof off the now shabby King Tuts Wah Wah Hut.
Bad Touch always have excellent support bands and this tour they really have taken it up a notch and their label as Grandfathers of NWoCR is well earned as they introduce some incredible youngsters to their die hard fanbase.
First on the stage tonight are Electric Black whom I only caught the tail end of their set but they had already whipped up the audience into a frenzy and I encountered two complete bangers in “Hellfire Revival” and “Sick of Myself”. The former a rocked up Rival Sons feel and the latter a monster of a track. Definitely the heaviest band of the night but by no means out of place. These boys were on fire.
London’s The Karma Effect are just babies as far as a band goes, started in 2020, their debut album written and recorded before even playing a live show. Normally that would not be ideal but these guys born out of Covid thrived on it and on the basis of that album they signed a four album deal with Earache records, the first of which, Promised Land is due to land this May.
Quite an amazing story but once you see them live you will know why, they play bluesy rock driven music that is all the rave right now. Their influences are vast and for me some of my favourite bands are audible in the guys sound, Harking back you have The Black Crowes, more recently Rival Sons and if I had to pin down a band they emulate most closely live it would have to be Dirty Honey.
Those bands I have mentioned I followed from the small halls in Glasgow and watched them outgrow venue after venue and I will stake money on The Karma Effect following that same trajectory…they are going to be huge.
Their simple seven song set grabbed me and it has been some time since a support band blew me away quite so much. Dirty honey supporting Rival Sons was one and another was tonight’s headliners in support of Electric Boys way back in 2014.
They opened with “All Night Long” and the jam feel of all the instruments coming together definitely had that Classic Crowes feel. They then headed into “Wrong Again” which bounces from Journey to Boston and back.
The 70s vibe kicks in on “Doubt She is Coming Back”, the lyrics are Blues in its heart but the song is a standalone hit with funky keys and a swagger all of its own. The funk gets ramped up on “Wild Honey”. Seb Emmins on Keys and Ash Powell on drums make the backbone of this slinky little bitch and Henry Gottelier on guitars and vocals was made to be on a stage.
The band definitely hark back to the 70s in sound and looks and I reckon they have all been riffling through Stevie Westwood’s old wardrobe as the shirts are long, flowey and completely out there. At this stage in the show the audience are onboard 100%, this band are such a good fit with Bad Touch and the old addage of if you can make it in Glasgow you can make it anywhere rings true. Seemingly that was the reason why Ozzy chose Glasgow as his first ever show with Blizzard of Ozz…and by that remit alone this band are going to make it as I did not see one person who was not entertained.
The band finished on “Testify” and when anyone ever says that word I instantly think of a Hayseed Dixie show( if you have seen one you know) but a lot of the crowd were aware of the song due to radio play so the end of the set came like a mutual climax between band and audience as everyone was on a high.
The Karma Effect are at the start of a journey that is about to take off and go ballistic. Make sure you check them out ASAP and get pre ordering Promised Land now and if you hurry you can grab some super sexy and signed vinyl.
Aaaah me old muckers Bad Touch, seems like an age since I last saw them. Once upon a time they were in this city four or five times a year. They supported everyone back in the day and as much as I hated the shortened sets it was a fix I needed so tonight seems all the more special.
The strange thing about Bad Touch is you know you are going to get an amazing show(I have never witnessed one bad gig from them) but until that first song kicks in you actually have forgotten just how good they actually are.
There are a few changes since last I saw them, newbie drummer Brad Newlands slots in perfectly with a little bit of a heavier edge but the main change is in frontman Stevie…where is our sweet flower child? The bootleg jeans and flowery shirts are gone and replaced with black leather(or is that a pair of wish specials?) a black vest and even black cowboys boots. Looks like hippie Stevie has left the building…no more sweet Anakin Skywalker, now we have Darth Love plums. The only hark back to the beloved Stevie of old is the sequins on the boots, I don’t think Vader would have got away with that.
We may be looking at a Johny Cash led Bad Touch but the good times have not left. They opened with the title track from latest release Bittersweet Satisfaction. A track that has all the ingredients of Bad Touch but with a new edge.
We slip into the old groove on “Lift Your Head Up” and this has everyone donning their dancing pants and it is like slipping on those comfy jogging trousers after a Chinese buffet, comfy as hell and just a beautiful feeling.
Seeks and Rob Glendinning get us underway on “Strut” and we sure as hell do. The packed venue is happy to see the boys and get our groove on. Next we got ‘Dressed to Kill” where Brad Newlands was let loose on the drums before we gladly changed into “Good on Me” which is always a fan favourite and to be fair some of the strangest lyrics ever.
We get another new song in “Taste This” and you can see and feel the change in the latest album. It is more polished, more thoughtful and much more to get your teeth into. It took quite a few listens for me to fully appreciate the album and I loved that. Every album prior had been an instant winner for me but this was a step up. The guitar work alone on this song is beautiful and the songwriting is seriously impressive.
In amongst the revelry Stevie lets us know that Seeks is stuck under a spotlight at the side of the stage that is frying him so obviously the Glasgow choir start chanting “take it off” referring to his jacket and the man folds under peer pressure…you cannot beat a Glasgow crowd.
We then go on a rampage of songs but everyone is in a euphoria induced high and I swear the boys could play whatever they wanted and we would be happy, which is finally proven as they cover Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket”.
This band have done some covers in their time but this was sublime. The song is perfect for Stevie’s vocals, I swear down he is one of the best front men on the circuit but the funky assed vibe from the band made this. It also encompasses the bands outlook and if you have ever met them you know exactly what I mean.
The encore completed the night with “Nothing Wrong with That” and “99%”. The first with just Stevie on his own with an acoustic and the latter with hundreds of backing singers with very dubious accents. What a way to close the show, if I could bottle that feeling I would drink it every day.
Bad Touch are hands down one of the UKs best live bands and have been for over a decade now. I would love to see them break out and get the accolades they deserve and take them to new heights so everyone can finally partake in this musical addiction that I love.
