Review: Nine Below Zero at The Cluny 18/05/13
Keeping British Blues Alive
For a band, after 4 decades to be able to comfortably fill
the Cluny with fans, you have to have a quality live product. Nine Below Zero
have been delivering this quality since they reformed for their 10th
anniversary in 1990. The crowd clearly loved the band and Dennis Greaves (lead
vocals, guitar) provided much cockney banter to fill the gaps between the perfectly-performed
blues numbers. It’s amazing (to a novice like me) that a band can manage to
have such a diverse repertoire while still working within the Anglo-American
blues style. No plodding blues, everything coloured with the individual talents
of the band members.
They stormed through such numbers as “Can I Get A Witness”,
“Homework” and “Got my Mojo Working” with such enthusiasm, you wonder how they
keep it going after so many years, and miles of touring.
Mark Feltham, a very much in-demand master of the harmonica
played a blinder of a gig tonight. How he made the sounds he did, I’ll never
know, amazing stuff. Brian Bethell, as a
provider of the lower register rhythmic melodies in the music, is not satisfied
with playing simple bass but adds something more to the mix, as did his shiny
suit, to the visual experience. Brendan O’Neil, on drums helped tie together
what is an incredibly tight onstage performance, no wonder their first album
was live, it’s where they are at home.
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