It might have taken a bit of time for the Square to fill up on Saturday evening and despite the grey and gloomy looking sky, the evening kicked off in style with The Visitors playing a short set on stage.
It wasn't easy for any of the opening acts, as people slowly drifted in to see what was happening, but The Leigh Stokes and the Frank Hamilton Band did their best to get people up and on their feet and soon a crowd had gathered up at the front of the stage.
But it was The Mustangs that really stole the show, bringing some much needed warmth to the crowd, who seemed to be feeling pretty chilly!
Adam Norsworthy impressed the audience with his agile vocals, raising several eyebrows among the crowd. At one point I even heard one person say: "that sounded a bit Freddie Mercury". He definitely knew how to get the crowd going and we were soon singing along loudly to the tunes.
As well as playing original tunes such as Nothing Stays the Same, the band chose some covers, which included a brilliant version of Muddy Waters’ Hoochie Coochie Man, where drummer Jon Bartley threw in a few tricks with his sticks.
When a technical problem forced Adam to stop playing guitar, like true professionals they carried on and just made it part of the song. Derek Kingaby stepped up with an impromptu harmonica solo while Ben Mckeown's bass bounced along and kept the main riffs going.
Derek is one of those incredible musicians like perhaps Ray Cooper, who may not be a frontman, but he still has huge stage presence. There were numerous times where I found myself watching him over other members of the band, and I'm sure there were others in the audience doing just the same.
An encore was inevitable, as shouts for more began almost immediately after the last number. They decided on the Joan Jet And The Blackhearts classic, I Love Rock and Roll. Too right. I'm definitely going to see the band again.
Copyright Kate Steaggles, June 2009
Return... |
