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Straight Shooter - KING'S ARMS - 08 March 2008
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Review & Photography by Judi
     

SO here I am again, another pub another band (hmmm I see a pattern forming here...do you think I just go to see bands as an excuse to go to the pub?). So, offered up for this evening's entertainment we have Straight Shooter – A Bath based 4 piece rock covers band, playing mainly classic rock numbers.

 

The band seem to be busy boys, musically speaking. Mike Wilton (Vocals and guitar) also sings for The Big Time and can, on occasions, be found gigging solo. Andy Manners (lead and vocals) is a luthier (cool word and I had to look that up – and for those of you that can't be bothered it means he makes and repairs stringed instruments!) for Vintage and Rare Guitars in Bath, and Phil Leahy (bass vocals) also plays for "ZZ Top freaks" and "Rattlesnake Shake"... Hmmm...Seems like Sim Didcott (drums and vocals) is the only one who actually has time to have a life then!
This evening's entertainment started with cries from most of the band to the drummer of "Boss... we want to rock" ...A good start in my opinion!
A few minutes then for them to plug, in tune up and turn on (if you'll pardon the expression!) and they launched enthusiastically into Deep Purple's "Hush".

The band were quite loud for the size of the room but the sound was well set up and the room acoustics were good. No one was being drowned out and I could easily pick out the individual instruments. The rest of the first set was packed with some great rock numbers, the highlight of which (for me anyway) was AC/DC's "Sin City", which they did an excellent job of and they obviously really enjoyed playing it.
 
At times the band were somewhat shambolic but they were obviously having fun with what they were doing, which usually makes the evening more fun for the audience! Despite the occasional chaos they never forget that there is an audience and the front man, Mike, talks to the audience as though we were all sat around in a jam session in his front room ... but sometimes he seemed to forget that it ISN'T a jam session in his front room.  
 
They all seem technically more than competent to me (but then we have already established... what do I know?) Mike has a strong pleasant voice, although at times he seemed to leave his comfort zone and the voice became what can only be described as weaker. At one point early in the evening Mike got his harmonica out (vocals guitar AND harmonica – that's just showing off you know! hahaha) and I for one would like to hear more of that but he only whipped it out the once! There were some nice harmonies going on there at times with Sim. Talking of whom, I have got to say, Sim has the sparkliest drum kit I have ever seen! (I'm not sure that is the way to spell that, hell I'm not sure it's even a word! But it really is a very sparkly drum kit!).
There were what appeared to me to be some really complicated riffs and Andy never seemed to break a sweat – though I have to say, the simple stuff seemed to make him frown! But Andy really should smile more!! (Such a dead pan look is usually the territory of the drummer – hard work all that counting you know!).


Phil on the bass was obviously more at home with the heavier numbers and we spent the evening waiting for him to fall of the stage whist head banging and playing! He was right on the edge most of the night! And when we weren't betting on him falling off the stage we were betting on whether that was a wig or not! (It isn't - I checked at the end of the evening!)

They opened the second set with another AC/DC number: Riff Raff, which again they pulled off well and they followed this up with the Kinks' "All day and all of the night". There was also an excellent version of U2's "Vertigo" and the Zeppelin number they played "what is and what never should be" was great - ok so Mike hasn’t got the voice of Plant but then...who does? But he certainly makes a fine stab at it!

They played Pinball wizard – well... three of them played Pinball Wizard... I'm not sure what Phil was playing (but apparently it wasn’t B) and he hadn't found the right note by the final verse (at least not in the right order anyway!). But apparently it was Derek's fault - if anything goes wrong they blame Derek and to be fair, I met him after the gig and you know what? It really did all seem to be his fault!!

They almost did Rosie – one of my favourite AC/DC numbers (in case you are interested Night Prowler is my favourite!) but then chickened out! I hope if I see them again they will have gripped their cowardice in both hands and go for it!

They closed with "The boys are back in town", and I have to say in my opinion it was the best number of the night – it could have almost have been Phil and the boys!

Straight Shooter work together well as a group and seem unified in the style of music they play. All in all it was a good night out!

And this evening's Pizza rating? – given the choice go and see the band, it should be a good night out!

Jx

 

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