GIG REVIEW – FLAMIN’ GROOVIES

GIG REVIEW – FLAMIN’ GROOVIES

Undeterred by the absence of any UK dates on the recent European Tour by the reformed Flamin’ Groovies, our LGA gig reviewer Paul Wood dusted off his passport and Beatle boots to catch the last 2 dates of the tour in Italy.

The reformed Groovies feature three members from the classic Jordan/Wilson era line up which were signed to Sire Records/United Artists in the 1970s. Original members Cyril Jordan (guitar/vocals) and George Alexander (bass/vocals) are reunited with Chris Wilson (vocals/guitar), and the rejuvenated trio are joined by long time fan and mighty new drummer, Victor Penalosa.

Your LGA reviewer caught the Groovies in La Spezia and Alessandria.

The La Spezia show was part of the Spazio Boss programme of musical events that takes place between June and August. Also on the programme over the summer are Radio Birdman and King Khan & the Shrines. The Groovies show was an open air set in the gardens on the sea front promenade.

The Alessandria show was billed as the Primavera Beat Festival. The show (again, outdoor) was set in the quadrangle of a former Military Hospital (which looked as though it dated back to the Medieval ages) and the Festival included stalls selling vintage clothing, books and vinyl. The Alessandria show was the last night of the tour with the Groovies heading back to the States early the next morning.

Although Chris Wilson was playing through the pain of a badly swollen hand (which was subsequently found to have a fracture) the band was in fine form throughout and a good number of local Groovies fans were in attendance at both shows.

It took a while at La Spezia for the onstage sound to sort itself out (drummer Victor Penalosa was complaining about the sound in his monitor for the first 4 songs of the set) but the in crowd sound was generally fine given the outdoor setting.

The sound at Alessandria was better from the off and, possibly because the walls of the hospital gave the show more of a contained sound, the vocals were clearer in the mix.

Here’s a link to fan footage of the Groovies minor classic “Between The Lines” from the Alessandria show:

When you think of the Jordan/Wilson era Groovies you sometimes tend to focus on the Beatles/Byrds style guitars and harmonies and forget how hard the band can rock. When the band kicked into what Cyril Jordan described as the “rock’n’roll” part of the set, the band showed they really can rock with the best  – “Tallahassee Lassie”. “St Louis Blues”, “She Said Yeah”, “Don’t You Lie To Me” and “Married Woman” (on which George took the lead vocal) got the crowd in both venues to really rock along with the band.

Here’s a link to fan footage of “Tallahassee Lassie” from the Alessandria show:

The Groovies have cut three bona fide rock classics that should be everybody’s collection and these were put together by the band to be the closing numbers and first encores on both dates – “Slow Death”, “Shake Some Action” and then (as an encore) “Teenage Head”.

Here’s a link to fan footage of “Slow Death/Shake Some Action” from the Madrid date on the tour:

The first encores closed with a song described by Chris Wilson as being “the first song Cyril and I ever wrote together” – “Let Me Rock”. It’s another Groovies rock classic – never properly released before by the Groovies (a rehearsal version appeared on Skydog in the 70s). The song has been re-recorded by the current line up to appear on their new album which the band are hoping will be out at the end of 2015/ beginning of 2016.

Alessandria saw the band come back for a second encore – “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and then they were gone – but there was on-stage talk of another US tour and more European dates. Look out for these and catch them if you can.

A brand new track (“End of the World”) has already been put out by the band on the internet as a taster for the new album. Here’s a link:

SET LIST

The main set list for both nights was the same with Alessandria getting the benefit of an additional encore in the shape of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”.

Feel A Whole Lot Better

You Tore Me Down

I Can’t Hide

I Want You Bad

Please Please Girl

Tallahassee Lassie

St Louis Blues

She Said Yeah

Don’t You Lie To Me

Yes I Am

Married Woman (George on lead vocals)

Between The Lines

Slow Death

Shake Some Action

Encore – 1

Teenage Head

Let Me Rock

Encore – 2 (Alessandria only)

Jumpin’ Jack Flash

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Here’s a French TV clip of the Groovies doing “Roll Over Beethoven” from 1972:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKVs2cdYTkA