Review: The Strange Blues Band, The Bridge, Milford on Sea

MUSIC by The Strange Blues Band, playing at The Bridge in Milford, often joyously transcended the basic format of guitars, bass and drums.

The group, made up of Marty (lead guitar and vocals), Crash (rhythm guitar and vocals), Colin (bass) and Greg (drums and vocals), play mainly songs of the great rock bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s, including The Who, The Stones, The Doors and Led Zep.

We’ve all seen such ‘cover’ bands at the local pub, where Pete Townsend’s power chords are usually reduced to a discordant mush and Robert Plant’s legendary vocals resemble more the whine of a hungry lap-dog than the howl of a Tyrannosaurus Rex in heat.

The question is, then, why are The Strange Blues Band such a fresh and exciting live act?

One answer is, although they are all accomplished musicians, they play as a band rather than a group of individuals.

There was also evidence an unspoken appreciation of traditional blues and rock and roll which made members of the 70-strong audience want to get up and dance to such hairy biker anthems as Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water and Free’s All Right Now.

My personal highlights were renditions of Karl Perkin’s 1957 hit, Matchbox Blues, and the 1970 Hawkwind classic, Hurry on Sundown, which effortlessly captured the psychedelic beauty of the original.

A massive thank you must go to all the volunteers who enable such events to happen. Special mention must also be given to Phil and Ewan who worked wonders on the sound desk. Along with it’s Folk, Blues and Jazz nights, The Bridge at Milford is fast becoming the place to see quality, live music.

Ian Hey