|
Who???
Well, maybe now, when people go and see Johnny Winter on his current
tour playing live, they know, whom I'm talking of. Because these
musicians beeing reviewed here, are currently supporting the Blues icon
here in Europe - well most of it. And inbetween there is still some time
left for one or the other club rendevouz. Okay, for everybody, who still
don't know who Hundred Seventy Split are or haven't been to any Johnny
Winters shows (yeah well, then they'd know, won't they) it is quickly
explained, that this is none other than Bassist Leo Lyons and singer/guitarist
Joe Gooch of Ten Years After. The first one is a Woodstock veteran, the
other one replaced original Alvin Lee some years ago in the cultband.
Whereby many people say, that Joe is miles better than Mr. Lee has ever
been. He's just missing the cult status thanks to his youth and
therefore Woodstock abstinence. But that again, would not have been
possible anyway, because when the most famous festival of all times took
place, he was still flying with the storchs. Mind me, we had that before
in some Ten Years After Review.
Whatsoever de ja vu.... We are here tonight at the popular Village Club
in Habach in Bavaria close to the austrian border. And we got the usual guests here, those who are here anyway all the time and who have
moved their butts from the couch at home to this place to check out well
known guys in a new dress. Well most of them, as drummer Damon Sawyer
ain't that known. Nothing against him, but by checking out Hundred
Seventy Split on the internet and in promo infos you never find him
mentioned, only Joe Gooch and Leo Lyons.... But don't forget: nothing
works without a rhythm machine or better - drumkit.
 |
|
Anyway,
and whoever has thought, he does get a TYA copy here, is certainly
wrong. Because within the twice 50 minutes we won't get to hear any TYA
, but only Hundred Seventy Split orginals from their debut album 'The
World Won't Stop', which came out in January. Stilistically there
are no major differences to the mothership what's up to the style.
Because also within here we got driving Bluesrock including tracks such
as 'The Smoke', the titletrack and 'Poison'.Classical
Blues we get at 'Going Home' which has nothing to do with the same
titled track of TYA. And the hymn 'Wish You Were At Woodstock' includes
some nostalgic moments and creates maybe a little relation to the
cultband. I personally think, that within Hundred Seventy Split (the
name is adopted from a cross road junction in Nashville TN) Joe Gooch is
able to put out much more of his individual creativity, which hasn't
nesessarely to do with his guitar skills, which are great anyway. And he
doesn't need to prove anything.
Very nice to see, that this threesome don't mind, playing just in front
of 50 something, compared to up to 1.000 fans, they get, when
supporting Johnny Winter.
|
|
Maybe
this is, because, these guys know us already pretty well here from the
past. And this again gives the evening somehow a familiar character. And
compared to many other artists from this genre, the show of Hundred
Seventy Split ain't no endless story, but a very entertaining Bluesrock
party, played with a lot of heartblood. The break inbetween doesn't last
45 minutes as usual, but only about 20 minutes. And I presume, that also
this 20 minutes are enough to smoke a cigarette and order the next beer.
In any
case, I could easily imagine, that Joe and Leo can manage with their
side project to work their way up to a wider resonance
And it's a lot of fun, doing this, and then again playing 'Little
Schoolgirl' again with Ten Years After. As we say so: it's always up to
the right balance... so the luv for both will hopefully never die...
time will tell....
http://www.hundredseventysplit.com/ |
