The Force found their way to Blakey Ridge
in the middle of last month. Hey - no mean feat for a rock band.
There were doubts at first whether there was going to be enough
people to make the gig anywhere near a success. At 9pm nerves
were a little taught as the support was negligible, then suddenly,
a whole host arrived and in the end 50-60 or so streamed into
the inviting concert room at The Lion Inn.
The Force then proceeded to lift the fog
with their usual spirited performance. It was good to hear some
oldies in the set tonight. "Scared of the Dark" and
"Rainy Days" were the treat of the night for me. I can
understand The Force's need to please and with the likes of "Doctor
Doctor", "Down to the Doctor's", "Boys are
Back in Town" and "Purple Haze" they created a
connection for those who were new to them, b
ut I felt it took away the emphasis from their excellent
original material, which they would have got away with tonight
in front of a new(ish) audience. I've reviewed The Force so many
times now and with no real new material to speak of since I last
saw them I can really only emphasise that the enthusiasm is still
there alongside an incomparable display of rock music.
I must mention at the same time, the enthusiasm for live music at The Lion Inn, Blakey. There is a real desire for the music scene to thrive in this very remote, but alluring venue, it's not seen as a money-spinning opportunity (which we all know it isn't anyway). The Lion Inn has a rich musical past, it's history is full of achievements and glories, the present people concerned there have a real desire to take The Lion Inn to greater and dizzier heights, and there may be a few more surprises in store.
<< PREVIOUS REVIEW REVIEWS INDEX NEXT REVIEW >>
