On Tuesday 26th June, I spent a most enjoyable evening at The Craufurd Arms in Wolverton. Two top notch bands were the source of my enjoyment, one, Desert Storm, that you may well have read about numerous times on this blog (and if you haven’t, you can catch up - see below) and the other, Karma To Burn, that I saw perform live for the first time.
Desert Storm (DS) dominates this particular post, I’ll write about Karma To Burn separately.
As I have written about DS before, I’ll make my observations about this show rather than repeat the insights that I have shared already (also, if you are new and I am lucky, you'll read six/seven posts when you only arrived to read one).
When the band took to the stage, the first thing that I noticed was that the usual bass player, Chris Benoist, wasn’t present. Instead the bass duties were being handled by Rob Glen, a chap that I had met before, but in conjunction with one of his earlier bands “Mother Corona” (also written about on this site - see below). Apparently, Chris B. had some prior commitments and couldn’t make this tour.
It’s not the first time I have seen the band without its bass player, last time (at another gig at the Craufurd), Ryan Cole took on the bass instead of his usual guitar role.
The reason for mentioning the above is that I am genuinely impressed that the band can play as a four-piece or a five piece with different members and still deliver a rousing, professional performance.
DS was the support band at this particular gig, the chaps played the following eight-song set:
On another professional matter, this time one mixed with a touch of irony, Rob Glen wasn’t even through “Journey’s End” before his amplifier ended its journey … and died. That left him in a very stressful situation as he went about rectifying the failure by replacing a component. He put his guitar on the floor and got on with the fix.
When he put the bass on the floor I thought it was another problem waiting to happen. Me. I’d have ended up walking back on to the guitar, damaging it and then falling off the stage and damaging myself. Fortunately, Rob was spatially aware and calm enough not to augment the fault with an accident.
Whilst the amplifier was being fixed, the rest of the band carried on playing, no drama and genuinely sounding good, even without the four-string (well five on a technicality). All very professional I thought. Talking to front man, Matt Ryan, afterwards emphasized it further, his view “shit happens, just carry on”.
Next DS observation - the entire band was sporting full beards, even Chris White the guitarist who normally looks rather more clean-cut than the rest of the fellas. Matt Ryan had grown a significant, inch or more below chin, red beard over the six months or so since I last saw him. Even stand in member, Rob Glen, had a full/long beard too. I asked Chris White if he’d been put under pressure by his band mates, you know the “your lack of facial hair is detracting from our image” kind of discussion. Apparently, he’d grown the fuzz of his own volition … but I still wasn’t sure it wasn’t a peer pressure decision.
Desert Storm was touring and promoting its latest album entitled “Sentinels”. Before I wrap this post up, I’ll mention how I acquired this album.
A number of weeks ago now I popped into the HMV store in Milton Keynes shopping centre. To be frank, it took me a little while to find the shop because it had moved location in the centre and was about a quarter of the size it used to be. Blink at the wrong time and you’d walk past without noticing it. HMV's high street days are surely numbered.
Despite HMV MK being a shell of its former self, I wandered up to the heavy metal section, searched for, found and duly purchased Sentinels. I was genuinely pleased for the band - when its material can be bought in a crappy little HMV store, the band has surely made it?
But then it deserves to - good music, a good work ethic, skilled musicians and decent chaps to boot.
Sentinels is cracking as was the gig at the Craufurd Arms.
Thanks guys, I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon.
Blog Home
Blog Library
Home
Previous reviews available
17/02/15 Eating, drinking and rocking on the Cowley Road (incudes references to Mother Corona)
19/03/15 Desert Storm and some other noisy bastards
26/06/15 Mother Corona at the Craufurd Arms
10/12/15Desert Storm at The Craufurd Arms – a gig review
10/08/16Digression, Desert Storm and Honky
04/12/17 Ten year, cellar matured Desert Storm joy
Desert Storm (DS) dominates this particular post, I’ll write about Karma To Burn separately.
As I have written about DS before, I’ll make my observations about this show rather than repeat the insights that I have shared already (also, if you are new and I am lucky, you'll read six/seven posts when you only arrived to read one).
When the band took to the stage, the first thing that I noticed was that the usual bass player, Chris Benoist, wasn’t present. Instead the bass duties were being handled by Rob Glen, a chap that I had met before, but in conjunction with one of his earlier bands “Mother Corona” (also written about on this site - see below). Apparently, Chris B. had some prior commitments and couldn’t make this tour.
It’s not the first time I have seen the band without its bass player, last time (at another gig at the Craufurd), Ryan Cole took on the bass instead of his usual guitar role.
The reason for mentioning the above is that I am genuinely impressed that the band can play as a four-piece or a five piece with different members and still deliver a rousing, professional performance.
DS was the support band at this particular gig, the chaps played the following eight-song set:
- Journey’s End
- Too Far Gone
- The Brawl
- Queen Reefer
- Kingdom of Horns
- Titan
- Convulsion
- Enslaved in the Icy Tundra
On another professional matter, this time one mixed with a touch of irony, Rob Glen wasn’t even through “Journey’s End” before his amplifier ended its journey … and died. That left him in a very stressful situation as he went about rectifying the failure by replacing a component. He put his guitar on the floor and got on with the fix.
When he put the bass on the floor I thought it was another problem waiting to happen. Me. I’d have ended up walking back on to the guitar, damaging it and then falling off the stage and damaging myself. Fortunately, Rob was spatially aware and calm enough not to augment the fault with an accident.
Whilst the amplifier was being fixed, the rest of the band carried on playing, no drama and genuinely sounding good, even without the four-string (well five on a technicality). All very professional I thought. Talking to front man, Matt Ryan, afterwards emphasized it further, his view “shit happens, just carry on”.
Next DS observation - the entire band was sporting full beards, even Chris White the guitarist who normally looks rather more clean-cut than the rest of the fellas. Matt Ryan had grown a significant, inch or more below chin, red beard over the six months or so since I last saw him. Even stand in member, Rob Glen, had a full/long beard too. I asked Chris White if he’d been put under pressure by his band mates, you know the “your lack of facial hair is detracting from our image” kind of discussion. Apparently, he’d grown the fuzz of his own volition … but I still wasn’t sure it wasn’t a peer pressure decision.
Desert Storm was touring and promoting its latest album entitled “Sentinels”. Before I wrap this post up, I’ll mention how I acquired this album.
A number of weeks ago now I popped into the HMV store in Milton Keynes shopping centre. To be frank, it took me a little while to find the shop because it had moved location in the centre and was about a quarter of the size it used to be. Blink at the wrong time and you’d walk past without noticing it. HMV's high street days are surely numbered.
Despite HMV MK being a shell of its former self, I wandered up to the heavy metal section, searched for, found and duly purchased Sentinels. I was genuinely pleased for the band - when its material can be bought in a crappy little HMV store, the band has surely made it?
But then it deserves to - good music, a good work ethic, skilled musicians and decent chaps to boot.
Sentinels is cracking as was the gig at the Craufurd Arms.
Thanks guys, I’ll look forward to seeing you again soon.
Blog Home
Blog Library
Home
Previous reviews available
17/02/15 Eating, drinking and rocking on the Cowley Road (incudes references to Mother Corona)
19/03/15 Desert Storm and some other noisy bastards
26/06/15 Mother Corona at the Craufurd Arms
10/12/15Desert Storm at The Craufurd Arms – a gig review
10/08/16Digression, Desert Storm and Honky
04/12/17 Ten year, cellar matured Desert Storm joy
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