Gig write-ups
I don't write-up all Stealer's gigs, but if you'd like to write a review,
I'll include it here, as long as it's not too rude!
Send here....
The Furlong, Ringwood, 29th August
We were expecting a quiet night, being the Tuesday after a long bank holiday week end but there's no rest for the wicked; it was packed. The Furlong is an excelent pub, small and bijou but perfectly formed, the beer is good, the sound is great and the audience are fantastic, we were asked for so many cards we've run out!
Bournemouth Carnival, The Gardens Bandstand, 4th August
This is a charity event in favour of the 'Mayor of Bournemouth's Charities'.
Stealer were happy to be asked to appear and hope our performance boosted those
funds. The venue was the 'Bandstand' which is a bit of an under-statement -
it's huge and has a commanding view over the Gardens. We were a little concerned
that out PA and other amplification would not be loud enough to cover such
a large open area, but from the first song it was apparent that we could be
heard. Malcolm produced some truly thunderous grunt from his bass rig, the
drums and keyboards were extensively miked and the guitar sang through Mesa
Boogie and Fender amps, all complimented by John Lloyd's excellent vocals.
From the off, the audience was keen, dancing and cheering almost as loudly
as we were playing, all the way through until we stopped for the fireworks.
The organisers told us we played to about two and a half thousand people! We
enjoyed ourselves so much that we're already looking forward to next year and
doing it again.
Video clip Not good quality but you'll get the picture
:)
QuickTime for proper computers like the Mac
Flash If you can't afford a Mac, try this one.
Photos to follow.
The Manor Arms, 8th July
I've always liked playing at the Manor, but recently, it's has changed hands
more frequently than an onanist with
cramp. Now at least it seems to have someone at the helm who knows what she's
doing. We replaced Shoestring
Blues who replaced Lady Winwood's Maggot (a bit
complicated) so there were a number of 'Maggots' fans more than a little surprised
at our presence. But they all stayed! So we treated them to a cocophony of classic
rock. In return, we were rewarded with a keen, appreciative audience,
many of whom sang along with our rock classics. In fact they got more of the
words right than John our singer!
The Royal Oak, Downton
Being an eternal optimist I'm not normally given to negativity, but this has
to be said. We are a rock band - this is a restaurant, not a music venue. The
Kiwi bloke that booked us knew that, but in the interest of good relations
we played quieter than we ever have. And generally, it went down well with
a hard core of punters staying to the end. The Kiwi was equally complimentary
after the gig, confirming our next booking at a party there. We duly delivered
posters and spent the evening laughing and drinking with him. So it came
as some surprise when the bloke phoned shortly before the gig to blow us out
- not what you expect from a professional - but the worst bit was the totally
offensive phone-call I got from him. AVOID!
The King Charles, Poole Quay
A good venue, this is a medieval hall with stone walls and a high timber
roofspace - difficult sound when empty but great with a crowd. Our blend
of classic rock and less obvious covers was well received by the audience
who, judging by the comments were keen to come to our next gig there.
The Holly Tree
First gig with Malcolm on bass guitar. He also plays a wicked
saxaphone, not both at the same time though. I gotta say the crowd were
great, one of the most enthusiastic for a long time, the only problems were down
to a couple of drunks falling into the band. Perhaps they felt at home there
:)
