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Elly Roberts reviews
A little bit more than a little bit of chaos took place at the Chicago Rock Café Wrexham, recently.
Booking this seasoned splinter group of mothershipband Total Chaos proved to be a real winner for venue and customers,doubling the usual 70 plus Thursday crowd. Word circulated that an excellentband was coming to town for a rare appearance.
From 10pm onwards, the quartet, Phil Beaumont (drums), Amos Cooper (guitar),Paul Sturman (acoustic guitar, lead vocals) and Mike Edwards on bass gave amasterclass in both presentation and music. ALBOC are a covers band – with a difference.
Normally, this type of night is nothing more than a tribute; instead thislocal outfit do things their way. They carefully adapt the songs to theirRnB remit. For two hours and twenty minutes, they plundered an eclecticsetlist that would shame even the originals.
Their relaxed and playfulmanner, lead by charismatic frontman Paul Sturman, the band opened with apersonal favourite and universal standard by Van Morrison Moondance.Everything that followed was perfectly suited to their collective ability,which is in abundance.
A great In The Air Tonight featured solid rhythm workfrom the powerhouse pairing of Beaumont and Edwards, allowing Cooper totexturize with sublime solos, and thats how it was all night. Taking onspace-rockers Pink Floyds Wish You Were Here was a bold move, matching theoriginals in every way. Sneaked in the slightly revised setlist was a torchsong of strong emotional depth – If I Go. Later, they showboated, with gemsby Tom Petty – Freefalling, a raucous ‘Grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye, taking thesong to level previously imagined.
Blue Oyster Cults perennial classicDont Fear The Reaper was a pulsating stunner as the crowd went nuts.Capping a glorious night, we were given a mesmerising guitar display byCooper on Princes Purple Rain. Running at neck-breaking speed with no breaktakes some doing, but they seem to thrive on it. The longer the nightprogressed and numbers swelled, the greater the reaction, resulting inregular bouts of cheers and dancing.
On this evidence, it wont be too long before theyre back by public demand.
Chicago Rock Café wishes to thank the Wrexham music stores who helpedadvertise the event.
Weblink:A Little Bit of Chaos.com
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.