Reviews
Artist:Imelda May + The Dodge Brothers
Venue:The Brook
Town:Southampton
Date:19/11/08
Website:http://www.myspace.com/imeldamay1
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a rock ‘n’ roll gig, real rock ‘n’ roll that is, slap bass an all. I guess it harks back to the days of the old southern rock ‘n’ roll society and monthly gigs at Bournemouth Town Hall and Southampton Civic Hall.
With the rise in forties and fifties inspired music, it was time to head off to Southampton once again and reacquaint myself with the genre.
This time the venue was The Brook, by coincidence also in Southampton, the artist in question Imelda May, supported by The Dodge Brothers.
A friend of mine has been raving about The Dodge Brothers for a while now and they’ve just finished recording their new album in Poole. My exposure to Imelda May has pretty much been restricted to her Jools Holland appearance and her MySpace page, my knowledge was about to be increased considerably.
I like The Brook as a venue, it’s got a feel that falls between music hall and New York. What I mean by that is it’s on two levels, an upper circle sweeping round three sides, close into the stage, but not near enough to restrict viewing of the raised stage from the back of the ground floor.
The stage it’s self has the NY feel. A black banner covering the lower half of the stage with natural brick above it. My only complaint is that noise from the bars at the side of the viewing areas can drift across the music, particularly during the quieter bits, unfortunately not a lot can be done about that.
The Dodge Brothers are a skiffle band, skiffle being prototype, predominently English rock ‘n’ roll. In it’s early form a number of the instruments used to be home made, tea chest bass etc, but these days it’s real instruments, except for the washboard.
The best known member of The Dodge Brothers is film critic and Culture Show host Mark Kermode(bass & gob iron), but on stage, he really is just part of the band along with Aly and Mike on guitar and drummer x. This is definitely not a vanity band.
These days most of the songs are their own, but they fit in the odd cover version. The songs pretty much confirm to the old standards of transport, military ordnance, having a good time and a little political commentary.
One of the bands numbers, “42 Days” was a strum against the highly unjust 42 day detention period proposed by the government. The song was so successful the plan has been dropped, but it does leave a protest song with nothing to protest against. That said if most of your music is sort of out of date before you write it, does that really matter. It also gave Mr Kermode a chance to get his uke out.
The Dodge Brothers were really fun and whilst there wasn’t room to get people dancing in the aisles there was definitely space to get a lot of movement out of an audience with easily a fifty year span of ages, pretty much across both genders.
The band really can play. It was lively and tight, there’s still a lot of mileage in rock ‘n’ roll especially when the rhythm is being provide by a single snare drum and a heap of slap bass. The set seemed short and there was still plenty of life in the band as they departed the stage to cries of more, well tried to depart the stage, but made a wrong door error and had to come back to depart through the right one.
The new album looks like hitting the shelves in March, other albums currently available.
A short interval allowed beer glasses to be refilled etc. then it was time for Imelda May.
Her band lead her out, guitar, drums, horn and slap bass before Imelda joined them. In all honesty I have to say her initial impact was as much visual as it was aural. White curl dyed into her quiff. Dark top into check skirt via large red belt and curves.
Initially I think the mix of the sound was wrong. The bass, though eloquently played seemed to be too high in the mix and it was dominating Ms May’s voice.
It was soon corrected, either by the guys on the desk or by me adjusting to it, either way by the third song Imelda’s rock ‘n’ roll tones were coming through loud and clear.
No where was this brought home more than on her cover of the Patsy Cline classic, “Walking After Midnight” I don’t think I’ve heard the song performed so well live. It was truly exceptional.
The band make use of handheld percussion, mainly tambourine, at times using two, but also, briefly a bodhran in the encore and shakers, as well as plenty of hand claps.
Apart from a brief switch to electric bass and then back to slap for the more psychobilly tracks towards the end, Imelda May and her band could have slipped back in time anywhere from the mid-fifties onwards.
This however is no mere tribute to a time and a close confederation of genres, this is very much a vibrant addition to that which has gone before it. May has a voice that is ideally suited to jive, rock, swing and any combination of the above.
She sounds, and looks, the part, it’s easy to see why both the genre and Imelda May and her band are rising into the public consciousness.
It was only when we reached the encore I realised what a great guitarist she has in toe. His sound was hard and sharp, but didn’t detract from the songs, except when he was given the rein to do so.
Imelda is down this way again in the 2009, I think I know someone that will be in the audience.