MR SPIDER - Burns Bar, Arbroath 30-09-06
For those that have skipped the previous reviews and are here for the first time, Mr Spider are a quartet, complete with new bassist Mike, who play the blues - oh, and blues-rock - oh, and seventies Classic Rock covers - oh, not forgetting their own original songs, of which there are increasingly more that are increasingly better every gig. They have a stuning blues guitarist in John, a solid drummer in Paul who, tonight seemed to develop a very unhealthy obsession with his cowbell, but the icing on the cake is vocalist Michele Mclaren, whose rich, pure and strong mid-range vocal, makes familiar songs sound fresh and takes their originals into an altogether higher plane. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, that where so many female blues vocalists seem to want to hammer it out to be as strong as their male counterparts, and mostly end up being ever so raucous, Michele just oozes the vocals from every pore, sultry at one end, soaring like an eagle at the other.
They also play a two hour set!!
Bizarre part is that it never once feels like two hours - it's so darned enjoyable that time whizzes by. Tonight we had a selection of blues-rockers, seventies rockers and originals. The way they turn the rolling blues of JJ Cale's "Cocaine" into Black Sabbath's "N.I.B." without a break as Michele just soars through Ozzy's vocal as though it were her own, is still one of many high points. The slowness of ZZ Top's "Blue Jean Blues" is almost testing as to how slow they can play it before it runs into a dead halt, but for slow blues, you have to hear their version of "Stormy Monday" - there can be no better a female vocal delivery of this around (not that I've heard anyway) as the song takes on a whole new identity. Otherwise, we have blues boogie in the form of Dr Feelgood's "Back In The Night" and ZZ Top's "Tush" where John really shines on lead guitar. Their rendition of "Hey Joe" remains a version that you really thrill to hearing, a rare thing for a Hendrix cover, while performances of classics by Free and Bad Company produced some of the best applause of the night. Throughout it all, you are also always aware that the rhythm section is playing it solid and upfront, never once sounding like an aside for the guitar and vocals, which can so often happen. The end of the first set features a Bobby "Blue" Bland" number where Michele's vocals start low-key and gradually build as the guitar work rises and the song finally erupts into a fantastic extended guitar lead from John that always produces a positive reaction in the wrapt audience. In set two, Michele takes a break as an instrumental also shows the band's prowess as a tight and gliding blues-rock unit.
But it is their originals that are the thing - in a set of familiar tracks, many bands' own compositions would pale in comparison - not here! The humour of the jaunty and cleverly written "Bottle Blues" (a homage to drink and drinking) is one to bring more than a smile to your face, while another track (whose title I forget) features just John on electric slide and Michele on vocals, and is just superb. Another slower number comes over as Sade-meets-Santana with Michele delivering a smooth vocal which glides through a slice of almost latinesque soul-blues. They have a track called (I think) "All The Good Men" which is a tour-de-force number on which Michele is absolutely riveting, starting low-key and gradualy climbing higher and stronger as the song builds, the tension breaking out in the chorus as the band charge and Michele lets go, a stunning performance out of many.
They are currently preapring an album for the autumn/winter and, on the evidence of this performance, should be well worth the wait. As a live act, though, can't be faulted for enjoyment, musicianship, vocals and length of set. Highly recommended.