Images Tony Woolway
There are few bands that could survive the loss of such an iconic figure like Ian Dury but the Blockheads continued gigging is credit to how much the band were an integral part of the legend that their input helped create alongside Dury’s wonderfully descriptive lyrics.
The band are quite simply a creative force of nature and whilst the tendency nowadays is to play their quite distinguished back catalogue they are prone to occasionally surprise with the addition of a new song or album track with that telltale Blockheads sound.
With Mike Bennett providing the vocals and proving a very able deputy for the late Dury you can forgive the band playing on autopilot such is their years of experience playing such memorable and much loved tunes. But on this evening’s performance the band were certainly anything but laboured and played with great enthusiasm that was contagious.
Long time bandmates John Turnbull and Chaz Jankel were in top form trading guitar licks with Jankel the king of rhythm whilst fellow Blockhesd stalwart Mick Gallagher’s keyboard mastery was the brandy in very tasty Christmas pudding.
Nathan King on bass was easily proving that there’s more the one top class musician in the family ( brother is Level 42’s Mark King) and gave Norman Watt -Roy’s stand- out bass lines a fresh update and with drummer John Roberts solid drumming allowing the band to thrive, with Dave Lewis adding the icing with some sultry and punchy saxophone.
Classic Blockheads tune followed tune with the opening track on the brilliant New Boots and Panties, “ Wake Up And Make Love To Me” setting a high bar straight from the off. It was lovely to see old tunes like “Lullaby for Francies” and “Sink My Boats” getting an airing and quite refreshing it was to hear these two seldom played songs.
The massive selling “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” with its line, “In the dock of Tiger Bay” received cheers as did a raucous, full-on version of the band’s long held signature tune “Blockheads” which brought the evening to a successful and very satisfying conclusion.
The band return to the same venue in 2024, you’ll be sad to miss it.
Tony Woolway