There has been quite a fuss made of Reverend And The Makers recently and on the back of their top 5 debut ‘The State Of Things’ they’ve managed to sell out the Spring & Airbrake. Tonight, however, those already converted to John McClure’s brand of urban grit far outnumber those who are simply here to see what all the fuss is about.
The band open with new track ‘Everybody Hates Ryan’, a mid-paced psychedelic grower which gives a nod to ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. Album tracks ‘Bandits’ and ‘What The Milkman Saw’ follow, but R&TM really get into their groove with the album’s title track, a song they turn into an extended hands in the air anthem, its funky bass and atmospheric synth providing an early highlight. Clearly not lacking in confidence they’re happy to lay down their hit single mid-set. ‘Heavyweight Champion Of The World’ goes down a storm of course, The Reverend in full show-man mode, throwing everything at that Brando inspired chorus ‘I could have been a contender, I could have been a someone’.
Tracks like ‘18-30’ and ‘Open Your Window’ bounce along nicely and during the chilled out reggae of ‘Sundown On The Empire’ McClure ad-lib’s a few lines from Massive Attack’s ‘Karmacoma’. It’s only a temporary lull though and the band step up the pace again for ‘He said he loved me’, a rousing duet between the Rev and cavorting keyboard player Laura. As the track reaches its crescendo, McClure stands arms folded, soaking up the rapturous response, satisfied that his word has been spread.
Some of the audience look bemused as the Rev then invites us “out the door”, but we follow our Pied Piper through the fire exit and across the road to the steps of the Ormeau Baths for an al-fresco encore. He strums his way through ‘Miss Brown’ and covers of ‘Jammin’’ and ‘Whatever’. And though McClure is barely audible, the ensuing mass sing along adds a memorable climax to this fine mid-week party. Gerard McCann
