When Stop Stop segue into Four Non Blondes’ “What’s Going On?” during their last song, “Stop Stop” it’s a question many were asking. Three men of indeterminate age and of huge hair, are delivering the track from the KK’S Floor, drummer Danny is bashing one of his tubs and guitarist Dennis is trading licks mere feet from MV. For a decade now the Brummie based trio have been having nothin’ but a good time and they are so infectious you can’t resist them. Fists are in the air for “Last Call” and you can’t help but love them because they love the music so much. “Are you ready to party?” Frontman and bassist Jacob had asked a little earlier, but the answer didn’t matter, they are ready at a moments notice and they’ll party all night long. This sort of sleaze will never die and neither should it. Never stop, Stop Stop.
Zach Waters Band have come all the way from Sacramento, California for this and the three piece (Grayson on bass and Logan on drums join Zach) look every inch the type of band that has been on the road all their lives. Their own stuff like “Had Enough” and brand new song “Hole In The Road” is all the proof you need that when a power trio gets it right, there’s no better sound. The idea that they would bleed rock n roll if you cut them open is never too far away either and their trio of covers “All Day And All Of The Night” (which is also their current single), “Voodoo Chile” and “Paranoid” is an insight into their tastes, but also their sound. Their first visit to Europe won’t be their last, but it’d be good to see more original material as Zach Waters Band have all the skill you need.
When Chip Z’Nuff kicks off “Baby Loves You” here, about 20 minutes into the set, MV looks around. There’s people of a certain age, shall we say, smiling and dancing and it’s 1991 again. Just for a bit.
33 years later and Chip still looks like Chip, and the band still sound like EZN even if they’re not the same as they were (although having a member of Nelson in their ranks in Jason Camino takes me back…..)
Back in ‘91 I was in a severe Skid Row and Electric Boys phase and came across a band that sounded like a cross between both as far as I was concerned.
The one playing “Wheels” right here basically.
They’d started with a couple of Beatles songs. Now is not the time to discuss my thoughts on them, but suffice to say I’m much more aligned to “Kiss The Clown”.
Chip is a rock star to his very core, remarking on the “good looking trim” in the crowd, and he exudes that cool you need, and the band around him are excellent. “In The Groove” takes on Blues, and when they do “Jet” they make it their own. As ever, EZN are more hard edged than you imagine.
It also helps that they’ve got a mega hit in their pockets. “Fly High Michelle” (“I should have waited to the last song like everyone else” smiles Chip) and their version of “Eleanor Rigby” is so good it makes even the “Fab” four palatable.
“New Thing” – another from the early days – proves the best things never date.
Where the encore would be usually, they stay for “Rock N Roll World” – an unexpected inclusion- and if “With A Little Help From My Friends” sounds more like Joe Cocker than the weedy original then its to its credit (do you need me to make my views on The Beatles any clearer……?) And they are joined by a couple of friends for it too.
But back to 1991. And I’ve never bought the lazy cliché that the second Nirvana came along all other music died. The shit stuff might have. The good bands are still here, and tonight Enuff Z’Nuff were here now and entertained us, just as they ever did. Like Cinderella said: the more things change, the more they stay the same.
