24 November 2015 (gig)
25 November 2015
The 100 Club in London’s Oxford Street is rightfully iconic and over the years more stars have played there than you could shake a stick at.
Last night featured two artists who deserve to be up there in the lists but owing to the parlous state of the music business today aren’t receiving the plaudits they deserve.
The Tuesday Blues at the 100 Club usually feature three bands but the Riotous Brothers had to drop out at short notice and that meant that both The Karena K Ashton band and Roscoe Levee and the Southern Slide played extended sets much to the delight of the crowd for both artists.
Karena K is a small lady with a huge voice and she kicked off playing sax while her band steamed into ‘Let My Baby Ride’. When she started singing she suddenly seemed a lot taller – no small voice this one. She has grit as well as soul in her voice and the feel of Joe Cocker at his best but she also has delicacy in the vocals as well. The set featured a stirring ‘Battered And Blue’ but the real highlights were all drawn from her Northern Soul roots – a knockout ‘Tainted Love’ shorn of all the Soft Cell angularity and a version of ‘The Letter’ that was all about Joe Cocker’s style but still kept the truth and feeling of hope in the Boxtops version. The set was well received and it was easy to see why she has been shortlisted for awards in poll after poll.
Roscoe Levee and the Southern Slide followed and belted out a set full of braggadocio and funk. Musically they sit in a powerful groove laden rock/Blues place driven by Roscoe’s lead guitar and vocals and Simon Gardiner’s bass while Lee Spreadbury’s organ gives the sound of the band added weight and depth. From time to time I was getting the sound of Little Feat but when they play heavy they really ripped the place apart.
Roscoe is a very natural frontman and with his blond locks and passionate vocals he is a magnet for the ladies but he is a better guitarist than vocalist and he tore out some monster solos.
On a cold and wet Tuesday night there are few places I would rather be than the 100 Club and seeing such quality as these two bands in a tiny basement, up close and personal, is so much better than any visit to the O2 or similar.
Live music is the core of the music scene and having bands like these makes it worth your support.
