The heyday for live albums has long since gone. Too often seen as contract fillers, for those lucky enough to still be with a half-decent record label, these days. More so souvenirs sold on merchandise stands during bands’ current live shows. Theoretically they’ve always been cheap to produce, and these days there’s rarely any studio rejigging, what you hear just straight from the soundboard, a little too often warts and that’s all.
When The Commoners came through the UK on their headline tour last year, the inclusion of a series of covers, when they’d only just had a couple of albums out that were still gathering fans, seemed rather curious. I suspected then a live album was on its way. Much as I’ve been proved right, the tracks featured on their new Live In The UK album are all their own choice cuts, honed tracks recorded when they supported The Sheepdogs.
However, make no mistake, when these Canadians hit the stage – They own it! Whether that’s in clubland where they’re stepping on each other’s toes or running riot, ripping it up supporting some more established act you’ve paid your ticket for but forgot the name of while they’re up there giving it all they’ve got.
If they’ve egos, they seem to put those to one side of themselves. Maybe that’s why they took the name they did. Either way, they deliver fine tunes, playing as an ensemble, albeit with an outstanding vocalist in Chris Medhurst, but maybe that’s just because his voice sits so perfectly within the band’s framework.
That said, noisy, if a not a little rough around the edges, ‘Shake You Off’ starts things off, coming out the traps with drums stomping hard down the fast lane, guitars rearing away and a screaming voice calling everyone into a crazy rock and roll line formation – This is the sound of a live band quite likely walking on stage in the dark, counting themselves in then unleashing several hours’ worth of pent-up back stage energy in one hefty release, finding their balance over a couple of bars then delivering some prime hard rocking blues with a little soul in its swagger. What do you get it return? A shake of 70s Stones, two parts Humble Pie, a twist of lemon-squeezing Zeppelin, and one big smile.
“We’re The Commoners from Tororonto, Canada and we’re gonna have some fun tonight!” exclaims their front man, a cool and loose lead-in stirring the loins before enough guitar squealing let’s rip for you to make a mental note to play Aerosmith’s Live! Bootleg after you’re finished with this one. When at last they begin to pummel away in earnest for ‘The Way I Am’ it’s hearts on sleeves, arms widen open, big Americana heartfelt lovers rock from a band so far north of the Southern states their music often reflects that big baby Trump probably wets his diapers dreaming of wrapping them in tariffs – Rest assured, that will be the only downer reference I make regarding this record. Suffice to say, again, this song is loud, leery, full of passion and life.
Drummer Adam Cannon’s been giving it some welly throughout the last two numbers and proceeds to continue in that manner as ‘Who Are You’ starts up. A funkier rascally come-on of a number, with cheeky organ peeping in an out all over the place. It’s got that two-voices-at-a-mic vibe you get from The Faces, Pie and the Stones. Lyrically, it’s a song that’s either gearing up for a fist fight or about a potential night time lover playing hard to get – If it is the former, you know some poor bruiser is going to have to take on the whole of The Commoners gang!
“This song is called ‘Gone Without Warning’” hollers Medhurst on a slide-fest number that hits you like vintage Blackfoot on the warpath save for a few bars near the end where they make out like Mr Dynamite himself, James Brown.
The fingers-in-the-socket energy surging through that first half of their set, surely needs a breather and it comes with ‘Restless’, a lonesome cowboy widescreen love story to their homeland. Ramming that theme home, or at least telling more stories about women they left behind, comes ‘See You Again’ – Here Medhurst plays acoustic guitar, his vocals reflective and beautifully audacious as Citrullo’s slide rolls aside any oncoming tears, Branagh’s organ and piano add warmth to stave the pain, and Ben Spiller and Adam Cannon’s tight rhythm pocket keeps it all stoical – Half a century ago this kind of music lit 20,000+ cigarette lighters a night in Stateside arenas.
Their mojos rising back up, they take another long run in with some wild and free guitar soloing veering into more elegiacally anthemic like harmony guitar refrains as the rhythm section whop, bop and give it more than enough bam underneath prior to the riff to ‘Devil Teasin’ Me’ biting down hard and refusing to let go. Medhurt’s raw impassioned voice proclaiming how he became the latest rock and roll soldier to fall victim to a pact with Lucifer at the crossroads even as the boys in the band ironically offer gospel backing vocals. The pace and tempo vary, matching the intensity and frustration exposed lyrically, with the briefest of drum solo from Cannon before the ker-bang and kerash of guitars end the piece.
On the home run now, Medhurst calls out “I wanna see you move!” as ‘Fill My Cup’ gets poured out sweetly like some slow ass shaking aphrodisiac that inexplicably got left-off Led Zeppelin III, with some formidably sensuous electric guitar thrown in for good measure. “This is gonna be our last song of the night, thank you very much!” he then declares as the push and pull heartland anthem ‘Find a Better Way’ becomes a big old singalong, Medhurst’s fantastic voice leading the way with us following along like faithful bloodhounds.
In this big bad and brazen world, where every second-hand politician is a would be world dictator, neighbours rarely if never spoken to, and we become wary of friends lest they try to get one over on us, there’s got to be something better, and ‘Find a Better Way’ is the kind of number that offers us hope. But then, The Commoners are the best damn bar band you’re ever going to; see writ large, making you believe in what they have to offer, and if that’s just an honest smile I’ll take it.
This album means a lot to the band because what you hear is 100% authentically us,” said Citrullo. “It’s the true Commoners live show experience, captured from the perspective of a fan in the crowd. It’s loose, heavy, and full of energy. We were wrapping up a long tour when we recorded this… the band was riding high. You can feel the energy in the room, it’s electric.”
He hits the nail on the head. Present on Live In The UK are nine prime cuts of raw roots-entrenched rocking delight; tunes you may have become familiar with, but often in extended form. Worth far more than just being a souvenir and reminder that you’ve seen them live; it’s something worth playing loud again for those neighbours you keep meaning to say hello to.
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Reviewed by Paul H Birch.
- Live In The UK is released via Gypsy Soul Records on CD and vinyl here, and digitally here.
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Track List:
- Shake You Off
- The Way I Am
- Who Are You
- Gone Without Warning
- Restless
- See You Again
- Devil Teasin’ Me
- Fill My Cup
- Find a Better Way
