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Strangefish
are the 'greatest prog band that nobody's heard of' - they
are that good. They have everything and more than all the
bigger names in prog have (including Pendragon, Marillion,
Arena etc). Sometimes they do get too close to that Marillion
sound but while ever frontman Steve Taylor is around their
identity is assured.
This
bunch of lads have their feet solidly on the ground and are
great to work with. They want to succeed but you get the feeling
that they simply enjoy what they do. The songwriting is up
with the best, the lyrics fun and amusing while the performers
themselves are outstanding. Just as importantly (and something
that may others lack) these lads have personalities. 'Bob'
on guitar was a sensation drawing all the emotion necessary
from the strings while smoothly moving into heavier mode whenever
the song demanded it. In Julian Gregory they have Mr Versatility
and while he concentrates on bass playing he can adapt to
his violin when the band hit jig mood.
In
the keyboard department Paul O'Neill could be any one of your
favourite players if you kept your eyes closed and just to
keep it all in order there's Dave Whittaker on drums.
This
was the bands official album launch for 'Full Scale' and obviously
much of the material was taken from this album. Outstanding
was 'Oceans Deep' and the excellent 'Listening to Ghost' while
'Wallflower' had the audience singing along and dancing too.
What more could you ask for? I can't think of much more unless
it's a big name every week that the classic rock fan seeks!
That just isn't possible and you don't need them anyway because
there's so much talent around if only you give it a chance.
Martin Hudson
Strangefish, The Brecks, Rotherham, Saturday 7th November
2003
Last
Saturday saw Strangefish launch their first album 'Full Scale',
by performing a stunning 'electric' set for the CRS at Herringthorpe
Leisure Centre. Today they again displayed their exceptional
skills, and versatility, by performing a short 'acoustic'
set. Their opener 'Clockwork' was the first ever song written
by Strangefish. In future I hope more of these earlier songs
will find their way into the live set, although choosing what
to drop would be extremely difficult considering the overall
strength of their repertoire.
This
was followed by covering The Beatles classic 'Blackbird',
a chance for 'Bob' to display his talent on acoustic guitar.
One of the highlights of this bands 'electric' set is 'The
Lighthouse Jig' which provides Julian Gregory with an opportunity
to show his skill on the electric violin, here using a conventional
violin this piece of music was no less impressive. The biggest
surprises came with their softer versions of 'Wallflower'
and 'Pigeon Hole'. Normally these songs best display the heavy
and funky styles in their material, this evenings' interpretations
were translated well for the ambience of the event, and were
both novel and interesting. Between these two original songs,
an energetic version of 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' put
Julian in the spotlight yet again, this time on both violin
and vocals. Overall opinion - if you see them once it won't
be the last!! Geoff Arnold
Album
Reviews
Strangefish
Full Scale
Now
I have a finished copy of the album, I previewed last month,
I can continue to rave about the Manchester based band. Their
recent visit to the CRS was equally pleasing and most of the
material found here was performed on the night - and more.
There
are eight tracks full of progability that so many of you yourselves
rave about. As I said in the preview, they are not the finished
article, but when they are they will be as good as anything
I have heard over the past few years. In Bob (guitar) and
Paul O'Neill (keyboards) they have the quintessential elements
necessary. Frontman, Steve Taylor, is a young Fish/John Dexter
Jones and elsewhere Julian Gregory is the bass extraordinaire
who can add violin and Dave Whittaker rounds it off nicely
on drums.
Just
take on board the opening track, 'Shifting Sands and Turning
Tides', a track that says it all. Some wonderful linking piano,
let alone colourful, twisting and turning keyboards. In places
Bob sounds like Arena guitar man John Mitchell and it all
just sounds prog heaven.
They
really are the greatest prog band that nobody's heard of!
Give it a go! Available on the CRS Sales List. Martin Hudson
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