The Answer - Bristol Review

There was an interesting symmetry regarding the two gigs that I attended this past weekend. I have already talked about my experiences catching W.A.S.P. in Wolverhampton, whom I had last seen in 2015, and I am about to discuss Sunday's gig in Bristol by the Irish blues rockers The Answer - whom I also last saw in 2015, in Exeter. Between 2010 and 2015 I saw The Answer four times - and their albums were on regular rotation on my iPod. The band's high energy live shows and brash blues rock sound made them a real draw for me - and I particularly remember a great 2014 show at the much-missed White Rabbit in Plymouth on part of the touring cycle for 2013's fourth album New Horizon. The 2015 show in Exeter was great, too, but it proved to be my last time seeing the band for eight years. The reason for this, though, was largely down the band themselves. The Answer toured their sixth album Solas throughout 2016 and 2017 - but when the 2017 dates came to an end, the band effectively folded on the quiet. Sadly I could not make any of the UK dates on the Solas touring cycle, which was a real shame, especially as it was almost the band's final tour. The band have not really talked much about their hiatus, but the liner notes of their newly-released seventh album Sundowners hint that the band really could have been over for a while. I do wonder if they had found themselves in something of a rut. I like Solas for its atmospheric and organic sound, but I think that it is fair to say that it lacks the band's usual brashness and love of a big groove. It felt like a band trying something new - and I am not sure that it quite worked in the way that they had perhaps hoped. I think the fans generally enjoyed the album, but I cannot imagine that it is anyone's favourite by The Answer - and perhaps the band felt somewhat creatively spent and decided to take a break. Sometimes taking a break is good for all involved, and it seems to have done The Answer a world of good. When it was announced last year that the band were back, I was really excited. I pre-ordered Sundowners as soon as I could - and when a handful of UK dates were announced I knew that I had to make the effort. A show on board the Thekla in Bristol made the most sense - so tickets were snapped up as soon as they went on sale. I have been to the Thekla a number of times over the years, and every gig there has been memorable for a number of reasons. It is one of those venues that always seems to attract a healthy crowd - and bands seem to really like playing there, which usually leads to excellent atmospheres. Following my trip down from Wolverhampton and a rest in the Travelodge whilst watching some football, I headed down to the venue for 7pm and joined the fairly modest queue. I had expected to see a few more waiting, but by the time the support band hit the stage at around 7:45pm the place was pretty much full. It was likely the busiest that I had seen the Thekla - and I am glad that I bought my new t-shirt when I did, otherwise it would have been hard to get to the merch desk.

Before The Answer's set, as mentioned there was one support act - who played for around 40 minutes to warm the crowd up. Oli Brown & The Dead Collective have been playing with The Answer on this tour, and the three-piece impressed with their atmospheric and murky take on modern blues rock. Brown is a name that I have been hearing for a long time, and I think has been known over the years as more of a traditional blues player - but with his new project The Dead Collective he seems to have taken a more harder rocking road, with touches of atmospheric prog thrown in. Joined by Wayward Sons/Black Star Riders guitarist Sam Wood and former King King drummer Wayne Proctor, Brown stormed through a strong set of dark material which showcased his grungy vocal style and high-octane guitar playing. In this current guise I was actually reminded quite a bit of Richie Kotzen, both vocally and in his guitar playing, and I get the impression that The Dead Collective brings out quite a different side of Brown's style. I am not sure if the band usually operate as a three-piece or not, though, as there was a reliance on backing tracks for the bass guitars and some synths. I did wonder if perhaps the band's bass player was unavailable, as it is always disappointing to see tapes relied on for such a key instrument, but this did not significantly affect my enjoyment of the show. It was also somewhat strange to see Wood essentially relegated to the role of a rhythm guitarist. He is a great lead player, as has been evidenced throughout his time with Wayward Sons and on Black Star Riders' recent tour, so seeing him as more of a background player was strange. He did cut loose occasionally, but largely he was there to support Brown - who led everything with his riffing and emotionally-charged vocals. There were some hooky moments during the set, but generally the songwriting relied on a dense atmosphere and the toughness of the riffing to get by. As such, The Dead Collective's songs are not the sort that I would likely listen to in my own time - but their live set impressed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given Brown's pedigree, the guitar solos were generally the highlights of the set. It was great seeing Brown cut loose, and his playing showcased why he has been so well-regarded over the years. The large crowed seemed to enjoy the band's set, too, and after the night had come to an end they seemed to be selling quite a lot of merch - which was good to see.

Half an hour or so following The Dead Collective's set, the lights went down again and The Answer took to the stage with relatively little fanfare - and immediately launched into the old stand-alone single Keep Believin', which was released back in 2005 in advance of their debut album. The lack of any real fanfare and opening the set with a relative deep cut summed up the band's ethos. They really are a no-nonsense band, and they set about laying waste to the Thekla with a stunning performance that shined a light on some old favourites whilst also heavily promoting Sundowners. I had only had a chance to hear Sundowners once prior to the show, as it had only been released two days before, but this did not affect my enjoyment of the show. Unlike Solas, Sundowners is very much classic The Answer - even if some of the former's organic production style was retained. Sundowners rocks much harder though, as was evident early on as the band launched into lead single Blood Brother - with Paul Mahon's (guitar/vocals) staccato riff leading the charge, whilst frontman Cormac Neeson proved why is one of the best in the business with his juddering stage presence and rasping vocal power. It did not take much for the band to get the crowd on side, but Blood Brother did none-the-less - with the new track prompting the first of many sing-a-longs of the night. It was clear, too, that the band were really happy to be back. Neeson told quite a few stories during the show, whilst making a few jokes about the rugby, and revelled in introducing the songs old and new. The new cut Oh Cherry went down well, but before that the funky Tonight had brought the best out of bassist Micky Waters. Mahon was then featured with the riff-heavy Under the Sky, which is an ever-present favourite. Despite their power, the band are generally fairly restrained - but Mahon did cut close during the closing section of Under the Sky, soloing like a man possessed. The band's more soulful, bluesy side was then on show during the anthemic Nowhere Freeway, before the spotlight was once again shone on the new album. Mahon strapped on a resonator for the organic and bluesy title track, whilst the beautiful California Rust introduced some folk elements into the band's usual harder rock sound. Turning back the clock, Spectacular had everyone singing again - but the next real highlight was a barnstorming rendition of Come Follow Me. Famed as being the band's opening song during their early years, the song is another ever-present favourite - and the crowd really belted the chorus back at Neeson, and you could tell that he had missed it. The set was very much a forward-looking one, though, and it came to a close with two more new ones - with the groovy Want You to Love Me bringing things to a close. After some cheering, though, a two-song encore followed. One last new track in Livin' on the Line kicked it off, after being opened by Neeson toasting the crowd with an Irish drinking song, before the night was brought to an end in rousing style with Preachin'. The gospel/blues classic has often been a set-closer for the band - and this particular rendition was hugely powerful. Neeson took his customary walk out into the crowd during it, and the atmosphere was raised even further - ending the set on a real high. The setlist was:

Keep Believin'

Blood Brother

Tonight

Oh Cherry

Under the Sky

Nowhere Freeway

Sundowners

All Together

California Rust

Spectacular

Come Follow Me

Always Alright

Want You to Love Me

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Livin' on the Line

Preachin'

Following the band's excellent set, as has generally been traditional the four members soon made their way over to the merch desk to meet the fans and sign autographs. I had got quite a few CDs signed by the band in the past, but decided to take my copy of Solas along for signing - which the band duly did. I would have taken Sundowners, but as I pre-ordered it from the band it was already signed. It was nice to meet the band again after quite a few years, and it was good to see that they were still as down to earth as ever. I get the impression that with this tour and Sundowners that The Answer are back in a big way - and I hope that further UK shows will follow, and I cannot wait to see them again.