Live at Shepherds Bush Empire, London

It’s many decades since the Dutch rock veterans played in England. They performed in Ipswich then the very next night brought their show to London.

If it’s possible to open a show with a better pairing than ‘Candy’s Gone Bad’ and then rock’n'roll nugget ‘Just Like Vince Taylor’, I for one can’t suggest two more suitable songs. Vocalist and occasional guitarist Barry Hay bounds onto the stage as though he is auditioning and the energy level is sustained throughout the show. Crazy drummer Caesar has a strange Heath-Robinson drum set up that he attacks with glee and vigour ; bassist Rinus Gerritsen still plays those Danelectro horned basses via an arcane set of midi triggers and delays ; guitar ace George Kooymans plays a pink thinline tele and is occasionally joined by a young second guitarist from Texas.

Hay reminisces briefly about playing years ago at the Rainbow in Finsbury Park and the Roundhouse in Camden. They trot through ‘45 Miles To Go’ and ‘When The Moment’s Gone’. Kooymans keeps coming up with bewildering guitar tones, some of which I can’t readily figure out and he also sings really well.

The band look as though they re enjoying themselves. A strange sound effects sequence   seems to create Barney the Dinosaur being dragged backwards through Jurassic Park by a JCB ( if only!!) and then ‘Something Heavy Going Down’ pounds out of the PA, to be followed by ‘Rag Doll’ and ‘Ball & Chain’ with a guest sax player.

Stage favourite ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ is roared out by Barry Hay in fine style, only to be capped by sterling vocal work on ‘Going To The Run’. The guitars blaze away for the catchy insistent ‘Johnny Make Believe’. A double-necked bass is brought on for some deep growling passages then suddenly the group launches into international hit ‘Radar Love’ to the delight of the audience. There’s a truly demented drum solo and a speeded-up ending  that leaves the punters breathless.

For encores, Earring produce their psych rocker ‘She Flies On Strange Wings’ and then Hay is crooning ‘Sometimes it’s lonely’ to the crowd. A fine return, long overdue.

All this after a terrific opening set by Martyn Turner’s Wishbone Ash, which was very well-received as someone had actually thought about the pairing of these two bands and it worked on the night. Guitarists Ray Hatfield and Danny Wilson blended and duelled with great skill and Dave Wagstaffe held it all together on drums. Turner sang with great enthusiasm and seemed very happy with the reception when I spoke briefly to him immediately after the Ash set.

Pete Sargeant        www.fairhearing.co.uk