Big Sandy and his Flyrite Boys
The Cluny
18th March 2011
Tonight was a big deal in local Rock and Roll circles as Californian Roots Rockers Big Sandy & the Flyrite boys returned to Newcastle in North East England, for the first time in three years. The Cluny was already quite full and buzzing with an assortment of be-quiffed boys in their loud bowling shirts and several groups of exotically dressed women when local band Hiccup Riot with special guest Joe Guillan on guitar came on stage.
The 5 piece Roots-Rockers featuring the delightful voice of Miss Jules Heron got the evening off to a very danceable start with a mixture of their own songs and a couple of obscure classics.
It was already 9.30 when the fuller figured Big Sandy took to the stage wearing an immaculate navy blue suit and fancy cowboy boots followed by the Flyrite boys in their matching slicked back hair, trousers, shirts and ties. With only a beaming smile and a wave, the band opened the set with the title track from their latest album ‘It’s Time’.
This set the tone for the evening with Sandy’s honeyed tones sashaying between up-tempo rockers like ‘Jumping from 6 to 6’ and ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ to the Doo-Wop of ‘Baby Baby’ and the sweet soul of ‘The Only Ones You Say You Love’ and ‘Just as Long as You Love Me.’
As the night flashed by the front of the stage was a mass of jiving couples plus two guys who were lost in their own little world of improvised Jazz dancing!
Those not dancing were soon frantically swaying to Jeff West’s rocking double bass on ‘Chalk it up to the Blues’ and when the band cranked it up several notches for their version of Joe Clays ‘Yeah Babe’ the Cluny itself appeared to shuffle its feet!
All night long guitarist Ashley Kingman mesmerised the audience with his glorious playing and Big Sandy himself evoked memories of Sam Cooke and Buddy Holly as the Flyrites recreated the sound of Sun era Rock and Roll in downtown Newcastle.
Originally posted in www.maverick-country.com
www.myspace.com/bigsandyandhisflyriteboys
