The Quireboys
With music, context can be everything. Almost everyone has a band, album or even just a song that represents an important part of their life. Friends and family may not understand it but, for that person, it represents more than just what that band, album or song sounds like. For me, The Quireboys are one of those bands.
Join me if you will in a trip back to south east London, 1987. See that skinny oik with bad skin and worse hair, in a Metallica t-shirt? That's me, getting the train to Charing Cross to go to Shades Records in the dark heart of Soho. Once there, thanks to Kerrang! - and maybe Tommy Vance's Friday Rock Show - I buy the Mayfair single by The Quireboys. Someone - I think it is The Quireboys’ then guitarist Ginger (later Ginger Wildheart) but it was more likely to be Guy Bailey - comments on the purchase and asks if I want to go to that night's gig at the Marquee. Ten minutes later, in return for free entry to the gig, I am handing out flyers. Five or so hours later, I am utterly enthralled by the down 'n' dirty rock 'n' roll music The Quireboys play. And so, unexpectedly given my teenage obsession thrash metal and hardcore, The Quireboys become the soundtrack to my passage from mid-teens to early adulthood.
And here we are, over thirty years and several line up changes later, in the Waterfront Studio for The Quireboys’ acoustic show. This is the core quartet of sole original member Spike on vox and harmonica, Guy Griffin and Paul Guerin on guitars and keyboard wizard Keith Weir.
The set spans the band’s entire history although, by my reckoning, they play eight of the twelve songs on classic debut album A Bit of What You Fancy. They open with There She Goes Again, the band’s second single from way back in ’88 and then run through Misled and Roses and Rings. Away from ….Fancy, there’s Devil Of A Man, the glorious Mona Lisa Smiled, Hello, Beautiful Curse and I Am A King Bee from this year’s White Trash Blues. It is back to ….Fancy for Whipping Boy. Now this is without doubt my favourite Quireboys song and is in my top ten songs of all time. Tonight, stripped back to its most basic elements it is utterly spellbinding.
Then there is Have A Drink With Me from 2014’s Blacked Eyed Sons, another trip to White Trash Blues for Walk The Dog and Late Night Saturday Call from 2008’s Homewreckers and Heartbreakers, before a return to ….Fancy for the main set’s climax of hit singles Hey You and Seven O'Clock. For the encore, we get I Don't Love You Anymore, in response to some persistent fans, a trip away from the written set list for Sex Party and a finale of Sweet Mary Anne.
Musically, The Quireboys do nothing new and nothing that hasn't been done before. Much as I love finding new, exciting noise, sometimes a dose of something comfortable - and comforting - is just what is needed. And that is what The Quireboys deliver in spades. This is good time music that brings to mind the outlaw rock of The Stones in their heyday or The Faces. It is bluesy, rock 'n' roll with hints of country and glorious honky-tonk bar-room piano. Whilst a Quireboys show may be as comfortable as a favourite jumper, the quality of the songs, the standard of the playing, the fun the band are having on stage and the sheer, unadulterated entertainment of the show cannot ever be doubted.
There may be some that will question the relevance of a band like The Quireboys as 2017 turns to 2018. To those doubters, I can only say that The Quireboys are as relevant today as ever. There are bands that are being bigged-up by the press and the bloggers and the tastemakers that are in thrall to 60s garage rock, 70s spacerock and glam, 80s synthpop and hip-hop and 90s grunge A good time rock ‘n’ roll band playing great songs with passion and talent are just as relevant. This proper rock music, played by proper musicians, without backing tapes, without laptops or tablets but with heart and soul. And that, my friends, should be applauded and lauded.
