Here we are back at Bannermans for the fabulous Chantel McGregor, but first up we have an acoustic set from Stoney Broke who has ed Chantel here on a number of occasions.
He opens up with a couple of strong songs – “Sticky Situation” and “It’s Too Hot”. He has a classic rounded style voice with an almost southern rock tint to it and goes down well with the audience. He comes in with “Southern Cross to Glasgow Central” next from his 2017 If It Ain’t Broke EP, a fabulous emotional song. We cruise through “Too Late” and “The Curse” next before going back to the previous EP with “Nothin’ But the Truth”. It has a kind of down south America guitar twang to it, a real smooth toe tapper of a track, my favourite of his set.
We get to the end of his short but entertaining set with his 2018 single “Got It” with its swinging rock groove. I thoroughly enjoyed his set as did the audience. If you see him ing or even headlining his own gigs go give him a listen and our local musicians.
We get to the main event now, and someone who I have been trying to see for a few years but other gigs on the same night kept getting in the way. I even gave up catching Blaze Bayley in Glasgow for this gig! Sorry, Blaze, first time in over 10 years but the fabulous Chantel McGregor awaits.
She has recently been crowned HRH Blues Guitarist Of The Year, a well deserved honor, and one I’m sure she’ll live up to with tonight’s show. The intro starts up and we get three in a row from her fabulous 2015 album Lose Control starting with the opening album track “Take the Power”. The guitar riffs opens up before her stunning vocals them. She is suitably backed up by Jake Dickens on bass and Tom Gardner powering away on this track at the rear on drums. There is some wailing on the guitar that is hair raising and her voice has a little Stevie Nicks underflow, a fabulous start to the set.
The guitar lets loose again before the drums kick in as she starts to “Lose Control”. The rhythm section keeps up with her majestic riffs and soaring vocals another superb track before we start “Killing Time” with some pure riffage going on, intertwined with some fine bass riffs from Jake and those crashing cymbals and drums from Tom. Man, she can play that guitar! We head back to 2011’s Like No Other album for a couple of songs starting with the title track. A slow guitar and bass intro leads us in before we are treated to some sublime haunting vocals from Chantel. The band kicks it up a notch and I can’t help but think about how the vocals here remind me of Kate Bush at her finest. There is a pure rhythm going on here with the music winding through the lilting vocals, truly a fantastic track.
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The band get “Caught Out” next with a distinct eastern feel to the opening and the track has a Dio-era Rainbow undertow with the way the bass and drum groove are mixing with the guitar, an absolutely fabulous track. We get “Your Fever” next from Lose Control with its crunching guitar opening matched by the drums and bass along with Chantel’s punchy vocals, a real rise and fall groover of a track as the guitar flows along with the back beat rhythms. We enter that “Eternal Dream” with its haunting vocals and only the guitar to guide it along as we are pulled into this track watching in stunned silence until the end.
A spot of “Freefalling” follows, the guitar purring like Eric Clapton-era Cream before the rich vocals commence. Tom’s drum rhythm punches through and Jake’s bass keeping pace as Chantel wails away raising the hairs on my neck. The end guitar sequence is just sublime in its groove with the boys. A gentle touch next with an acoustic gem, “Anaesthetize” from Lose Control. This is a pure joy to watch and listen to. There are hints of early Alanis Morissette here, the album version has a lovely string section ending but the live version was a wonder to behold.
Another mainly acoustic number now with “Inconsolable” which at the beginning actually reminds me a touch of “Angie” by The Rolling Stones. Chantel’s song has a similar vibe if a touch more haunting in its vocal style. A fabulous track with some subtle bass and drum rhythms behind it. The crunching guitar start heralds in that “Southern Belle” before those vocals kick in and carry you along. The bass grooves along as the drums snares pop, before the guitar crescendo brings the track to an end. She tells us that “I’m No Good for You” (I beg to differ!) as those old school blues licks ring out and those bluesy style vocals match those smooth licks. A real old school groove on the go with this track, a real treat for those old school blues fans.
A “Fabulous” track now as the guitar opens along with a sweet drum groove, a real toe tapper, heads and feet are going. The guitar has a constant groove sweeping us up with that bassline mixed in a real funk style drum style over the top keep the whole thing going, it was a fabulous track in many ways. We head back to “April” with a haunting wah wah style guitar intro before the drums crash in. There are hints of Joe Satriani and Carlos Santana in amongst the groove of the guitar playing which is just outstanding and has to be enjoyed live to fully appreciate how good she is. There is a sublime undertow beat from Tom and Jake keeping this track moving along at pace. This was a truly exceptional piece of music, with Chantel getting lost in the groove along with the audience, absolutely outstanding.
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The funky guitar intro has the feet tapping as the last song of the set “Burn Your Anger” opens up, there is a free flowing sweet melodic quality to the vocals on this track along with the boys keeping the flow going, there are some amazing solo sections throughout tonight and this song was no exception. I am truly sad to get to the encore “Walk on Land” with its gentle guitar and soaring vocal opening, the drums gently pushing it along. You can feel the emotion coming out on this track as the guitar wails away mid-section.
here has been real ion on this stage tonight. When Chantel is in full flow it is a joy to behold, there is a subtlety in her playing with a true connected feel for the blues. I have been blown away tonight by her playing and vocal style. There is real ion in her playing, nothing fake here, just a pure honest joy in letting the music out. If you want the real deal go catch Chantel live – mind blowingly good is an understatement.
Photos by Gary Cooper
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