UPDATED 24th MARCH 2012

________________________________________________________________________________

 

Apart From Rod @ The Boom Boom Club, Sutton, UK. 15th July 2011
Review by Alison Graham.

This was to be the third time I'd seen AFR at the Boom Boom. The first time was last year with Robert Hart on vocals last November, the second was Jim Stapley's outstanding debut with the band back in February. So I know I am repeating myself but no apologies ... needs to be reiterated. So, since then we've been treading a fine line between being supporters and stalkers and therefore have clocked up a fair few gigs along the way. We've seen them with Gary Grainger,and with Robin Le Mesurier ( unfortunately , missed the one with both of them!) Gigs of different sizes, different atmospheres, but the Boom Boom is a special place.

AFR's reputation has grown here and the crowd was hugely expectant before they were anywhere near the stage. It was hot, a breathless sticky hot, and the 200 strong crowd were fairly crammed in at the front. So we positioned ourselves to the side of the stage for a good, if somewhat angled view. The legends that are Jim Cregan and Gary Grainger need no introduction. Rod Royalty. Tonight we have Gary's son Chris on drums in place of Harry James, and bloody good he was tooo, plus awesome regulars Pat Davey on bass and Sam Tanner on keyboards. Fronted by the now infinitely more confident Jim Stapley pouting and strutting his stuff on the way too small stage, performing his vocal gymnastics, so suited to this material we love so well. but still somehow sounding reigned in, like he can do so much more, and letting us hear just flashes of it, teasing us almost. The humidity and heat playing havoc with the guitar tuning actually make little difference to the sound, such is the calibre of the musicians in this band.

Highlights are Wild side of life, its a little slower, but takes us right back to the seventies, feels like it did then, raw but tight, guitars bouncing off each other. Joking. For any Rod fan from any time, hearing Cregan and co author Grainger make those guitars cry and sing, plus Stapley nailing the soulful heartfelt vocals of what is generally regarded as one of, if not the, best offering in a 40 plus year Stewart career, it's an exquisite experience . Makes the two hour drive there worth it for that alone. Passion, Big Jim solo and bass lick from Pat. Brilliant Blondes.. only because we never hear this live anywhere else... and Sams keyboards are fab, and I just love it. And I'm allowed to pick Few cock ups that only an afficionado would notice, beginning of Stay with Me, Lyrics of Wear it well, but it didn't matter. These guys are giving their all, drenched in sweat, rocking it out to an audience that are by now bouncing and singing their hearts out. And the encore turns it up a gear. Sailing, and the anthemic, sing it to the skies chorus and the guitar leads nicely into the pure rock n roll of Twisting and SLRR. Jim Cregan leads this band. And so he should. He's the MVP. And so say all of us.

To hear this stuff, played in the exact same way we love it, by the musicians we love is a gift. And i'm gonna keep enjoying this gift for as long as these guys keep giving it. Go see them.

 

 

 

Set list... Hot Legs, Forever Young, Tonights the Night, Wild Side of Life, IDWTAI, Baby Jane, In My Heart, Joking, You Wear It Well, Passion, Blondes, Losing You, Maggie May, Stay with me,... Encore Sailing, Twisting, SLRR.

ali

 

 

 

---

 

It's Rod, Jim, but not as we know it...... Boom Boom Club February 2011.

AFR REVIEW by ALISON GRAHAM...

The Boom Boom Club in Sutton has quite a reputation amongst the live music fraternity. A football club that lends itself to gigs most Friday, Saturday and sometimes Sunday nights. Tribute acts, and bands on their way up. An unimposing room, pretty much like your average British Legion function room, or community centre it holds around 250 people, or 350 if you're happy to breathe your neighbours deoderant. A few fairy lights here and there , a large stage at one end and a large bar at the other. What else do you need?

I'd been there once before last November to see Apart from Rod... with Robert Hart on vocals and thoroughly enjoyed it but this was to be quite something else. Having seen AFR and Jim Stapley separately, the thought of them together filled me with huge anticipation. I can say hand on heart that on both occasions I'd seen Jim his vocals doing the bluesy stuff, and early Faces numbers just blew me away, but would it work with the more recent material, and also how would it fit with the genius of Jim Cregan? (from here on in called JC to avoid confusion!), Robin and crew?

We arrived just after 8 to find the place already packed. No tickets just a dab on the hand with a marker pen ( Ian commented that we could save alot of money for TBW if we did that!) At least double the amount of people than were at the previous gig. Seemed reputation had spread by word of mouth, and there was lots of talk about how so and so had told them how good it was last time so they had come to see for themselves. The last time there were seats in front of the stage and standing behind, very wierd and it wasnt good for the atmosphere. This time it was all standing save just a few seats alongside the walls Ian and I sidled our way towards the stage and managed to situate ourselved right near the front. Had at least an hour to wait and I found myself wishing I had not worn the heels.

Incessant chatter amongst the audience. Mostly 40 somethings and also surprisingly a fair few kids, who might have been family friends of the band perhaps. The atmosphere was lifting and there was some singing to the background music (Meatloaf, Thin Lizzy etc), and still more people coming in, ended up quite a crush and it was getting very warm.

So the compere comes on and does the introductions, trying to warm up the crowd futher.... says ' three minutes to Absolute Rod' and we look at each other and say What?? Have they changed the name, seems odd. Out comes a Mac pc put down by the monitor speakers, seems this is what Jim uses for lyrics when he's not sure.... something else in common with Rod. And then on they amble. Quite a mix really, there is JC looking like the country gent with suit and red neck scarf, Harry James like a blues brother on drums in his shades, Sam Tanner in flat cap on keyboards , Robin and Pat Davey (who looks alarmingly like Mike Reid - the DJ not the comedian) in fairly cool shirts, and then Jim, who definately doing the grunge rock thing, complete with the long hair and eyeliner.
The compere introduces them as Absolute Rod again and JC says ' Absolute Bollocks' and Jim pipes up 'Apart from Bollocks' and we are all laughing, seems there is some miscommunication about the name. Jim talks about a heavy night after rehearsal the night before, drinking antifreeze, and how they had planned to come on to the Monty Python music but he'd lost the CD and so we just got the big raspberry instead.

And we are off, an exhuberant Hot legs. My heart is beating waiting for the first vocals. 'Who's that knocking on my door' and I've got a smile on my face. Tentative for maybe the first two lines, and then he's just nailing it, enjoying it and everyone relaxes. The jacket is off and Jim is flashing a nipple ( just like Rod back in the day) and I notice he holds the mike stand ( not white ) with his little finger outstretched and he has long fingers just like Rod too. OK now I'm being too wierd, back to the music.
Forever young. JC says that they borrowed a couple of lines from Bob Dylan and ended up having to give him half the royalties - not your half says Robin. And then its Tonights the night.... to be honest its not one of my favourites, but Jim is really starting to warm up now, starting to change it here and there, putting his own stamp on it, real skill in those vocals, bringing real depth. Ian and I look at each other.... wow, he really is nailing it. Robin and JC bouncing , guitars screaming, pure genius.
Wild side of life, Jim is strutting , more Jagger than Rod at this point. Sam on keyboards outstanding. The sheer calibre of the musicianship of this band is so evident even for someone like me who in all honesty is no music buff. I just know what I like, and I know class when I hear it. JC gives in to the heat here, and takes off the suit jacket. 'I love it when you undress' quips Jim.
IDWTAI, the anthem. The whole crowd know this and Jim is leading the crowd, gaining in confidence with every song, although its not like he needs to! The first few bars of In My Heart, and I cant help thinking that the BW crowd would be singing from the off, and this lot only know the chorus. Jim is struggling with the words and having to read from the pc, which is so difficult, yet he makes this song his own. Watching him its distracting but shut your eyes and you would never know that he is reading these lyrics. The same happens with Only Joking, a fair few mishaps with the words, but only us diehards would have noticed. Cregan launches into that awesome guitar break, goosebumps time and the last verse, the 'quietly now while I turn a page' and it's so soulful. I know I'm really going on about the vocals, but they really are something else. Occasionally Jim really lets it go, flashes of brilliance and I want to hear more of that. You see JC, Robin and Pat nodding approvingly, looking seriously impressed at times. This is some debut by the new kid on the block.
Passion, with a superb solo on bass by Pat Davey , and more of the really quite electrifying guitar work. Robin asks how many brunettes there are in the audience, and no one gets it except us, and its da da da da da da Blondes Have More Fun and Jim is leaping about the stage, the audience not quite in the same way and I cant understand why as Ian and I are all over the place, but then I realise, no one knows it. Doesn't stop them being appreciative though. I just love hearing these songs that Rod doesnt do any more. Jim screws up the words but it doesnt matter.

Then Jim says its his favourite Faces song. Losing You and he is back into familiar territory, no need for the Mac. Awesome drum solo Harry, and the Thunder fans in the audience are shouting ' Harry Harry' and he is milking it. It is really hot in the room.. just as they start Maggie JC calls a halt, and there needs to be a retune. Jim fills in the gap by doing the first verse and chorus of gasoline alley, just like he did at Twisted. Not quite the same effect though because again, the crowd dont know the words. But they sure know Maggie, the room errupts. Then its the last song.... Stay with me, Jims playing air guitar, the long hair being flicked all over the place

Two encores, Twisting and SLRR. It's SO hot, all the guys are drenched in sweat, and the audience are roaring their approval. My only negative, the set list hasn't changed in the three times I've seen them now and I'm hoping they will be introducing more songs, less of the standards, perhaps more of the album tracks. Imagine hearing 'Ain't love a bitch, or ' Gimme Wings'. Maybe now they have a new singer, they will be able to experiment with some of the lesser known stuff?

So yet again I'm waxing lyrical in a review. I write more about how the music makes me feel than give any accurate descriptions of what I'm listening to, and so therefore I apologise for what I miss. Hearing these songs that have been part of my life for so many years, played so brilliantly by Rod royalty, is such an experience. Jim Stapley is quite frankly the most exciting talent I have heard in a very long time. Experiencing them together, for a lifelong Rod fan, is outstanding. I cannot wait to experience them performing in front of an audience of lifelong Rod fans.
Apart from Rod...... the best night out a Rod fan could have..... apart from Rod.

ali

 

 

  

 

2011 DATES

 

---

 

 

 THE RSFC WERE INVITED TO THE BULLS HEAD, BARNES, SOUTH LONDON ON SEPTEMBER 26th TO WITNESS THE DEBUT APPEARANCE OF...

  APART FROM ROD

JIM CREGAN - Guitars

GARY GRAINGER - Guitars

ROBERT HART - Vocals

HARRY JAMES - Drums

SAM TANNER - Keyboards

PAT DAVEY - Bass Guitar

 

 

 

 

"Apart From Rod" - a celebration of the music played, wrote & recorded by Jim Cregan & Gary Grainger with Rod Stewart thru the 70's and early 80's.

THE SET LIST

Hot Legs - Forever Young - Tonight's The Night - Maggie May

You're In My Heart - I Was Only Joking - Blondes 'Ave More Fun

Passion - I'm Losing You - Stay With Me

 

Check out YouTube for a clip of the band...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7SwKyHVqv8

Many thanks to Gary Grainger for the RSFC invite to this gig.