A band may produce white hot studio albums, and there’s no question that King King’s ‘Reaching for the light’ falls into that category, but it’s on stage where a performance really counts. King King have long had a reputation for the chemistry that lies, not only between band members, but between band and audience, and so it is something of a surprise that it is only now that the band have come around to releasing a live album. Available via the increasingly essential Manhaton label (Sari Schorr, Eric Bibb, Ben Poole), King King ‘Live’ is a three disc set that features two CDs recorded at the ABC in Glasgow and a DVD filmed at the Picturedrome in Holmfirth. With virtually identical set lists (the DVD adds in ‘old love’ but loses ‘wait on time’) the DVD is a nice bonus, but it’s the CD set that causes the most stir, not least because it was recorded in front of a riotous home crowd.
“Ha ha look at that! You came! Jump up and down and make a noise, OK?” Few live concerts so electric start with so understated a greeting, and yet from the surging roar of the crowd to Alan Nimmo’s laconic introduction you immediately get the impression that something special is about to transpire. Appropriately the opening track is the driving rock-fuelled blues of ‘Lose control’ and we’re off to a flying start. It’s not hard to imagine the audience doing as bidden and leaping in time to Wayne Proctor’s thunderous beat, but what really stands out is the way Alan’s growling guitar is offset by the sweetness of Bob Fridzema’s tinkling ivories, and from that moment you’re hooked – you’re not going anywhere until this record’s spun to a halt. ‘Lose control’ may set the mood (and when Alan asks the crowd to scream they respond with a deafening roar), but we get an early highlight next with the glistening blues of ‘wait on time’. Traditional it may be, but there’s an energy in the band’s playing that recalls the electric fury of Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan and you can feel it even far removed from the sweat and heat of the crowd, such is the power with which the band play. Bob gets a lengthy turn in the spotlight, and it’s easy to imagine the whole band sporting huge grins as he attacks his keys with all the force of The Killer in full flow. From here on in the band simply tear up the stage. This is a live performance that is liable to have peeled the paint from the walls and when Alan informs the audience that they’re being recorded for an album the energy levels only spike even further into the red. From the first disc, one song deserves special mention and that’s the pure pop-infused pleasure of ‘Waking up’, a track with a chorus that should carry numerous warnings about addiction. One of those rare songs that you’ll go to sleep humming and wake up singing, it’s an earworm to be sure, but one that you want to carry around with you, and every time it comes around, it’s a fresh pleasure to listen to. That said, the wild singalong that greets ‘rush hour’ is no less enthusiastic, and perhaps it’s more realistic to suggest that the whole set is comprised of highlights. Certainly it’s true that King King work the crowd like stadium-guzzling pros and yet there’s also an intimacy to their performance that makes the whole crowd feel a part of the show.
The second disc is no less impressive. Kicking off with the beautiful ‘you stopped the rain’ (dedicated to Alan’s brother Stevie), a wonderfully light and airy blues track that, nonetheless, has a driving beat and plenty of energy at its heart. ‘Jealousy’ continues the more laid-back vibe until Alan rips into a solo that is straight from the heart. Far more eloquent than any words, Alan makes his guitar sing and if you don’t feel the emotions stir, you may have to check your pulse. Speaking of the pulse, ‘crazy’ sends energy levels soaring once more with its crackling riff and gritty vocals and it’s at this point that the show takes on the feel of a mad toboggan ride, careering towards its end at a speed that no one seems fully able to control. That’s certainly the case as the ecstatic solo to ‘stranger to love’ reaches a climax, sending audience and band into a frenzy before ‘let love in’ closes the set and leaves both audience and listener both drained and exhilarated.
Beautifully recorded, ‘Live’ captures King King in full flow. As impressive as last year’s ‘reaching for the light’ was, there’s a sense that the live environment is truly where it’s at for the band and you can hear the musicians feeding off the energy of the audience, building them up with fire crackers like ‘lose control’ and giving them a moment to breathe with the illusion of calm on tracks like ‘a long history of love’. This is a classic live blues album, and it is arguable that it is the definitive King King release to date such is the power and precision of the band’s performance. In a year of great blues releases (and 2016 has been a spectacular year), this is a stand out and one that you’ll be playing for years to come. Whether a King King fan or a newcomer, this is an essential album and a joy to listen to. 10
