After a dismal week, the weather has finally turned for the bank holiday, turning the centre of Nottingham into a seething mass. At the heart of the city, the intimate and friendly venue, The Bodega, represents the city in microcosm, with its stifling upstairs room packed, and the bar permanently stacked two deep as people seek to grab a cooling drink before the music starts. It’s an early start too, with the Bodega seeking to capitalise on a busy Saturday night with a post-gig disco, meaning that the show kicks off at 7:45. Not that this stops the place from filling up early. Troy Redfern, after all, has been putting in the miles in recent years; and many of the audience, having seen him blaze away in a solo capacity opening for When Rivers Meet, are eager to see him with full band in tow.
It’s quite a low-key entrance Troy Redfern makes, although the crowd cheer loudly when they notice the activity on the stage. Clearly aware of the restrictive curfew in the place, the band waste little time in kicking out the jams, opening with All Night Long, a full-throttle, hard blues with a pummelling back beat and the tang of Tennessee whiskey. Playing with all the frantic energy we have come to expect, one string is snapped before the first song is even finished, and things only get hotter from there. Next up, a mighty Sweet Carolina, all funky bass and gritty, distortion-soaked guitar, gets the crowd further worked up even before the track concludes with an absolutely insane bass riff over which Troy busts out a searing solo.
It’s not all well-worn numbers that Troy’s dishing out tonight. Brand new song Getaway has a massive grungy riff, pounding, tribal drums and cool harmonies, highlighting the heavy material Troy has waiting in the wings. Similarly, The Native has one hell of a hefty beat, and a dirty western undercurrent. It ends on a nice groove that could easily be three times as long, and it’s on these occasions that you wish Troy had the time to extend these jams out a bit. The set’s epic highlight, at least until its manic conclusion, is surely Down, with its funky bass, greasy slide and an early Alice in Chains vibe. From there, there’s the Landreth-does-Sabbath Scorpio, the glam-infused stomp of The Fever and, bringing the set to a suitably devastating end, Sanctify. While it starts with Troy in full-on blues preacher mode, by the end it has devolved into a stunning blitz of Neil Young-esque noise guitar, which swirls across the venue like a tornado and leaves the audience awestruck in its wake.
Troy Refern is an immensely hard-working musician who just seems to get better every time we see him. Even with the obvious pressure of a ticking clock, he is a consummate showman, but it would be nice to see him have the space and freedom to extend some of his more epic jams out a touch, and it’s high time we saw Troy’s name topping the board. Until next time however, this is another epic showing from a guitarist who pours his heart and soul into his work and he is one hell of an act to follow.
Hailing from Toronto, Canada, The Commoners are a five-piece roots rock band who draw influences from the likes of Black Crowes, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Lynyrd Skynyrd, making for a smoother, if no less energetic, experience than Troy. Touring in support of 2022’s well-received Find A Better Way, the band arrive on stage in a swirl of facial hair and patchouli, ready to rock the more than willing crowd into submission.
Opening with More Than Mistakes, with its tough-as-nails back beat and fluid guitar work, the band set out their stall in no uncertain terms. It’s a nice bluesy kick off with a southern vibe and honeyed harmonies which serve to recall the likes of the Allman Betts band. Maintaining the flow, Find A Better Way has an easy Black Crowes gospel vibe, and the sound the band achieve in the heaving venue is absolutely huge. Even better is Devil Teasin’ Me, a swampier number that sees the venue swathed in red lighting. The jam that introduces the song sees some sweet, harmonised lead, while it’s easy to imagine the track benefitting from the textured swirl of the Hammond Organ. It all builds, of course, until Chris Medhurst ditches his guitar and the band left-pivot neatly into a simpler, riff-heavy number with a smooth, soulful vocal.
Having hooked the audience so effectively, The Commoners find themselves on a run. Ross Citrullo breaks out a bow for the intro to Body And Soul, while the chorus-drenched vocal once more hooks into the sweet spot, somewhere between Greg Allmann and Chris Robinson The Allmann Brothers connection is further cemented by a spot-on cover of Sweet Melissa, while the bulk of the set is drawn from Find A Better Way, including sparkling takes on Naturally, Deadlines and Hangin’ On Again, all of which serve to underscore the authentic path the band have taken in exploring the twin worlds of blues and roots rock.
Last Orders at the bar…
Offering up two sides of the same coin, The Commoners and Troy Redfern feel like natural bedfellows and there is no doubting that this tour has served to highlight the rabid enthusiasm audiences have for music with heart and soul fully intact. For those who prefer things down ‘n’ dirty, Troy Redfern carves a deft path through a variety of influences, playing blues with spirit, slide with aplomb and allowing just a touch of grungy grit to invigorate the hulking great riffs that pepper the set – full marks to his fantastic band, too. The Commoners, meanwhile, are a far smoother proposition, whiskey soaked and recalling the soulful counterpoint the Black Crowes offered to the alt-rock movement of the mid-90s. Both have plenty to offer and, given just how packed The Bodega is tonight, it’s hard to imagine either act remaining in such crowded confines for long.
