Live Review

Deltasonic Christmas Party! – Liverpool Carling Academy

• 8th Jan 2008

The Zutons kick off with an exuberantly received Don’t Ever Think, after which they proceed to run through a crowd-pleasing set which includes: Hello Conscience, You Will You Wont, Dirty Dancehall, Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love and You’ve Got A Friend In Me. Valerie elicits the now customary ‘audience participation’ moment, with the crowd Woo Woo-ing along in perfect harmony: notably, the song seems to account for about twenty percent of the audience, who seem to come to life for the songs duration, yet whose attention starts to drift the minute it’s over (or maybe my irritation over this is the real cost of gig-going sobriety…). The band’s love of a segue is evident in a brilliant Zuton Fever/Pressure Point, which is bridged by some psychedelic feedback-drenched guitar flourishes, courtesy of new member Paul Molloy (ex Skylarks / The Stands).

There are a couple of new songs, one of which may or may not be called Over My Shoulder (the phrase certainly features heavily: that and ‘parasite’ – McCabe, paranoid? Nah!). Not to be confused with Mike and The Mechanics mid-’90s atrocity, this song sounds much more, erm, Zutonsey. Which is to say that whilst it does sound pretty good to these ears, it doesn’t really display the kind of progression we might be expecting of a band approaching its third album and circling the periphery of mainstream success. More interesting, though, is the second new addition to the set. Again, there’s no indication of a song title but there is a strong refrain along the lines of ‘you can do anything’. This soulful number, driven along by a fluid early-’70s Glam Rock groove, draws an inevitable Roxy Music comparison. This is never a bad thing, and if it’s an indication of the direction of their next album, then 2008 could well be The Zutons’ year.

Moments after The Zutons ‘proper’ leave the stage, the band’s Russ, Sean and Paul (respectively bass, drums, guitar) return for a stint as The Deltasonic House Band, augmented along the way by Austin and Jamie from Edgar Jones’ “Joneses”. This makeshift pickup band is fronted in turn by: The Rascals’ Miles Kane who sings Motorhead’s Ace of Spades; Candie Payne for her I Wish I Could Have Loved You More; and The Zutons Abi Harding for a storming version of Proud Mary (dedicated to recently departed ‘ladies man’ Ike Turner).

Keeping it in the family, Howie Payne, ex-Stands/Blueseed/Big Kids – and all round Liverpool music-scene luminary – leads the band through its finale and the highlight of the night: a blistering Slippin’ and Slidin’, played John Lennon style, which sees Austin from “The Joneses” blaring saxophone dueling it out with some of the best musicians in Liverpool. It’s a fitting closer for a Liverpool Christmas party – there won’t be many over the holiday that won’t end up in a raucous rock ‘n’ roll sing-along, even if they don’t sound quite so good.

Oh, and Deltasonic apparently raised over twenty grand for local children’s hospital Alder Hey. A definite triumph, then.