Concert Review: The Bobby Holidays at Clare Inn, 16 June 2021

A cold night on Auckland’s Dominion Road. At the Clare Inn Irish pub, the place is hot and rockin’. The Bobby Holidays are having a blast and trying to tear the walls down. The proprietor, with thick Irish brogue, concludes the Holidays are … deadly!  Good for the winter blues and whatever else ails you.

The passion project of Robert Werry, and several memorable nights many years ago at the late-lamented Kings Arms. This band are a great under-the–radar Rock’n’Roll outfit to search out.

Superturtle

 

The rest. Darren McShane bass, Gareth Scott drums and a superlative horn section. Finn Scholes trumpet, Francine Werry (sister) trumpet and Nick Atkinson saxophone.

McShane leads Superturtle who play first and set the temperature control to high. Been around about 12 years, and have handfuls of singles and albums to check out on Spotify.

Whip through 11 songs in a shade under 30 minutes. Fast and disciplined like the Ramones. In truth, this is the traditional attack of all the great early Sixties bands, from Beatles and Rolling Stones up.

Watch Your Eyes starts with snare drum snaps and the jangle guitar sound of the Searchers. There you go, then. The sound when Pop and Rock’n’Roll were possibly the same thing.

That’s their current single. Whilst they have a thorough grounding in that tradition, they jump easily into Punk/New Wave.

Best Days of my Life has a Clash-style guitar straight out of London Calling. Straight up and edgy. I’m going to try and call it Hard Pop. That was the original Punk music when you surgically dissect down into it.  The greatest deliberate myth around it was that the musicians couldn’t play their instruments. Or sing. A myth that’s as old as Elvis.

Right the Wrong and Shiny Jacket are similar.  A curry and a pint at the pub.

They’re Gonna Give You a Number is rowdy, good-time party Rock similar to Th’ Dudes Bliss.

Bobby Holidays

A quick warm-up first. Bobby just with guitar and sister’s lone trumpet. I mention this, as stripped back without the big sound, he does a fine melancholy Americana Country vocal.

Like Your Mother has a Country cadence which echoes way back to the origins of modern American music and the style of the Original Carter Family.  The band is on and they add some Mexican horns.

The occasion for tonight’s show is the single release of Bus Stop. The opening riff a Punk Reggae hybrid, again from the early Clash.  A great rhythm workout with some Beefheart horns. Going back over 40 years ago now, so great retro style music.

This is my second time to see them live and they have a broad repertoire of styles which is firmly rooted in the great Pub Rock scene of England in the Seventies. The horn section excels tonight. They do Ska, Latin, Soul, R’n’B and generally rev up the good times to the level of a great Revue band. Think Graham Parker and Rumour.

Paul Called a Hui. Distinctive Kiwi Ska and the horns take it over the top.

They can take in down South where the wild magnolia grows. Over My Shoulder is a slower one, and when that happens, the nice melodies come out and the singer lets his Americana voice out. Thinking it over/ Getting sober/ There goes another beautiful girl.

She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain When She Comes. It’s Southern, it’s Country but it’s not slow.

Many of the songs are from the current self-titled debut album, but some new ones are being given test-runs. At the Beach is a perfect example of Hard Pop and gives away some clues to its origins. I see a bad moon rising/ That’s not surprising. Introduced as a slow one but races away and swings courtesy of the horns.

Alcohol and a nod to Psychobilly with a Lux Interior/ Cramp’s style vocal.

Finishes the show in similar fashion with Missed Opportunity. Tribal drums and Mexican-Jazz horns.  

Rock’n’Roll with a spirit that could have come out of Sun Studios, and….deadly.

Rev Orange Peel