The settings on the Afterword site are not currently allowing me to post under nights in or nights out sections. This is a bloody shame because last night I went to what has to be one of the best gigs I have seen in a long time. Danny and the Champs at a small venue called The Maze in Nottingham. It was hot and sweaty and the band were in high spirits from the off. Clearly revelling in the response from the audience the gig just got better and better climaxing with These Days and The Colonel and the King – clearly no-one left the building. A six piece band, the stage just about accommodated them. Great Sax, lap steel and fantastic lead guitar but the highlights were the rhythm section who kept everything driving along at a fair lick. Highlights were Henry the Van with a massed audience choir on the chorus and a couple of songs from there new album Precious Cargo and Cool Water. There were echoes of Southside Johnny, Bruce Springsteen and even Graham Parker and there Rumour with Every beat of my Heart. I chatted to the promoter before the gig and he told me last year they played to around 50 people. Last night it was around 120 and who knows in a year or so they could be selling out much bigger venues. Thank God for the promoters that bring these acts to us and thank God for bands like Danny and the Champs who come out because they love playing. When they released Live Champs last year I made a comment that many would class as hyperbole – namely that it was one of my all-time favourite live albums. I stand by that comment. I love the studio albums but this band with this lineup is a live band. No doubt about it.
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SteveT says
Hopefully with the link
Baron Harkonnen says
Danny and the Champs are a great band who have made 5/6 studio LPs to little or no acclaim. Me? I love them but have yet to see them live, this is mainly due to my reluctance to attend as many gigs as I would like to because of the chattering classes, but no more on that. I`m jealous Steve, great report on the show, someone did me a copy of their live LP and it is great so I bought it on CD.
Baron Harkonnen says
Oh by the way Steve, it`s sounds very suffocating!
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks for the tip. I’ll watch out to see if they make it to Sweden.
Really agree with your praise of promoters who put on up and coming bands. Hats off to them!
fentonsteve says
Quite. I might do that. I’m booking into 2016 now.
Kid Dynamite says
I was tempted to see them in Bristol, but it sold out before I got off my arse to get a ticket. It was only a small venue (150 capacity?) but still an encouraging sign for them.
Feedback_File says
I was always quite fond of the former incarnation of this band called Grand Drive and remember seeing them live c. 2007/8. The albums ‘The Lights In This Town Are Too Many To Count’ and ‘True Love and High Adventure’ are well worth checking out.
Twang says
I didn’t know they were connected with Grand Drive, whose first album I liked a lot. Their problem is the shit name, which to me suggests nerdy Proclaimers look alikes in 80 Hepworth haircuts and Buggles spectacles.
SteveT says
Indeed Feedback, Grand Drive was my introduction to Danny and indeed the first Champs albums were in a similar vein. They are different now though – still country elements but with a lot of Memphis influences and as mentioned in my review some definite Springsteen/Southside Johnny in there – not a real surprise as I know Danny is a big fan of Bruce.
androo1963 says
I concur. Saw them the previous night in Glasgow with around 100 others & your review is spot on.
I just can’t get my head around the economics. How do they make a living?
100 @ £10 a head, some CD sales @ £10, all to pay a 6 piece band (plus a 3 piece support). Do they need to pay the venue or is that free because it gets punters in?
Similar situation with Chuck Prophet 2 weeks ago in a 200 capacity venue for only £16.
Anyway, I’m glad they make the effort. They were both great nights.
fentonsteve says
It’s possible to make a living playing live at this level, but it’s not going to support a coke habit or early retirement.
Small venues typically charge £20 an hour, so depending on rigging/soundcheck time the hire fee can be up to £200. If the venue is a pub/bar they might just keep the extra drinks take and give the venue for cheap.
The headline band will take about 50% of the door. Support get £50 if they’re lucky.
Promoter will be left with the rest, out of which is paid equipment hire, marketing, tickets, food & drink riders and all the other costs. I’m happy if I have enough left for a pint and a bag of peanuts.
The real question is… how do support acts afford to live?
niallb says
For anyone wondering “What the feck are these old farts on about?”
Here is said Danny and his wonderful, motley, rockin’ band of Champions doing what they do…….night, after night, after ecstatic night.
Go see ’em.
Hannah says
@stevet Strange. You should be able to make Nights In and Nights Out posts as usual.
Please check the “Post an Article” link (rather than “Post a Blog”) and let me know if it’s still not working…
androo1963 says
Thanks, fentonsteve. That shines some light on things. It’s still not much to live off, though.
Again, I am so grateful that these artists persist. Nothing beats hearing great music in an intimate venue.
androo1963 says
HELP!
How do you reply directly to a comment & not post it to the end of the chain?
See above where my reply should have been below fentonsteve’s post.
Hannah says
On the comment you want to reply to, click “reply” under the person’s avatar.
However, this doesn’t always work on mobile devices…
androo1963 says
Thanks. That’s what I think I did. Maybe doesn’t work on my iPad.
Gary says
You can get it to work on an iPad but sometimes it requires a few attempts. If you keep hitting ‘reply’ eventually you should see that the box for your comment is immediately below the post you want to reply to. It usually takes me three or four tries.