Venue:
The Half Moon, Putney
Date: 05/03/2023
How can I have been ‘gigging’ for 52 years and not been to this famous old pub before?
No, me either.
So, Lifesigns. Let’s get the easy descriptions out of the way, shall we? Prog-lite; Pop-prog; Entry-level prog – all fine but all lazy.
Lifesigns write hugely melodic songs with singable choruses which deal with a wide variety of subjects. They are all superb musicians, sing great harmonies and have a great time on stage.
John Young has been around ‘the biz’ for a long time and is a musician who has had the most varied career, playing with Bonnie Tyler, Strawbs, The Law and Greenslade, amongst others, but has also dipped his toe into the world of Prog, for the past ten years, with Lifesigns. He has a lovely description of their three albums during tonight’s set – the first album, they were a prog band – the second album, they were a prog and pop band – the third album they are a prog and pop and jazz-fusion band, (the jazz-fusion addition he blames on drummer Zoltan Csorsz who has simply made songs more difficult for John to play.)
The set is a mix of old and new, band and JY solo songs. There is a buzz around the packed room when John announces guitarist Nico Tsonev as a special guest for two or three songs – Nico was in the band at the start and is a crowd-favourite, although current guitarist, the brilliant Dave Bainbridge, looks as pleased to see Nico as the rest of us – yes, it’s that kind of band.
The songs ‘Impossible’ and ‘At The End of the World’ should be on heavy rotation on Radio 2, the longer songs have glorious chord changes and epic solos from John, Dave and Nico and bassist Jon Poole is a complete dude. At one point he comes offstage, (hilariously followed by a roadie with a torch,) and plays from the merch-desk before ending up at the front of the audience, exchanging grins with JY, as his pork-pie hat bobs up and down.
I spent the whole night grinning and singing. What more do you a want from a night with a band in the pub?
The audience:
Hugely enthusiastic, dedicated and Afterword-friendly. Oh, and polite.
It made me think..
How can a band this good go almost unnoticed? I know that is a phrase which can apply to so many acts these days but, trust me, this lot are very, very good.
Nice right up @niallb, I like Lifesigns, have the first 2 studio albums and the ‘live’ one that came in between those studio albums. Not played them in a while, that will be rectified later today.
‘Write up’ 🥸
New name for me – I’ll be investigating forthwith!
Very little presence on streaming services but their website is very good.
I’m in there right now having a listen – loving that first album. I’ve already grabbed a copy of that one on Discogs, and now I’m hovering over the second album purchase on their web site….
New to me but will check them out – was a big fan of Greenslade in the day yet don’t recall his name.
@SteveT he toured with a later version of the band.
Not really in the market for the band but glad you enjoyed yourself.
I do believe The Half Moon is my favourite music venue. Shame that it’s the other side of London and requires me driving there, because last time I Tubed it there, I ended up stuck a £20 cab ride from home.
Half Moon audiences always seem to be good-humoured. It’s that kind of area.
Decent beer and the bar staff are good as well. I’ve never sampled the food but they serve a decent menu.
Love the Half Moon. I’m luckier than you, it’s only a 10 minute bike ride away, so I’ve seen three gigs there in the last couple of weeks. Chris Difford and Albert Lee were both magnificent and the audiences were a pleasure to be among. But some of the folk watching Moving Pictures (a Rush tribute act) were slightly less pleasant. More drink seemed to be being consumed than at the other two gigs and at one point I was standing in between two beered up blokes who were exchanging unpleasant abuse and threats. Very strange.
£20 cab ride in London? Is it just round the corner from your house? lol
This was about 10 years ago. £30 or more now.