| Cold Flame |
| The Blues Club, Glossop | |
| THE flourishing British blues scene which has developed in recent years has been linked to the so-called "blues boom" of the 1960s. But it is quite different, and much healthier. Todays bands are not chasing chart success, unlike many of their predecessors of three decades ago. The burgeoning roster of blues-orientated bands doing the rounds of the clubs, halls and festivals seem much happier with their lot; their aspirations concerned with developing an individual character than with seeking commercial success for its own sake. The five piece Cold Flame, for instance, who played to an enthusiastic audience last night, took a completely personal musical route; routed in the blues, certainly, but welding on to the idiom their own quirky allegiances, these ranging from rock to something almost verging on punk. The opening stormer - End of the Line was not unlike the inexorable ensemble boogies of vintage Canned Heat, while the following Born Under A Bad Sign departed completely differently from the familiar Albert King treatment to adopt a much busier, rockier approach. Perhaps it lost some of King's muscle-flexing aggression, but it gained an urgent immediacy. Messin' With The Kid, usually associated with Junior Wells, similarly emerged in a fresh guise, impatiently moving along at a fast tempo. Then Salamander, an original instrumental by the band, featured Dan Hall's guitar in a trio setting with bassist Patrick and drummer Keith. They took a rock tack that was the evening's furthest departure from the blues. The blues standard Rock Me Baby came in for a heavy treatment, with Keith forcefully kicking his colleagues onward, while Summertime showed off singer Andrew Mellor's merits. The highspot was Red House Blues, the band settling into a comfortable, earthy, slow groove and prompting Dan Hall into his best solo of the night. Chris Lee | Cold Flame - Manchester Evening News
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