Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool - Now, this is a very welcome surprise. The gig season doesn’t normally start until the end of February as a rule, as everyone is still spent up after Christmas and needs a couple of paydays to have funds to spend on tickets, I guess - that’s my logic anyway - so to see a gig in January is a bit of a novelty - but appreciated muchly. I do get withdrawal symptoms when I don’t have regular live music running through my veins. A bizarre thing for a man of my age perhaps, but there you go.
Another welcome surprise is that it’s a new band for me, one that’s been on my radar for a while, and desperately needing to be seen, but previous tour dates have always clashed with something else and the itch has never been able to be scratched - until tonight - when all that changes, and on a night when Storm Éowyn is still wreaking havoc in some parts and Storm Floris looking to take over, I head up the M6 to the Las Vegas of the North and the delights of Blackpool. In January. Better put a vest on then !
The Waterloo Music Bar are our hosts, for a night of California-based roots rock that blends Blues Rock Americana, Country, and Soul - so the Press Pack says - with Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse, over here to promote their brand-new album ‘Hot Nostalgia Radio’.
Is there a better way to start off a new year of gigs, I ask you ? I think not.
Doors opened at the sound of seven bells and the car park was already full, apart from one cheeky space up a corner, blocking the entrance to the Bowling Green, but I guessed that it was too cold, wet and dark for any Crown Green action, so I was onto a winner.
Inside, there was already a good gathering with more following me in through the doors. The stage is laid out with plenty of gear including a healthy dose of roses and other greenery draped over the mike stands. There was no mention of a Support in the ‘pre-gig’ bumf and as it’s the ‘Gris Gris’ logo acting as the backdrop, it confirmed what I thought - there wasn’t one. On previous nights of the tour - this is the fifth of twelve - there have been almost a couple of dozen tunes performed from their new album ‘Hot Nostalgia Radio’, and their two previous offerings, ‘Love and Murder’ from 2019, and ‘Good Times End Times’ from 2022, so on that basis there probably isn’t time. No one can complain about being short changed with such an extensive set list then.
For the uninitiated that haven’t yet sampled the musical wonder that is the Waterloo Music Bar, it’s a big, old pub from years gone by, ‘converted’ into a different kind of music venue from those on the Promenade, with a raised stage at one end and one almighty mother of a mixing desk at the other, the size of which is bigger than some of the rooms in many a guest house in these parts. Every inch of the walls and ceiling are covered in memorabilia from bands that have played there and many more that haven’t. Guitars and other instruments also adorn the walls and drums that have seen better days have been de-skinned and now act as lampshades over the bar. Oh, and there’s a 1960’s style Mini that’s gate-crashed the place and teeters directly over the doorway. There’s a fair few tribute acts that grace the stage during the week, but this is Blackpool after all and it’s to be expected - if ‘tributes’ draw the punters in and they drink lots of beer, you can’t really argue. They also do a nice line in ‘original’ acts though such as Erja Lyytinen, who plays here in April, Troy Redfern who arrives in May, oh, and tonight’s luverly people. Nice.
Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse
So, let’s get straight on to the main course, shall we ?…
Greta Valenti and Robin Davey have been together for a good few years now and are known for their live performances full of intense energy and blistering finales. They’re supported by a differing array of fine musicians, depending on which side of the Atlantic they’re performing on. Tonight, we have the delights of Charlie Kay on bass, Jack Herbert on keys, and Kev Hickman on drums.
They were about nine minutes late getting on stage after a supposed 20.30 start and there were a few people pointing at watches miming the proverbial line of “what time d’ya call this then”. The Las Vegas of the North likes to stick to its schedule it would appear, especially on a school night.
The backline enter the fray first followed by Davey who’s dressed in the skinniest jeans you’ll ever come across, with a yellow coat straight out of the Wild West and what I reckon is more of a four-gallon hat rather than a ten such is its svelteness ! They all limber up with a few bars, chords and riffs here and there before Ms. Valenti makes her entrance, dressed in a red shirt and shorts with white stars and Beaux Gris Gris emblazoned across the back, all of which contrasts with her blue hair, enhanced with red roses. So, with everyone in place and the room full of eager fans, let us begin…
‘What's My Name’ is what’s known these days as an absolute banger of a tune and leaves you in no doubt as to who’s arrived on stage. Blackpool were well up for it from the off, shouting the refrain back to Ms. Valenti at every opportunity. Things didn’t let up as they went straight into ‘I Told My Baby’, another powerful tune, and the first from the new album.
‘When My Baby Was Rich’ was another crowd pleaser, with Valenti (or should I say Ms. Gris Gris, as she’s in character?) really getting into the swing of things all the more - and she started at full throttle anyway – playing up to those on the front row, such is the closeness of the crowd at The Waterloo, and offering them every chance to sing with her and fill in the blanks that she so deftly leaves for them; which they do with glee, judging by the looks on their faces afterwards.
‘Trouble is Coming’ kicks off with pounding drums from Hickman and a five-note bass line from Kay that thundered throughout the song and then a keyboard solo from Herbert that could have been taken straight off of a B52’s album – ah, the memories.
There’s very little chat and banter from Ms Gris Gris, which doesn’t detract from anything, but for ‘The Runaway’ she tells us that it’s “dedicated to all those people who are no longer with us” and is “about her friend who died on January 2nd of this year, the day we started recording this song”. Cue the lump in the throat.
Herbert shows his quality again with a huge chunk of ‘honky tonk’ piano throughout ‘Gris Gris’ before a monumental guitar solo from Davey, who has been there from the start but now decides to make himself a bit more prominent and busts a good few guitar poses whilst bending the strings out of all proportion.
The band promise you a performance of intense energy, but there has to come a time when a breather is needed, and we have now reached that point. The three in the back line exit stage left, leaving the lead twosome, front and centre. Davey asks, “how many have seen us before” and it would appear that it’s a sizeable chunk of the crowd. He says that “they’re going to play a couple of acoustic tunes which they’ve never really done before”, before realising that he’s started to waffle (his words, not mine), and shuts himself down with the immortal line of “I think it’s time to get the fuck on with it” ! ! ‘Bungalow Paradise’ and ‘Penny Paid Rockstar’ are the tunes with elements of Dire Straits ‘Romeo and Juliet’ neatly threaded through them, unless my ears have misled me, such was the subtlety with which it was done.
With the full ensemble back in place they let rip again with a Grace Foley Cover of ‘Oval Room’ before cranking things up a notch further with ‘Lets Ride’, which sees Davey launch into another huge guitar solo, after which Herbert gets up to his tricks again, this time with a church organ that’s fresh from playing ‘Ave Maria’ a few hours earlier it would seem, as it’s a Sunday - but you couldn’t help think it would have been a tad better if it had been a Hammond? No ? Just me then. It also has one of those thudding repetitive back lines that Kay just kept pounding away at for all she was worth, and a fine job she did too. They would have gone on all night with this, I reckon, but Ms’ Gris Gris decided to eventually call time and after the applause had died down, asks for more appreciation “for Robin and Jack” which Blackpool were more than happy to give as they absolutely loved it and lapped up every last drop.
‘Baby Baby’ opens with a piano solo that stays there all the way through. Bass, drums and guitar all take a back seat but don’t leave the stage this time. Valenti’s vocals shine through as clear as day until half way through when the band kicks in for an epic finish.
The band goes straight in to ‘Muse’ and its opening guitar solo and then into ‘Oh Yeah’ which I can hear overtones of Suzi Quattro all the way through it, which is no bad thing in many ways, if you’re from a certain era. Valenti herself describes this song as “rock and roll bliss”.
‘Satisfy Your Queen’ is another song that Blackpool had been eagerly waiting for and Valenti tells us that “this song is very important to anyone who’s attracted to women” and was inspired when she imagined a world full of powerful strong women and what might happen if they were in charge ! !
‘Wild Woman’ and ‘Fill Me Up’ follow before a Beaux Gris Gris anthem of all proportions prompts the biggest vocal from the clientele with the refrain of ‘Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down’ echoing all the way down to the Promenade and heading for North Pier with a vengeance. This is one of those songs that does exactly what it says in the title and leaves you guessing at nothing. No cryptic messages here as it’s all up front and out there !
There was just enough time for a final flourish, despite the supposed late start and it all ends with a Queens of the Stone Age cover of ‘Make it Wit Chu’.
…and we were done but not before the obligatory “come and see us at the Merch table” plea, which, it has to be said, is one of the most comprehensive that I’ve seen in a good while, only stopping short of pencil sharpeners and rulers, everything else seemed to be there – everything except sticks of Beaux Gris Gris rock. Maybe next time, eh ?
Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse Setlist (sort of !)
1. What's My Name
2. I Told My Baby
3. When My Baby Was Rich
4. Trouble is Coming
5. The Runaway
6. Gris Gris
7. Bungalow Paradise
8. Penny Paid Rockstar
9. Oval Room
10. Let’s Ride
11. Baby Baby
12. Muse
13. Oh Yeah
14. Satisfy Your Queen
15. Wild Woman
16. Fill Me Up
17. Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down
18. Make it Wit Chu (Queens of the Stone Age cover)
Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse are: -
Greta Valenti
Robin Davey
Together with..
Kev Hickman (drums)
Jack Herbert (keys)
Charlie Kay (bass)
Wild Woman UK Tour 2025
22nd Jan - Edinburgh
23rd Jan - Hull
24th Jan - Aldershot
25th Jan - New Milton
26th Jan - Blackpool
27th Jan - Barnoldswick
28th Jan - Barnoldswick
29th Jan - Wolverhampton
30th Jan - Stowmarket
31st Jan - Winchester
1st Feb - Sheffield
2nd Feb - Planet Rock Winter's End
Written in association with Central Press PR
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