Samantha Fish & The Zac Schulze Gang

O2 Ritz, Manchester - Well, it would appear that Winter is definitely on its way out - and let’s be honest, it took its time going, that’s for certain - but Spring is firmly in the air. The dark nights are slowly beginning to start later and the gig season is about to kick in with a vengeance. February bought a few aperitifs, and pretty good they were too, but March is about to go crazy (for me anyway) and this evening brings a legend to Manchester and she usually comes with a performance that never lets anyone down. The lady is also supported by a band that throws shed loads of energy into every gig they play too, and just like the last time they ‘buddied up’ on tour together, tonight’s gig will be well worth it.

Samantha Fish headlines and the Support comes from Gillingham’s finest, The Zac Schulze Gang. The last time I saw this pairing was in Nottingham, at Rock City. This time I’m off to a Grade II listed venue that’s only a couple of years off celebrating its 100th birthday. Originally a dance hall with a sprung dance floor and revolving stage, much of the same decor is still there and the place can really pack a punch when the right band is in town - so when there’s two of them, you just know there’s going to be fireworks.

So, on a night when Manchester City are playing at home - 50,000 people, Icelandic Jazz Princess (now there’s three words I never thought I’d string together in the same sentence) Laufey, has damn near sold out Co-Op Live - 20,000 people and Mama Mia on over the road at The Palace - 1,900 people, all added to our 1,500 it’s no wonder the roads into the City Centre are gridlocked ! ! Grrrrr ! !

Anyway…

Let’s get on with it.

The Zac Schulze Gang - Now I’ve spoken lot about these guys in the past couple of years since they started to blow audiences away with their full on performances. It’s no wonder they are currently up for Blues band of the Year at the UK Blues Awards, and Zac Schulze up for Blues Artist of the Year. Both of these categories are tough with some serious contenders and just to get nominated would be enough, seeing how short a time the band have been together, but don’t be surprised if they pull off at least one of them – or even have the audacity to get both – to add to Zac’s ‘Young Artist of the Year’ gong from 2025.

The setlist is pretty much the same as the gig from last year, with Samantha Fish, just the top and tail have changed – but it’s a good one with some classics thrown in, that may not be their own, but they’re making them their own, and nobody complains when they play them.

The opener is High Roller, which, if you’ve never seen these guys before sets the scene in no uncertain terms. It’s fast paced and loud, and it’ll be that way for the next forty-five minutes. Front Man Schulze wastes no time in blasting out plenty of riffs and facial contortions, whilst bassist Ant Greenwell (fresh from his birthday shenanigans) and brother Schulze provided a solid back beat with plenty of riffs, less facial contortions.

Woman, Walking the Dog (Rufus Thomas cover), and She Does It Right (Dr. Feelgood cover) followed, with barely room for breath in between. Manchester guessed these three were coming, and in this order, and they bought into them hook, line and sinker. The sprung dance floor was getting a good amount of stomping from a crowd that had come for a good night out, and nothing was going to stop them.

Zac swaggered all over the stage riffing like there was no tomorrow. Each string was being stretched as far as it would go to get the maximum effect possible. ‘Dog’ used to be a soulful groove until these three got a hold of it, and not so much pimped it up, but punked it up into a dirty, but glorious version that The Gang now own outright. That solid beat continued into the Feelgood cover, again ripped to bits and re-built from the bottom up, so it became punchy with vocals delivered with vitriol, but also with a rye smile. Manchester were all over this and relishing every single minute.

Their tribute to Rory Gallagher, Ballyshannon Blues, has been with them since day one and again is a classic that they’ve breathed new life into – if it ever needed it – but if you are going to do covers then you should make an effort and put your own stamp on it, or what’s the point.

Hellhounds On My Tail finished us off and left us scorching and in desperate need of a beer or two to cool down a bit. Schulze had placed his guitar on the floor and was riffing it with his foot, whilst he intro’d the band, made a plea for people to buy Merch and give thanks to Ms. Fish for the invite. I’ve no idea what a set of strings cost, but I’d put money on him only getting one gigs worth out of each set !

The thing about these boys is that they were sent on to warm the place up, ready for the Headliner, not set the place on fire, but Fish knew what she was getting since she chose them for last years tour, and the smart money says she’ll choose them again – why wouldn’t ya ? ?

Now, I’m not wishing the year away, but I just have to wait until November when The Zac Schulze Gang tour in their own right, Supported much in the same way as last year by The Whisky Flowers. Six dates from the 10^th to the 16^th – Manchester included. Nice.

Zac Schulze Gang Setlist

High Roller

Woman

Walking the Dog (Rufus Thomas cover)

She Does It Right (Dr. Feelgood cover)

Hole In My Pocket

Ballyshannon Blues

Hellhounds On My Tail (Tony Dowlers Hellhounds cover)

The Zac Schulze Gang are: -

Zac Schulze – guitar and vocals

Ant Greenwell – bass and vocals

Ben Schulze – drums

Samantha Fish – After a twenty minute gear change over, the atmosphere hasn’t diminished one bit and the sight of Samantha Fish’ s band taking the stage brings a huge roar from the crowd. Fish herself follows only a few seconds later, adding a second cheer and a round of applause, before a quick look around by Fish to make sure everyone is settled and they all launch in to the usual opener of Kick Out the Jams, which is a classic opener that sets course for a solid night of blues / rock.

Here to promote the new album ‘Paper Doll’, they waste no time in getting around to showing off its wares as the next five songs are all taken from it. The title track, Paper Doll, starts us off, with a solid groove laden bass line served up by Ron Johnson, backed up with Mickey Finn’s organ wrapping round it giving a real comforting feel to it, until Fish delivered the lyrics with punch and then a solo that said everything there is to say about who Samantha Fish is. Manchester was hooked and attentive and waiting on her every note.

Fish is decked out tonight in the shiniest of leggings and a leopard-print ‘wisket’, all topped off with her trademark tousled, blonde hair. She has a confidence about her that says she knows exactly what she’s about and knows exactly what her audience wants.

Can Ya Handle The Heat and I’m Done Runnin’ follow on, each with their own guitar changes, which seem to happen with every song and the ‘Guitar Tech’ seemingly putting as much effort into fetching and carrying as the band on the stage are doing playing. ‘Running’ comes with a hefty chunk of slide guitar to it, with a strong vocal riding over the top of it all.

 Sweet Southern Sounds moves things into a different dimension. That keyboard kicks in, and resonates around the high ceiling, turning the place back in to the dance hall it once was – but only for a moment. There’s a medium paced, pulsing rhythm provided by drums and bass, and a silky vocal from Fish, that has her Southern accent coming through to complete the illusion. There’s a big solo in the middle of it, but speed has been traded in for long, lingering notes that compete with that keyboard for resonation space around the hall.

Lose You finished off the album advert – only for a moment – but it’s the next song that raises the temperature once again. Bulletproof may be a few years old now, but it’s included on every tour now and one that I cant see taken away for a good while, such is the reaction it gets when the opening bars are played. If Sweet Southern Sounds had lulled you into a lazy, hazy relaxed mood, then you were about to be rudely kicked out of it, with a riff, that punched you back in to the room. Douglass’ drums and Johnson’s bass were hitched tightly together and weren’t going to be moved for no one. Fish has gone from soft, Southern drawl to delivering lyrics with venom and pointed meaning, only breaking off to deliver a solo that had her striking a pose in three or four parts of the stage, so that every part of the sell-out crowd got to see perfection up close and personal. Applause broke out a couple of times as Manchester got what they were desperate to see, and Fish was only too pleased to deliver.

This one song in itself, is why you come to a Samantha Fish gig.

Back to the new stuff with Fortune Teller and its slow, steady pace creating a sinister air, and a nervous atmosphere around the room, and Rusty Razor, which is a rock tune if ever you heard one and firmly left the blues behind – a sign of the direction that she might go in next, perhaps ? - with another staple favourite sandwiched in between, Poor Mattie is a shift from the rock blues to country blues much of it provided by the cigar box guitar that Fish is known for and is as big a hint to the audience as to what’s coming next, as there needs to be.

Manchester had been well and truly satisfied with what they had seen tonight, but there was one last trick of the tail – which they had all seen before, but there’s no guarantee that it would be seen again. Black Wind Howlin’ was the final track of the night and just to add a bit more spice and theatrics to it, Zac Schulze made a return to the share the limelight and provide one last salvo of raunch and power. The two of them traded licks and poses in a one for one competition that heightened the performance one last time and sent the crowd into a whole new frenzy of excitement. If something is good, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen it – if it’s good, you’ll watch it again and again. This wrapped up a fabulous night in fine style.

Fish is well established now and the Schulze boys are well on their way to pulling the same trick. As a partnership, they’re a marriage made in heaven and you wonder where they’ll go next. It’ll be a sad day to see Fish rock up with a different Support, and whoever they may be, they’ll have big boots to fill. It’ll have to happen at some point as the Zac Schulze Gang are headliners in their own right. In saying that, if the fun is there and everyone is happy to play their part, then it wouldn’t hurt to do it one more time – would it ?

Here’s hoping anyway.

Samantha Fish Set List

Kick Out The Jams

Paper Doll

Can Ya Handle The Heat?

I’m Done Runnin’

Sweet Southern Sounds

Lose You

Bulletproof

Fortune Teller

Poor Mattie

Rusty Razor

Don’t Say It

Black Wind Howlin’

Samantha Fish’s Band are: -

Jamie Douglass - Drums

Ron Johnson - Bass

Mickey Finn – Keyboards