GIG REVIEW: The Bar Stool Preachers + Gimp Fist @ Riverside, Newcastle, Saturday 6 May 2023
The last time The Bar Stool Preachers played Newcastle was September 2021, when they did a ‘secret’ show at Trillians the day after their first appearance at the North East Calling all-dayer (reviewed here). To say they’ve stepped up a notch since then is a bit of an understatement.
This gig was the last night of the UK leg of the tour launching their latest album Above The Static, which has been getting rave reviews, including ours (read it here).
And the fact Riverside was packed is a fair indication of just how far this Brighton band have come. It’s much bigger than Trillians, where they have been regular visitors over the years, including that ‘secret’ gig (reviewed here).
Above The Static is the BSPs’ third album after 2016’s debut Blatant Propaganda and 2018’s follow-up Grazie Governo.
And just as their sound has developed from bouncy ska-punk to incorporate elements of everything from doo-wop to hard rock, the band’s stage show has changed too. There’s seven of them now, including three guitarists, which means their sound has really filled out.
Six of the band are dressed in mean and moody black, and you get the feeling that Johnny Cash, giving the finger to the stage from the wall above, would approve. The exception is singer TJ McFaull, who’s all in white, and looks the consumate frontman.
They hit the ground running with Call Me On The Way Home, the lead single from the new album, and it sounds fantastic. To think I wasn’t sure about it the first time I heard it at Rebellion Festival last August…
It’s followed by two old favourites, Trickledown and Looking Lost, and the crowd are already won over, as if there was ever going to be any doubt about that. Talking about preaching to the converted.
I’ve loved watching Bar Stool Preachers get bigger and better since I first saw them in 2015, but the strides they’ve taken in the last few months are astonishing. TJ’s not being arrogant when he says “we’ve come a long way since Trillians“, just stating fact.
The Bar Stool Preachers have always gone down a storm in Newcastle, which has become something of a home away from home for them. Their set is a good mix of new and old, with Doorstep, Flatlined and Love The Love from the latest album sounding fantastic, and oldies like One Fool Down and Start New keeping long-time fans happy.
The latter sees guitarist Karl and bassist Bungle head into the crowd, with a circle pit swirling around them, and there are more shenanigans when the band launch into Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Bad Moon Rising when TJ tells them to “play the song” (it sounded great by the way, and I’d love to hear a full version!).
The main set is brought to a thrilling close with a tremendous version of 8.6 Days (All The Broken Hearts), which has become a real fans’ favourite, and one of those songs which they’ll probably always play.
When I heard the latest album the song which stood out most was Lighthouse Keeper, a powerful ballad featuring just Tom on vocals and Alex D. Hay on piano, and I wondered if they’d dare play it live, as it doesn’t really fit the vibe of a typical BSP gig.
But there’s such self-belief running through the band now that of course they played it, as the first part of a three-song encore, and it was just as stunning as it is on record (though it would have been even better if the chatterers in the crowd had shut the fuck up).
It’s followed by When This World Ends, a banger of a song which was released during lockdown and didn’t even make the album, before the show comes to a close with a proper old knees up for Barstool Preacher. They came, they played, they sang their hearts out, and if anyone present didn’t enjoy it then they probably chose the wrong gig.
All credit goes to JS Promotions for taking a chance on a band who were playing bars not so long ago, and for asking streetpunk trio Gimp Fist, from Bishop Auckland, to open as special guests. They’ve got a good following in their own right, and if – like me- you love both bands, this was a perfect pairing.
The Gimps played a typically full-on set, storming through almost 14 songs in their allotted 40 minutes. I say almost because guitarist Jonny was forced to abandon penultimate number (Marching) On & On when the crackling from a dodgy guitar lead became too much.
Technical difficulties aside, their set was an enjoyable delve into a back catalogue which now spans 18 years and nine studio albums. Opening with the 1-2-3 of old favourites Common Ground, War On The Streets and Working Class, this was a set for fans of old.
Pick Up The Pieces was dusted off from a 2014 split single as well as Think Again from their 2010 album The Place Where I Belong, as well as newer cuts Bent Out of Shape, Ambition and Poisonous from last year’s brace of albums.
Top Dog was an early contender for standout moment of their set, but that went, as it usually does, to the closing Here I Stand, a slice of working class pride and solidarity which never disappoints.
