Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Judging by the rousing reception the members of The Spin Doctors got from the audience at Eric’s it might be hard to believe that New York American alternative rockers have not released an album in eight years. A lot of bands would go stale with that type of time away and even drift apart and go their own separate ways.
However the original foursome, Chris Barron on vocals, Eric Schenkman on guitar, Aaron Comess on drums and Mark White on bass are made of sterner stuff and now eight years later and with a new recording under the belts, the four musicians have made their way back to the U.K. in pursuit of giving their fans this side of the Atlantic a great evening’s entertainment.
The current cold weather may be keeping many people indoors at home in Liverpool at the moment but the atmosphere at Eric’s has never been warmer and with The Spin Doctors keeping the music flowing and the entertainment and conversation, the night was a blast from start to finish. Whether from the band carefully mixing great old classics that kept many faces in a permanent grin most of the evening or with the subtle blend of Blues and Rock that the four men have brought together for their latest album, If The River Was Whiskey, either way the music and the audience mixed with the assuredness of a group who knew exactly what to give in terms of a great display.
Most of the songs on the night were taken either from A Pocket Full of Kryptonite, the 2005 come- back album Nice Talking To Me and the new release. Now 22 years old, it was more than heart-warming to hear songs from that album once again being played live. With What Time Is It? Kicking off the evening, Little Miss Can’t be Wrong and Jimmy Olsen’s Blues thrown into the set and the outstanding Two Princes coming towards the end of the evening, there could be no faulting the selection of the songs by the band.
With new album being launched it was only right that some of the new songs from the latest release make their way into the tremendous set as well and if the title track alone is anything to go by, If The River Was Whisky, then the band are going to have more than the feeling of a Renaissance period ahead of them. Bluesy, captivating and generous with its appeal, it’s a great piece to buy whilst at the gigs.
For anyone who may have caught the band in the early days and on their tour dates since in this country, it was noticeable that that they are back to their best live.
The Spin Doctors remain a cracking band with some of the best characters in music, playful, musically obliging and with just that extra something in their set that sets them apart from many of their contemporaries.
Ian D. Hall