Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Southbound Attic Band, Constellations, Liverpool. June 2018. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
The Southbound Attic Band may have recently given the people of London a run for their money with a deserved display of Merseyside passion, they may have taken on what may seem like to be the world, its wife and those to whom have not had the pleasure of their company in the past, but where do you go from there, for the pleasure of their company and the wonderful outlook of the true-life observational lyric, it is to know that Ronnie Clark and Barry Jones will always stay humble, will always be the epitome of the honest raised eyebrow and have the wit of a thousand people chugging through their hearts.
From the prestigious 100 Club on Oxford Street, where do you go but up, where do you go but back to your home town crowd who have toasted you all the way and to see them sit back and enjoy the Merseyside sunshine, the 100 Club might have the sense of reaching out further than they have ever gone, but you know, deep down that the twinkle in the eye as they played in the courtyard of Constellations for Liverpool Calling, they knew who their audience was.
No matter where they play, or indeed the set the choose, the slightly irreverent, the sublimely cheeky, or indeed the out and out beautiful, the Southbound Attic Band will always find a way to please a crowd, will always be two gentlemen to whom the music somehow fills the space that is left over when everybody else has tried their best to fill it. It is in this reason that the band remain fond favourites, ones who deserve to truly be known nationwide, but you suspect are just as happy playing to those with a warm, welcoming smile.
As the outside air grew ever more comfortable, and the thought of a weekend spent in blissful surrender to the fates came to mind, the Southbound Attic Band took those assembled under the contented and relaxed skies through a journey of songs that included Old Fools, Compromised, The Lone Crow, Meet Me by The River, Last Man Standing and the ever faithful, and arguably one of the great crowd pleasing songs of all time, Hide The Sausage, a journey that was impressive, that had both Ronnie Clark and Barry Jones being appreciated more than ever.
The 100 Club is a tremendous place to play, but when you are so loved in your home town, sometimes you just have to understand, as the Southbound Attic Band do, the sea is quite often more beautiful than the ocean.
A marvellous afternoon of fun, beauty and pronounced tease, it is always an honour to be in the same venue as this incredibly adept pair.
Ian D. Hall