It might be the middle of March, but it’s a cold, snowy night in old York. Even so, The Duchess is already showing signs of there being a reasonable turnout for Huey Morgan’s first visit with his new backing band, the New Yorkers. This is good news for Mike Marlin, because it means he gets to play to a fair sized audience. Having scored a number of high-profile support slots since appearing on the scene, it’s something he should be growing accustomed to, and he and his backing band certainly look at home on stage as they rock their way through a set based primarily on his latest album, ‘Grand Reveal’.
“Let’s get the reviews out the way, this one’s called ‘Amazing,’” he quips at the start of the set. Being one of the album’s slow-burners, it’s a daring choice of opener, but that’s Marlin all over: he’s not one for the obvious, or to follow convention. But what he does do is play solid, quality traditional rock music – the kind you don’t really hear much any more – and he does it with style, the set building through a rousing rendition of the album’s title track, a majestic performance of ‘The Magician’ from his previous album, ‘Man on the Ground’ and concludes with a powerhouse blast of ‘The Skull Beneath the Skin’. The sound on-stage might not have been up to much, but out front where it mattered it was top drawer.
Huey Morgan requires little introduction, so instead takes some time to introduce his band members, and it seems he’s recruited half of his neighbourhood to form The New Yorkers. Ok, so in all, including their front man, they’re a five-piece, and damn slick they are too. The set kicks off with a spirited ‘Stick it to the Man’ and focuses exclusively on Morgan’s post-FLC career, meaning anyone hoping for a quick blast of ‘Scooby Snacks’ is going to be disappointed. But there’s little need to be, because ‘Say it to My Face’ has no shortage of grooves or hooks.
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In a recent interview I read the day before the show, Huey commented that he makes music for people his own age, rather than for ‘the kids’. Perhaps this explains the demographic of the (extremely appreciative) audience. There’s a couple in front of me who frequently stop bopping to turn round and snap photos of themselves grinning with Huey over their shoulders. He’s got his best leather blouson jacket on, and she has a shockingly mumsy roll-neck pattered jumper and I’d wager they don’t get out much. Is this what people – parents – in their 40s do nowadays?
Moving on from my ageist grousing, it’s not hard to understand why they’ve decided to make this their night out. Put simply, Huey’s an entertainer, and a natural. Strolling on in faded jeans and a baggy grey hooded sweatshirt, he looks comfortable, and his between-song banter is laid-back and seems effortless. The music isn’t especially challenging, but the band work hard to lay down some chunky grooves, melding elements of blues, funk and soul together. The country drawl of ‘Fall into Me’ frankly sucks, but ‘NY Bluez’ has fire in its belly and a stonking beat that makes up for it.
The encore is rather a formality and proves to be somewhat anticlimactic, but no-one’s complaining as they file out into the cold night – and nor should they: they’ve had their money’s worth been entertained by some consummate musicians. Not bad for a school night.
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