Nutloaf at The Albion

I missed a few Nutloaf gigs due to calendar clashes so this was my first chance to see them. While they were a new band to me I knew a couple of them as they also play in Hoaxwind and friends had been to see them and had brought back positive reports.

The Albion was a new venue too. Not as a pub, I have been there a few times over many years, but as a music venue. The layout is quite good. It is a large "L" shape with a bay window at the bend giving the band somewhere to play that gives plenty of space to see them and also allows free access to the bar.

There was not much of a theme to their set, other than I suppose they all like the songs they chose, so we get some early 70s rock from Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin mixed in with later stuff that I knew less well.

Musically they made a rich sound and each of them is clearly proficient and confident with their chosen instrument.

What seemed to be lacking was much interplay between them and I could not tell who, if any one, was setting the pace.

That did not stop them from turning out a succession of good tracks that got (some of) the reasonable crowd dancing and even singing. I was content just to watch and listen. And Nutloaf were certainly worth listening too as they rocked their way through a slightly eccentric "rock's greatest hits" selection.

One of the more eccentric was the Osmonds' Crazy Horses. I was glad to see it, and other unusual songs, included although it sounded a little strange without the keyboards. But I'm not going to deduct too many points for that.

The Albion had a limited choice of ales so it's just as well that the IPA was on fine form. The beer was the final flourish that combined with the music and companionship to turn a drab Autumn evening in to something jolly and uplifting.