BETTER DAYS "Better Days" P.D.C.S. PDCSCD004
The Hastings band deserved far wider recognition then they ever got. The impact of their imaginative arrangements when they performed live was quite breathtaking; they produced some of the finest music ever produced by English folk-rock bands. This was a band with many strengths. The fiddlers Garry Blakeley and Steve Cook could provide driving tune-playing and really interesting accompaniments to John Burgess's really convincing singing. Paul Dengate provides some fine guitar work and it is his creative thinking about accompanying traditional song that is behind the arrangements. The real strength was the tightness and certainty of their playing. It must have taken many hours of practice to hone to reach this high standard. Ten of the tracks were originally available on their 1990 cassette and there are six others from a few years earlier. All sound just as fresh and compelling as they did at first listening. At a budget price, this is a very good buy. Have a look at www.pdcs.org.uk. Vic Smith.
Cult folk-rock band Better Days emerged from the wilderness and stepped back into the light of the Black Horse stage for a one-off concert on Saturday. Members of the resurrected band might be older, but they are certainly wiser and arguably playing better than ever before. It was a cohesive and compelling set. The inventive arrangements were disciplined but spacious, while interplay between band members was razor sharp. They created a protracted swelling of sound led by the resonant fiddle playing of Garry Blakeley and Steve Cooke. The deceptively well-tempered tonality was underpinned by a hard edge to the guitar playing and percussion that was instantly embraced by the new younger audience. One of the band's many strengths lies in the quality of their traditional source material. Forgotten English gems are re-cut and polished thanks to the erudite musical knowledge of singer John Burgess. Burgess, always an understated frontman, has developed new voice strength and dynamics which enabled him to stamp his authority on the performance. Inspired by audience reaction on Saturday, there is cautious talk from the band of future gigs. Andy Hemsley.
The sparks flew as a charge of electric folk rock hit the White Rock Theatre on Monday. Fans leapt up to dance reels in the aisles as first local band Better Days and then star attraction Steeleye Span took to the stage. A packed audience stormed their applause on both counts - but to my mind it was Better Days' night. What a superb band this is. Right from the start their exciting punchy sound was quite electrifying and their marvellous dance sets left the audience literally reeling. To have been chosen as support for Steeleye on their 20th anniversary tour has obviously been a major step for Better Days and they showed how well they deserved it. Quite honestly, it was a hard act to follow - even for the superb Steeleye. There were aspects of Better Days that seemed more like the Steeleye I remember of the 70s than the present band. However the years fell away as Maddy Prior - same voice, same looks - gave the edge to a classy selection of material from the band which brought electronics to the folk medium. Thomas 0'Rymill, the sinister Edward, the Salty Sailor song, Jack Hall - folk music fans must have found somthing they raved over! Despite the superb musicianship of the Steeleye line-up, they lacked some of the sparkle I remember and it was disappointing not to see their brilliant fiddler Pete Knight (who lives in Hastings) more to the fore. It seemed they were only fully coming to life on the encores and their original hit, All Around My Hat, towards the end of the show. Another half hour in the same vein would have been great. I hope it's not a case of them having seen better days. Ann Cooper.
Last updated 16th March 2001.
| Previous page | Next page |
Return to Better Days Home Page
Return to Black Horse Music Festival 2000 Page