four day Hombre
Live at Faversham on Monday, 23rd October 2000
Tonight was going to be another boring Monday night in as usual. I had planned to go the Faversham to see Four Day Hombre but as I hadn't got a clue where it was, and each of the maps I tried looking at all have different things on them, so I had resigned myself to not going. Thanks to e-mail (my lifeline) friends Dave and Sheila offered to meet me and show me where it was. It's sort of behind the university (ish) No wonder I couldn't find it on the map.... And even more confusing in the dark!
So we arrive about 8:00, get drinks and a seat and watch the band running through sound checks. MMMmmmmm, early indications show I am going to love this! I got a bit concerned when I saw a mixing deck at the back that seemed to be part of their stuff. That wasn't really what I came to hear - BUT: - Oh My GOD! - I have got no idea how to describe these guys to you. They were AWESOME !
They have 2 vocals, 2 guitars (Richard Huxley and Simon Wainwright), bass (Jason Miller), keyboards (Mark "Ed" Waring), drums (Mark "Ash" Ashwell) and their own DJ (Leon 'Dave Double Decks' Ross). Their sound is completely unique. The vocals were superb, rich and melodic I know that I can never reproduce some of the high notes these guys did. Excellent harmonies, both vocally and on guitar. I love the lyrics to some of these songs too. Expressive and emotional. They have the sound set up just right so that you can hear each member of the band clearly and hear all the words too. Ballad type singing over fast rock guitar - fantastic! In the last half of the set they got their DJ in. I was sceptical at first, as I have never heard this done before. How on earth did they come up with the idea for that kind of sound? It was brilliantly done. Just perfect!
Four Day Hombre obviously love what they do, they were having great fun, which made it entertaining for us too. They announced one of the songs as being about really bad girlfriends and then muttered for our benefit that he thought she was here tonight. They also took a 15-second break so the keyboard player could wipe the blood of the keys as he hits it too hard... Someone also announced one of the songs as being especially for all the people who had been playing with his little toys earlier. (Those paper things you put on your fingers and pick a number where something is written underneath - great sense of humour guys! It's also one of those little things that sticks in your memory as being different from everyone else) During the last song they were scrapping & laughing with each other and one of them ended up flat on back with the other guitarist standing on him (both still playing of course) I tried to get a photo but there were too many people in the way.
The crowd loved them, and it was obvious that many of them had been before as they were singing along and I saw several people wearing the bands T-shirts. They asked at one point if anyone was here that they had given flyers to that morning and there was a show of about 15 hands scattered through the crowd - so that strategy worked. Halfway though the set they announced that they had sold out of Live CD's (Sugar! I wasn't fast enough - I'll get one next time) These guys have great stage presence. The crowd went nuts as the set ended, so they came back for one final song. They told us that they were supposed to be finished at 10:45 but as there were only 3 bar staff and loads of us so.... One more then..
All the songs I heard tonight would knock everything currently in the top ten out of the charts. Why the record companies haven't got their attention focused on Leeds I will never know, because if they had, Four Day Hombre would have been signed a long time ago! Anyone who loves good music has got to see these guys. Their next gig in Leeds is on November 11th at the Royal Park Cellars.
I spent my taxi money on their other CD and because I stayed for the last song I ended up jogging (sort of) back into town to try to get the last bus home. Thanks to all those who pointed me in the right direction, next time I will be better prepared!
