The Convulsions
Live at Junction Inn (Otley) on Tuesday, 1st November 2005
The Convulsions are a four piece R+B band who add a new dimension to the concept of "high energy". The Junction is a small venue used to more sedate entertainment; perhaps a game of darts while enjoying a nice pint of Timothy Taylor's for instance. On the 1st November there occurred a juxtaposition of these two very different entities.
To say that The Convulsions have a cavalier approach to their welfare and that of their audience would be understating the facts. Any Health and Safety Executive staff in the venue would have been nervously reaching for their clip boards as front man Ben Ruth jumped from a crouching start on to a table and proceeded the length of the venue using various tables, stools and members of the audience as stepping stones. The aforementioned staff member would have doubtless been calling for back up as guitarist, Michael Howard, (who looked very different when he appeared at the Conservative party conference) and bassist David Beale took to the tables. It was clear that only the need for him to remain at his drum kit prevented drummer Phil Gibson from joining in.
The band are dominated by Ruth's harmonica playing which is reminiscent of Andy Prowler in his hey day, each number a blistering high speed thrash with a rhythm section as tight as a very tight thing and guitar playing which had many in the crowd wishing they too had progressed beyond Bert Weedon's Play in a Day.
A very minor quibble was that the balance of the sound was a bit iffy, we told the guitarist he wasn't loud enough at one point, this obviously was so at variance with feedback he normally received that he ignored us completely.
The band are back at the Junction in December. If you don't mind the prospect of a bunch of perspiring rockers stamping on your pork scratchings why not get along and groove with The Convulsions.
