The music of Alabama 3 is a fusion of acid house with country and blues, and is certainly a unique sound, well suited to the Boiler Shop in Newcastle.
The Boiler Shop is an inviting music venue: spacious, yet with the lights down, has a cosy feel. It was restored in 2016 from being a historic locomotive factory and has maintained its industrial charm with effective interior design. I appreciated the wall of windows, which makes it feel bigger and less claustrophobic than many music venues, allowing the area to seem modern and polished. It has a large dance floor and a small amount of seating in the form of tables and benches, however, the stage can’t really be seen from the seating area, and it’s not really designed for a sit-down gig.
An electronic band called Lazy Rave was the support act. Their music was engaging and powerful, with strong beats, and the saxophone added a funky feel. Although most of the audience wasn’t there to see them, it was clear they were appreciated.
Alabama 3 is a British group, probably best known for the theme tune to ‘The Sopranos.’ The demographic of their audience seemed to be mostly men in their 50s or 60s, which would make sense since the band formed in 1995, and I think a lot of their following have been fans since the early days. They had a great time, clearly enjoying the band as much as ever. I had never heard the music before, so my perspective was quite different, but I could appreciate the quality of the music. Their outfits and styling were beyond cool – long hair, sunglasses, gold sparkly jackets, and cowboy hats, and they were seasoned professionals. They performed a mixture of originals and covers, opening with ‘Hotel California’ was a treat, especially for me, because I knew the
song. After that, they went more into their own music, which I enjoyed for approximately half of the time. I found it immersive and engaging to watch for a while; however, around 45 minutes in, I felt all the songs blurring into one. They have many songs which (to new ears) sound very similar, and there was only so much I could listen to.
I was most impressed by the voice of Devlin Love (Zoe Devlin) – her vocals were incredible and complemented the lower tones of Larry Love (Rob Spragg).
Music is subjective, so my opinion of the songs themselves is relatively unimportant. Still, the gig was good and professional, and on the whole, the night was enjoyed by many people. The band is currently on tour and will be heading to Southampton, Cardiff, and Brighton later in the month.