Blue Nation
Sounds like the beginning of a dirty joke, I’ll save that for another time, hahaha, our weapon of choice this evening was cake, as the Meanies marched into The Giffard Arms ready for a meet up here in Wolverhampton. We are a proud bunch, professing our love for all things blue, our hometown heroes were first up to support Amongst Liars on the final night of their UK tour.
I rocked up like an uninvited guest, probably much to everyone’s annoyance, hahaha, but here I was in this incredibly close and uncomfortable weather to witness, once again, that the grassroots are here to stay. In the absence of our Chief Meanie Jilly, we were still strong in number with ‘Christine ‘how many shandies’ Joseph, Sammy ‘true blue’ Johns, Edward ‘the bootleg bandito’ Lowe and the remarkable Frenchy, trusted and a veteran in the scene, leading the charge. A notable mention to Pauline, the sandwich queen, mum to Neil and by extension, mum to The Meanies. The power of three on display, as Neil, Luke and Nick absorb the love that emanates from the crowd and relay it back in the shape of their songs. They are an extremely dapper band, which accentuates their Blues Rock sound and creates a distinctive and beautiful aesthetic.
We are treated to ‘Hand Me Down’ as Neil says ‘I don’t pay you to talk’ er ok I won’t then. The cascading rhythms of ‘Every Single Time’ are like a pulse, racing through your blood vessels, actively seeking out your weak points, so the song knows where to hit you. Followed swiftly by crowd favourite ‘Echoes’ always a winner whenever it is played, repeatedly administering those crucial messages regarding mental health, a topic very close to their hearts.
Blue Nation ooze warmth and kindness wherever they go. It is impossible not to get drawn in by their aura, always wanting the best for everybody, providing a stunning backdrop of music to help us along. Their songs have a magnetism; they tackle subjects that are sensitive and draining, they win over audiences with their conviviality, they too struggle, they are open and honest about it, but the idea is that we continually strive, we push forward. The ideal start to what would be a momentous evening, as for the Meanies, have cake, will travel, where to next!
James Kennedy
After conducting background checks on James Kennedy and the Underdogs – hehehe – with everything in order, they were up next and instantly grabbed the audience with their seething ire and fire. James is a real character, a new name to me but my god what a littler rager he is. A revolution is never far away when he is in town, nothing like an uprising to warm the cockles of your heart. I’m always up for a little dissent and our Welsh cousins were taking no crap from anyone. You can feel the band digging really deep and pulling out every ounce of passion and grit to deliver a blinding set. I did leave midway only because it was too hot inside, but his enthusiasm and drive to perform was reverberating around the venue, the tremors I’m sure were felt all across our region. Aggy Nowicka neatly perched on the drums hammers away, her timing and skills put her up there with the likes of Hayley Cramer and Fliss Kitson.
With ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Outragers’ all planning to fight dirty and expose what is hidden ‘Behind These Lies’ it is time to make anger great again and take back the power. We are faced with an ultimatum, we remain undaunted, we promise to unite and defend ourselves in this oppressive landscape. We soldier on, legions of underdogs, howling for our sanity, for our dignity and for our lives, with everything on the line, we have everything to play for. When James Kennedy brings the fight to your town, draw the lines and pick a side, and wait for his signal. We are headed for a disaster and their next round of tour dates couldn’t get here fast enough.
Azra Pathan
Blue Nation/ James Kennedy and the Underdogs, The Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton, 20th July 2024.