09 May 2015 (gig)
28 May 2015
I have wanted to see this band since I followed the furore of the marmite response to their video promoting their self-titled album in Classic Rock Magazine. Andrew Lloyd Webber, We Will Rock You even Eurovision were being mentioned in a less than complimentary manner. Yet, those who loved them talked in terms of Queen, Fleetwood Mac and Genesis and a possible new supergroup.
The album is an incredibly well produced album as perhaps you might expect from a band fundamentally made up of session musicians. It was recorded at Mike Moran’s studio, the international musician/composer whose collaborations with Freddie Mercury are just one of the band’s very many links into the music they are endeavouring to make their own. The album though did not prepare me for the rawness and energy of what is now a rock trio and singer live.
On the album there were major contributions from Neil Murray, classic rock bassist legend and Elliot Ware, Musical Director and keyboard player who continues working on many West End shows. Live though we have just a rock trio and singer and the new balance of the live band was evident immediately in the opening of the show. They started with a new song– Take the Pain – with the drummer Brian Greene bombarding you from the very start. Dave Young, guitar and Chas Maguire on bass roared the evening into life with as much of a cliché as they could muster, taking us back into the mid 70’s before any reference to their Dr Who Time Lord tribute song I Will Find You. Everything about the entrance was classic rock: a 15 minute delay because of stage production, dry ice, the band coming on one by one and then the entrance of their not so secret weapon - The Duchess. Clad in stunning Cat Suit Space Elevator suddenly all made perfect sense.
Captivating, powerful vocals backed by a genuinely rocking band confirms that Space Elevator have placed Glamorous back into the meaning of Glam Rock. The Duchess is a stunning Freddie Mercury, a considerably more appealing Justin Hawkins and then some more on top. An effortless performer, a wonderful singer this band has the key ingredient – a world-class performer.
The 90-minute show was made up of all of their debut album plus two new songs and some intriguing covers. If I had wanted to check my watch I am sure it would have said 1975!
Let’s be clear I found nothing original in this band – yet, they were incredibly refreshing to watch and, immensely entertaining. I am still not quite a fan, and I am not sure that I really like the music – although I feel its only a matter of time, but there will be plenty of you who will and they certainly did at Arts4every1. Enthusiastic roars followed every song and in they rounded of the evening with cheeky encore of Love in an Elevator.
What became pretty evident as the show progressed these guys have obviously got years of experience, they are musicians, musicians and this coupled with a fantastic on stage Chemistry results in one hell of a show. Like the Darkness, it feels like they have come along as refreshing antidote to the general direction of current music, but with one enormous advantage – The Duchess - she really delivers the music.
I heard the album then saw them live – do the same, you will not fail to be entertained, for all of the albums production value – Space Elevator are a live rock band.
