Review: Redcliffe at Four5Nine

Redcliffe at Four5Nine
w/ Beach Bleach, Lachy John and the Red Bellies
Friday, May 12, 2023

Redcliffe put on a spread for their Friday night single release. The punters pushed past a busy beer garden stocked with the after work crowd, the relaxaholics in windcheaters, and a few folks dressed to the nines and obviously prepping for a big night out. But THEY did not get to hear THIS.

Three piece (plus laptop) Beach Bleach covered a tonne of ground in their set. They opened with a groove that proved mighty swanky given that it was delivered over a drum machine. Isis Porotto’s sensual croon suited the swaggering bass to a T. The band announced a jazz tune next, but actually we got a cabaret style number that matched Porotto's leopard-and-leather outfit. From here the trio veered down a series of stylistic alleys, eventually settling on some drum and bass that had some punters reaching for the ceiling as if they were on a dance floor.

Lachy John and the Red Bellies restored the rock and roll vibe that might be Four5Nine’s more usual fare with a set of rock-ish, blues-ish, folk-ish tunes that had the crowd rapt. We got some rock-appropriate incomprehensible vocals to start, but John immediately subverted expectations with a Dylan-esque harmonica solo over something that was most certainly NOT a folk guitar. Bold stuff, especially with the bass player going at it so hard it’s amazing his socks stayed on. Eventually we got a real blues harp solo, and a juicy blues-rock number with searing guitars and heartbreak vocals. The Red Bellies didn’t stop there, holding the crowd’s close attention through moody feedback, pathos, and a hint of Steppenwolf or some such thing. Then there was a mini-didgereedoo to finish things off, over some head-banging, naturally. Super.

When Redcliffe finally kicked off their set, the Stratocaster took centre stage. The ghost of Hendrix felt close by through their unison guitar and voice lines, and even some crazy drum excursions a la Mitchell. The crowd clustered as close to the stage as possible, squeezing into the gap every time someone left in search of refreshment or relief. The tune Walk On By gave the room a mesmerising wandering bass groove and a hollow-body guitar that sank into a sludgy goodness that somehow morphed into a biting vocal wah-infused lead break.

Then it was back to the Strat for Alabama Prison Song – a cover no one else had ever heard before – the best kind. Soon the band were then augmented by a keyboard player for a long slow blues burn. The Rhodes is strong with this one. Then a harp player showed up, duelling with the guitar in fine style. After a bit of banter about Mr. Hendrix, Mr. King (Albert in this case) and Mr. Gary Clark Junior, Redcliffe sent everyone home with a blues standard of Albert’s creation.

With biting and searing guitar, an engaging range of musical styles, and tasteful musicianship all round, you couldn't ask for much more. What a night. Thanks, folks!

MIKE JEFFREY

Photos by Alan Holbrook