WHISKEY MYERS BRING THE GUITARS TO GLASGOW'S BAR AND HONKY TONK CROWD Whiskey Myers/Buffalo Summer: ABC, Glasgow Words and Pictures: Ian Sutherland Many Glasgow venues are successful enterprises with a lot going on and often gigs have to finish early to allow late night clubs to take over the space. Unfortunately that means things have to start early and tonight's support act Buffalo Summer were already on stage when I arrived at the ABC around 7.15. Ignoring the sparse early evening crowd the Welsh rockers got on with showcasing their driving, blues based rock. Singer Andrew Hunt has a nice voice but is an understated presence on stage as is guitarist Jonny Williams and it's left to bass player Darren King with his big smiles and antics throwing his instrument around to inject some life into the presentation. Other than that Buffalo Summer let their music do the talking and it speaks pretty well. I couldn't hear the southern tinge to their style that had been described to be but maybe the deep south of Wales sounds different to that other deep south in the USA. What I did hear was a bluesy sub Free/Bad Co/Zeppelin approach to making music with of course a few twists since they are children of an entirely different age. As the venue filled the crowd warmed to their style and they made a good few new fans here but for me I think the songs need a bit of spit and polish to become truly memorable. Another young doing old rock band to keep an eye on though. Texans Whiskey Myers are a long way from home but it's only six months or so since they were last in Glasgow. Another band who pride themselves in playing in an old school fashion, these sons of the south have been putting in thousands of miles on the road and taking their patented brand of soulful rock and country around the globe to anyone who will listen. Low key is the way they like to do things so they just wander on stage, give a few little waves and hellos and then it's straight into ‘On The River'. As befits a band with this much on the road experience there is no settling in period, they are immediately in their groove and head straight into the title track from ‘Mud' next. The sound is ironically a bit muddy and dense and heavy for a band of this style but I think that's the way they like it. The roots of their music may go a long way back but these are young sons of guns and they are going to do things their way. ‘Early Morning Shakes' is a great showcase of how they can put together an authentically southern tinged country rock tune which is memorable but not exactly like anyone else you've ever heard. These guys aren't just authentic, they have some song writing skills too. ‘Broken Window Serenade' and 'Bar, Guitar And A Honky Tonk Crowd' are tunes which get the crowd singing along and are part and parcel of the Whiskey Myers experience each night. The presentation continues to be low key throughout the night. It's just not in these guy's nature to make a big fuss it seems and singer Cody Cannon is happy to address the crowd occasionally in his Texan drawl and otherwise just stick to singing his heart out in that smokey voice of his or join in with Cody tate and john Jeffers in the kind of three pronged guitar attack favoured by southern rock bands for decades. It's left to the seventh band member, percussionist Tony Kent to do the only real showboating of the night with his cowbell solo spot which may sound a little bizarre but the crowd here seemed to enjoy it. The band's last visit to Glasgow was to the atmospheric St Luke's venue which they sold out. Moving to the much bigger ABC 1 they have drawn a bigger crowd but lost a little of the sizzling hot excitement that ran through that last gig but did enough to keep things going and their version of the White Stripes' ‘Seven Nation Army' was a rousing end to the main set. Encores were inevitable and it was the closing ten minute plus jam of ‘How Far' that really topped off an excellent set in great style. Got to love those guitars played by excellent musicians really going at it. Another trip around the country and another terrific set from the good ol' Whiskey Myers boys. I wouldn't bet against them being back here in front of a sold out crowd in six more months the way things are going. Buffalo Summer Whiskey Myers Check out more of Ian Sutherland right here. 28th May 2017