Huey and the New Yorkers - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 15/3/2013

  by Dave Goodwin

published: 24 / 3 / 2013

intro

Dave Goodwin watches Fun Lovin' Criminals front man Huey Mogan's new band Huey and the New Yorkers play a first-rate set of jazz and blues on their first UK tour at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham

It was another cold and wet night in Nottingham. The weather stayed the same all evening really, but the damp and freezing atmosphere stopped at the entrance to The Rescue Rooms. The support act Mike Marlin and his band worked their way through an awesome set, playing to just a handful of people at the start but by the time they had finished The Rescue Rooms was buzzing. There was no doubt though who the growing crowd had come to see. This was Huey Morgan’'s first outing for a while, and his first in his new guise of 'Huey and the New Yorkers'. Back in the mid-90s, Huey fronted one of the biggest bands of that era, the Fun Lovin’ Criminals. They have produced seven top quality albums, each laced with their distinctive blend of hip, hop, rock and blues. I have it from the horse's mouth that the Criminals aren't dead. Just sleeping a while. And on this tour Huey insists it's not for the money. In an interview with me earlier that evening, he explained that he just wanted to take himself and some friends on the road, and make a bit of music and a few people smile. It is a great reason for doing something like that, and it works. When halfway through the set he and his band drifted effortlessly into 'It’s Alright', there wasn't a person in the house not smiling or shuffling around. There was a real tightness on the stage. Each member of the band was in perfect harmony with the rest, so much so that it seemed almost as if they were all telekinetic. When one or other of them dinked in an extra couple of notes that the others weren't expecting, they all looked across and nodded with approval or smiled as they carried on. I had been informed beforehand that Huey has a cheeky smile. And he has too. He is the epitome of the lovable rogue, a bad lad done good. But then we knew all that before, having got little insights into the man on ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ and his radio slots for 6Music. What I hadn't banked on and what came as a huge surprise was the expertise in which he handled his guitar. I honestly hadn’t realised that he was that good with it or that he was that good a singer either. His low gravelly voice had a bit of wear and tear from the other nights of the tour, but this just added to the flavour. When he broke into 'She Gone', the whole room was totally transfixed. The crowd was littered with servicemen due to the 'Tickets for Troops' promotion Huey had put in place, where soldiers rocked on up and got a ticket for free as a way of saying thanks. The whole of the crowd was literally one big happy family having a bit of fun on a Friday night, and the lack of security told the story. Huey and the New Yorkers had just turned up to have fun. And they did so in good style! Set List: Stick It Dirty Bird Let My People Shaniqua Ripple The Way It Was... It's Alright, Fall Into Me NY Bluez She Gone Let the Good Times Roll Christmas by the Side of the Road White Guard

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