Review: King King – Live

Manhaton Records (October 21st 2016)

Reviewer: Dan Mann

King King are a band on the rise, a band managing to bridge the gap between blues and rock audiences, and bridging it with some style it must be said.

Ahead of their November UK Tour supported by Broken Witt Rebels, sees the release of their first live album, which was recorded in front of their home crowd at Glasgow’s O2 ABC on May 14th of this year.  The release will be  available as a double CD or a deluxe version complete with Live DVD (The DVD was recorded at The Picturedrome, Holmfirth on April 13th 2016). This review is for the CD version.

Live albums can be a bit of a Marmite thing, either love them, hate them or the recording’s great or truly awful. Thankfully we’re on a double positive with this release. The sound isn’t perfect but that’s not a negative. What I mean is it’s not sounding like a studio album with a bit of clapping and whoops added! It is as described, a ‘live’ album.

King King take us through what I like to think is something for everyone. From the blues rock ‘Rush Hour‘ off their last album to the more ‘traditional’ ‘Wait On Time‘ which has a delicious helping of  Hammond organ, courtesy of Bob Fridzema.

They have a great front man in kilt wearing Alan Nimmo and I must mention the rhythm section of Lindsay Coulson (bass) and Wayne Proctor (drums), who keep things on a tight and even keel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the extended live versions of ‘Long History Of Love‘ from the ‘Standing In Shadows’ album and ‘Stranger To Love‘ from last year’s ‘Reaching For The Light‘

All in all a great release that captures the live essence of King King, and if you have not yet had the chance to see them in the flesh so to speak then get yourself a ticket for the upcoming tour.