Live Review : Massive + Takeaway Thieves + Bastette @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on August 8th 2022

We start the evening with Bastette and the first thing I notice is that there's yet another new guitarist. This time it's Laurie Buchanon, also a member of The Hot Damn and previously working with her brother Aaron Buchanon. This isn't a bad thing though because Laurie is a cracking guitarist and she brings a little bit of extra magic to the band. Caroline's crowd skills have improved immensely and she still has a great voice so it's all good. She's very good but I'm a little bit worried about how unstable the band has been recently – I really hope she can find a stable line up that works for her to take it forwards. The songs are good, the singer is good, the band still needs a little work I think. Not in terms of talent, just in terms of them actually staying IN the band!

Takeaway thieves are missing bassist Adam but that's okay because they've managed to pull in The Rev from Towers of London to add a bit of eye-candy to the proceedings. He may not have Adam's boundless Duracell bunny energy but he can certainly play and he looks the part as well so they've made a good thing even better. They rage through a strong set of old songs and some slightly newer ones and the crowd just bounces, sings along, waves arms. It's absolutely brilliant; this is one of those bands that you feel like you're part of and I love it. Of course they always finish with ‘This is Rock and Roll’ and this time they dedicated it to me, woohoo! I say it every time but it really is what rock and roll is all about, for me at least. A good band playing good songs that the crowd can get involved with – classic. 

Massive too have had a lineup change since last time I saw them, possibly because of the post covid difficulties of getting Australians actually into the UK. This means tonight they featuring Deggy from Gorilla Riot on bass and I don’t recognise the guitarist either, he’s not the one that got wrapped in cling-film last time I saw them. Essentially this doesn’t matter though, as Massive is all about Brad Marr. Brad is a super musician no matter what he turns his hand to and tonight he surprises me, well let's be honest he astonishes me with an acoustic break in the middle of the set. So after the usually rocky songs about drinking and stuff, we get a version of Aussie classic ‘Down Under’ and a one-man rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. No, really. Queen struggled to play it live even with all of them on stage yet Brad knocks it out of the park with just an acoustic guitar and the power of his voice. It was another “you had to be there” moment and I shall cherish it in my memories for a long time! It’s then back to the rock and as usual this band pull no punches. They are loud and brash, they swagger a bit but in a different way to the Thieves’ Jagger swagger. It's more of an in your face thing! Again the crowd are on side singing and dancing and it's just such a good time. Brad is the ultimate showman, he's all over the stage and he's on absolutely fine form. It's so good to see him back in the UK and doing what he does best,