Gig review: BUCK & EVANS – 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

BUCK & EVANS- 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

Buck and Evans define the term ‘critically acclaimed’ in that anyone who has come into contact with their music has universally praised them.  However, a good four years since I last saw them (at Highbury Garage) progress has been slow. For reasons often outside their control, a first full length album has yet to appear and since a couple of high-profile festivals, their touring activity has also been low key.

2019 is stepping up to be their most important year yet with the release of the album ‘Write a Better Day’ and their most extensive tour yet including this London show at the prestige 100 Club, where young Shropshire-based blues rockers The Rainbreakers opened the show in very impressive style.

BUCK & EVANS - 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

For the uninitiated, Buck and Evans are actually a quartet with hotshot guitarist Chris and singer Sally Ann respectively joined by laid back bassist Dominic Hill and experienced drummer Bob Richards, whose status is such he even has recorded with AC/DC in the studio.

The thing that I hadn’t remembered from my dimly remembered 2015 gig was quite how much of a stand-up comedian Chris was. His self-deprecating remarks about writing the songs and their travails as a band, plus teasing his older bandmates in the manner of a bright but cheeky student (though they gave as good as they got), had people in stitches. Given his passing facial and follicular resemblance to comedian Ross Noble I wondered if the two had momentarily traded places.  Their whole presentation was endearingly casual and low-fi, but the grave mistake would be to let this overshadow some quite magical music.

BUCK & EVANS- 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

With a slight ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ groove, ‘Slow Train’, was a bold song to kick off with, given that a well-known radio station has made this their most familiar song to date. However the momentum was maintained with ‘Going Home’ and ‘Common Ground ‘with its catchy ‘Never Give it Up’ chorus. ‘Impossible’ began in an almost jazzy fashion but featured the first, but not last, of Chris’ spectacular solos.

Sally Ann, with her bluesy voice and generally seated playing an electric piano, reminded me of a more powerful Christine McVie, even if her raven fringe conjured images of another 1970’s showbiz icon in Liver Birds-era Nerys Hughes.

BUCK & EVANS- 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

The set mixed some classy slower songs such as the ballad ‘Fix You’ (half a mark deducted for stealing a C***play title), ‘Trail Of Tears’ with a piano coda from Sally Ann, and ‘Change’ with rockier numbers including ‘Back To Yesterday’ where Chris joked a chorus of ‘who-oahs’ had been written for places like Download where they made an unlikely appearance a few years back.

However it was some longer numbers that began to predominate in the latter half of the set. Both the Otis Redding cover ‘Dreams To Remember’ and ‘Sinking’  followed a similar format, with a sparse, slow backing to showcase Sally Ann’s wonderfully emotive soul voice before Chris built up to an epic solo, combining great technical ability with a tasteful tone second to almost none. In contrast ‘Sunrise’ was an altogether rockier workout, bolstered by some thunderous drumming from Bob.

BUCK & EVANS- 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

A single encore in ‘Ain’t No Moonlight’, with a southern groove to it, albeit broken up by typically humorous band introductions, took the set to an hour and 45 minutes. While the level of chat contributed, the set length itself was an indicator that they are already a band of musical substance.

Without doubt Buck and Evans are a marvellous combination of rocking guitar virtuosity allied to soulful singing and warm-hearted songs that stands comparison with Hart/Bonamassa. After this highly impressive show the questions on people’s lips were do they know how good they are, and do they have the drive and the breaks to take their undoubted musical talent right to the top?

BUCK & EVANS- 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

Review and photos by Andy Nathan


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 25 February
Next session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 March 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 5 March 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 18 March 2024

GYPSY’S KISS We’ve Come To Play
FM Out Of The Blue (Frontiers)
SHOTGUN MISTRESS Shot Down (indie)
ATTIC THEORY Violent Delight (indie)
FLOYA Yume (FiXT)
SAHAJI Tell Me All Your Feelings (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 18 March 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 LEAVES’ EYES Myths Of Fate (AFM Records)
14:00-16:00 HOLLY LERSKI Sweet Decline (indie)


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply