Gig review: THE DIRTY STRANGERS – Esquires, Bedford, Thursday 27 October 2022

Without doubt, The Dirty Strangers are one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands in the country. A bold statement maybe but for anyone who’s ever witnessed them live will understand.

There’s an honesty here that’s shorn of any bull, no grandstanding, no huge egos, just four blokes making a very fine racket. With an earthy, fuss-free take on classic, rambunctious rock music that tips a nod to the greats of the sixties, seventies and eighties and adds a bit of quintessential British humour to the pot, each night is a party.

Led, as ever, by main man Alan Clayton, the quartet brought their dancing shoes to Bedford’s legendary Esquires venue, opening for old friends The Quireboys and packing in more golden moments in their forty-five-minute set than most bands do in a whole career.

A rollicking ‘Blew the Whistle’ kicked off the night, its feral rhythms touched with a bit of New Wave swerve that adds another shiny, classy edge. ‘Are You Satisfied’ bristles with its feel of Elvis Costello meets The Byrds but with some true London dirt under their fingernails, John Rollason’s guitar alternately chiming and cutting.

A spiky ‘Here She Comes’ and the Stonesy swagger of ‘Baby’ (originally featuring Ronnie Wood on guitar) were a blast, all energy and attitude, contrasting nicely with ‘Cold Night’ that had more of a feel of Neil Young jamming with the Small Faces.

This is all part of the charm of The Dirty Strangers, their skills in bringing seemingly disparate elements together into one irresistible whole, some magical kind of alchemy, all topped by seemingly effortless charm that you can’t help but warm to immediately.

Like all the best bands, the rhythm section provides an unfussy but powerful engine room and drummer Lol Fox and bass player Cliff Wright drive everything along with verve, their work on ‘Oh Yeah’ making it physically impossible not to move your head and feet.

A glorious ‘She’s a Real Botticelli’ is introduced by Clayton as “something I wrote in my kitchen with Keith Richards” and you can detect the Stone’s guitarist’s love of Chuck Berry in its very DNA alongside its roustabout punky edges.

The big swing and groove ‘Hunters Moon’ continues the party mood and ‘Diamonds’ takes us on a trip down the widescreen highways of America’s Midwest, full of a cool, laid back feel, a million miles away from a Bedford club on a Thursday night in October.

The tongue in cheek, but on the nose, ‘Pirates Don’t Get Pensions’ tells the real story of life on the road, injecting some well-aimed humour into the set, as does the super-fast ‘My Girl’s a Getaway Driver’ and new track ‘Slap Bang’ shows there’s a tremendous fire still burning here.

The set closes with the instant singalong of ‘Gold Cortina’, its Canvey Island R&B momentum carrying the band to the finish line with a triumphant turn of speed. Always engaging, folk hero Clayton and his merry troupe are something special and with his connections, the frontman could easily ride on coattails but it’s a testament to his character and that of the band that their career has been built on hard work and a strong songwriting nous.

Forget the posers and pretenders, The Dirty Strangers ARE rock ‘n’ roll.

Review by Paul Monkhouse

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)