Album review: THE PAT McMANUS BAND – Live In France

The Store For Music [Release date 21.07.23]

It’s about time we had a new live album from Pat McManus. In August 2022 he recorded his gig as part of the Tribal Rock festival nestling above the Cote d’Azur in south-east France.

With an extensive back catalogue, it’s inevitable that he’ll revisit former glories and the setlist majors on the band he formed with his brothers in the late seventies. So we get ‘Blacklisted’, ‘Runaway Dreams’, ‘Needle In The Groove’, ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ and ‘Straight Forward’ originally performed by Mama’s Boys.

Elsewhere the setlist only includes a sprinkling of solo album tracks including ‘Honey Trap’ from the excellent and most recent ‘Full Service Resumed’.

As anyone who has seen McManus live will testify he has an infectious enthusiasm for everything he does, whether that’s the traditional interlude included here (attesting his superb fiddle playing) or the out and out rocking and fluid guitar (as on ‘Blacklisted’ and ‘Got The Right’).

There are a lot of blues rock “power” trios out there but it’s McManus’ lust for life and not least his stellar guitar playing that cuts right through.

The Irish/Gary Moore connection is reflected on an accurate and respectful rendition of ‘Parisienne Walkways’, and the live staple ‘Belfast Boy’, whilst on the ‘Ring Of Fire’ (the Johnny Cash tune) he is joined by fellow festival act Uncle Bard & The Dirty Bastards.

As ever with Store For Music there’s economical packaging and there is a hint that the gig was also filmed for DVD. If that’s true it’s a shame that it didn’t form part of this release. ***1/2

Review by David Randall

Album review (Full Service Resumed, 2021)
Gig review (Half Moon, Putney, 2022)

David Randall chatted to Pat McManus for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. First broadcast 3 October 2021. The hour special includes tracks from Mama’s Boys, Celtus and solo material.

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