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Pop rock revivalists whose rise and rise has been almost purr-fect… damn that pandemic…
Cats in Space are a unique proposition among the new generation of classic rock bands that have emerged in recent years (writes Andy Nathan). Acts that pay homage to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath or the Black Crowes are ten a penny, yet the Cats have drawn inspiration from a neglected musical scene – pop and rock acts from the latter half of the seventies with an emphasis on good songs, lush harmonies and clever arrangements, before the term soft rock got a bad name.
10cc are the obvious reference point along with ELO, seventies Queen and The Sweet, but for me the best comparisons are the slightly less commercially successful John Miles and City Boy.
They are also slightly unusual in that while a new band playing original material, all the members are in their fifties or older and seasoned pros who have played with a variety of acts from The Sweet to T’Pau.
The band in 2015
Formed in 2015 by guitarist Greg Hart, veteran of many bands, notably cult AOR-ists Moritz, and drummer Steevie Bacon, with songwriting assistance from 10cc member Mick Wilson, they released debut album ‘Too Many Gods’ later that year. I was curious enough to catch their debut live show, not far from me at the Half Moon in Putney, early in 2016, and was instantly a fan for life.
For a band that naturally do not have large budgets the productions on the five albums to date been impressively lush with great arrangements, thorough keyboard wizardry from Andy Stewart and vocal harmonies, especially from bassist Jeff Brown. They also explore different lyrical themes but a recurring one is a satirical distaste for all aspects of the music business compared to the halcyon days of the seventies.
There cannot be any money in this so it is a true labour of love but the music is complemented by specially commissioned album artwork and, in the one concession to this century, an active foothold on social media and a close relationship with their fans including holding special intimate shows.
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Back in the day a band sold 100,000 singles and at least they earned ‘mechanical’ royalties from every copy (well, they were meant to!) and the royalties for writing them too as it was accountable. Nowadays there’s no real ‘evidence’ of how many downloads you have, anyone could make up those numbers cos it’s not a ‘physical’ product it’s all crap! I hate it, and it’s no wonder bands are not earning what they should. The future is bleak unless the continuing trend for ‘vinyl’ returns bigger than before, its promising for sure, as it’s the biggest ‘swing’ in music product of recent years but still a drop in the ocean to how vinyl used to sell. |
Reviewing the band’s debut album ‘Too Many Gods’ Jason Ritchie noted the ELO and Sweet references whilst commenting on the band’s eclectic composition. “Cats In Space are a new band who have a serious love of all things 1970′s soft rock/power pop…
Main man Greg Hart (Moritz), has spent many a year touring with the SuperSonic 70′s Show, who also feature keyboards player Andy Stewart. The band are completed by guitarist Dean Howard (T’Pau/Ian Gillan) and drummer Steevi Bacon (who plays in TooREX). Finally, the vocalist comes from prog rockers Arena, namely Paul Manzi.”
There was a further pop-rock (and Queen) connection with Mike Moran arranging the orchestra on the epic ‘The Greatest Story Never Told’ whilst Mick Wilson, vocalist from 10cc, also guested.
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The music is amazing on here as you discover little bits on each listen, from a backing vocal arrangement to a snazzy synth riff., then perhaps a Brian May-inspired guitar solo. I doubt you will have this much listening fun this year and if you like 70′s music from the aforementioned artists and others like Pilot, City Boy and Supertramp you’ll be in seventh heaven. This is a fantastic album and hugely enjoyable to listen to. The 70′s power pop/rock revival starts here! ****1/2 Jason Ritchie Album review (Too Many Gods, 2015) |
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I came up with the name for what was then a ‘project’ band and the name was a dedication to one of my cats who sadly died last year, our drummer Steevi also lost his cat and it felt like the name fitted our mood at the time….I wanted a name that people would love or hate, and to date only one person hates it that I know of! People do love cats! Once I had a few of the ‘cats’ join me – they all said how much they loved the name. And it fits with what we are doing .. its quirky! Greg Hart, September 2015 |
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… my enjoyment only marginally spoiled by their CD’s disappearing from the merch stand faster than a packet of fishy treats in a cattery. Andy Nathan, 2016 |
Photo: Andy Nathan
‘Too Many Gods’ made Jason’s end of year Best of in 2015 and a soon-to-be-converted long-term band advocate – Andy Nathan – reviewed the band’s gig in London in January 2016. “Within minutes I formed two immediate impressions. One, that they were accomplished musicians with the talent to do this melodically intricate style of rock justice, as you might expect from a sextet with a long list of previous credits to their name and indeed I have seen most of them before in myriad acts.
The other that the vocals were immaculate, with the curly haired Paul Manzi having a fine range, not to mention a warm stage manner, and Jeff Brown, who sang with Sweet for so many years, adding some precise higher harmonies.”
Photo: David Randall
Following a series of “cover” versions Andy concluded: “At this stage I could easily have stayed for a whole new set of such expertly curated seventies covers, but sadly that was the end of the show, with my enjoyment only marginally spoiled by their CD’s disappearing from the merch stand faster than a packet of fishy treats in a cattery. Far from an exercise in nostalgia, this gig showed that on talent alone a distinctive and very talented new act has emerged.”
Photo: Andy Nathan
Andy next picked up on the band at June’s Stone Free Festival in London. “one of my favourite bands of the moment, with these seasoned musicians reviving a lost strand of the seventies with their melodic songs and elaborate arrangements on their debut album ‘Too Many Gods’.”
By September 2016, the band had consolidated their live performances after several festival gigs and Andy noted “Greg Hart, main songwriter and very much keeper of the seventies flame, in a pair of patched jeans I can’t have seen since being in the playground in about 1978.”
Rounding off the year, Nathan listed the band as “ones to watch” in 2017 in our end of year poll.
Photo by Johann Wierzbicki
Live Editor Dave Wilson had his first chance to see the band when they supported Thunder on tour in Glasgow in March 2017. “The performance was well polished and musically accomplished and above all highly entertaining.” Moreover, Dave was in marital harmony: “my wife commented she could have happily watched them all night which is praise indeed! Definitely a band we will be checking out again in the near future.”
Was it any coincidence that Dave’s wife is called Cat…?
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Cats In Space have succeeded in taking their love of 70′s music and adding a modern shine to it all, purrrfect. A top 5 album of the year with ease, Cats In Space have done it again and the only way for them is onwards and upwards. ***** Jason Ritchie Album review (Scarecrow, 2017) |
And sure enough Dave Wilson was back again reviewing the band in Glasgow in September 2017 (and in November when they supported Deep Purple and again with Status Quo in December).
“After watching Cats In Space tonight I commented to my wife that the most impressive thing about the performance is the fact that the band are so musical. This may sound like a strange comment, surely all bands are musical? My take on this though is that any band, indeed anyone, can create music but it takes something more to be truly musical.
Punk bands created music, a child with a recorder can create music and even I can string a few chords together on the guitar and call it music. To be musical however means having the ability to write and perform music of real substance.
Photo: Paul Clampin
Excellent melodies played by musicians who really understand their instruments and who have the talent to stray from the the straight forward 4/4 rhythm. Throw in perfectly recreated four part harmonies and you have something that is a cut above the average, something that makes you wonder how a ginger busker ended up headlining Glastonbury…
… People can churn out music and ultimately they may achieve their 15 minutes of fame. To survive and grow beyond that though you need something more and Cats In Space have that special ‘something’ in spades.”
Photo: Darren Griffiths
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The whole Cats in Space vibe is an unashamedly retro one in every sense, but the songs have enough of an original touch that the effect is like discovering an obscure seventies band, only to find they are a new act. Andy Nathan, 2019 |
Perhaps unsurprisingly, with the heavyweight seal of approval from Messrs Nathan, Ritchie and Wilson the band’s second album ‘Scarecrow’ was named Top Album of 2017 in our end of year poll.
The band were confident enough to release their first live album in February 2018 – Cats Alive – when Jason Ritchie commented “Cats In Space continue on their upward trajectory with this live album here to keep their fans satisfied until a new album and more live shows”.
Photo: Darren Griffiths
Our main review in 2018 was the Cardiff Castle gig with Thunder in August when Darren Griffiths described them as “a modern day Asia”.
2019 opened with our review at Giants Of Rock when Pete Whalley and David Randall offered:
“Cats In Space are almost what Sweet might have progressed to had they developed new material and it was no coincidence that frontman Paul Manzi moonlighted with the band the previous night, playing guitar and keyboards. In truth the band’s influences are more diverse, drawing on a rich seam of British pop rock from ELO, via Queen and beyond.
The rich harmonies and precision playing reinforced their seasoned session player credentials and they even managed to include a couple of tracks from the forthcoming ‘Daytrip To Narnia’ including the superb ‘Thunder In The Night’. It’s easy to see this band becoming the proverbial “guilty pleasure”.”
Reviewing the band’s third studio album Jason Ritchie noted: “… the band’s touring helps hone their sound and make it a proper band when recording, unlike many of these project bands that lack the natural chemistry you get from said touring.”
‘Day Trip To Narnia’ demonstrated the band’s further confidence with the 27 minute long concept piece ‘The Story Of Johnny Rocket’.
Jason also identified one of the real attractions of the band in introducing younger audiences to earlier pop/prog/ rock icons such as ELO, 10cc and even Supertramp and Styx.
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Those who remember the music of the 70s first time around will love the nods to bands and … whilst younger listeners will now have the pleasure of tracking down these musical influences and discovering them for the first time. ***** Jason Ritchie |
Photo: Andy Nathan
In March 2019 Andy Nathan caught the band headlining at the Highbury Garage venue in London: “with some exquisite music, delivered by professionals who know how to put on a show. With three albums now to cherry pick from and a growing fanbase, this is a good moment for the Cats to orbit into space.”
And he closed out the year witnessing two gigs, in Germany at the HEAT Festival and London Palladium when the band gigged with Bonnie Tyler headlining. This was an early gig for new vocalist Mark Pascall who acquitted himself well.
Photo: David Randall
The band were now well equipped to play a pre-Christmas tour with their frequently good-time melodic pop rock and a light-hearted approach. David Randall saw them at The Tivoli in North Wales. He described them as “a band to be cherished”.
“And Cats In Space could really become as traditional at Christmas as turkey, stuffing and – now – Grandad farting in front of an Amazon Echo.
Photo: David Randall
Yes, they are evocative of all that was good about pop/rock in the seventies and eighties and it may be that we have to ask “will the real Cats In Space please stand up?” But if the band could be beamed down in some sort of time/space continuum vortex they would merge seamlessly with their heroes. And that’s probably the highest praise that you could give them.”
Randall also commented on the band’s excellent merchandising with their Christmas EP available in Satsuma-coloured vinyl and special double vinyl in a Cats-mas “tin”.
“You wonder, what next for the band? Will they persist with pastiche or fashion something more individual? I’ll avoid the usual closing purr-fect epithets and just add that Cats In Space have reached stellar heights this year and, er, are bound for the stars. Mi-aow!”
The band’s onward and upward trajectory was thwarted by Lockdown in 2020 but by the end of the year – without Mark Pascall who subsequently joined Mark Stanway’s Kingdom Of Madness – they had released their fourth studio album with new vocalist Damien Edwards.
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The well thumbed power pop blueprint feeds again into Hart’s songcraft. The soaring ‘Listen To The Radio’, and the peerlessly smart pop of ‘Sunday Best’ catch a welcome wave of nostalgia, full of beautifully descending bass line harmonies, satisfying chord progressions and memorably melodic hooks. Album review (Atlantis, 2020) |
Brian McGowan listed the album in his end of year Best Of selection for 2020 whilst Andy Nathan included them as a ‘Breakthrough Act’.
Cats In Space postponed their March 2021 live dates but in September released Diamonds: The Best Of. It seems this release was partly to demonstrate the tunes with their new-ish singer but the album also illustrated in the arrangements just how far the band had come in six years.
David Randall noted how many of the song themes reflect the band’s dissatisfaction with the music industry and of course the ongoing pandemic didn’t help especially when the band had made much of their impact in the live arena (literally, with bands like Thunder and Deep Purple).
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Six years on, you get the feeling that Cats In Space are still a little bit out of their time and in another era would have been huge. Sadly, without persistent mainstream radio exposure and a weekly TV pop show, their momentum – in spite of smart and persistent marketing – remains a little uneven. That is more a reflection of where we are with music in 2021, and notwithstanding the pandemic. A great band nevertheless. Album review (Diamonds The Best Of, 2021) |
Photo: Andy Nathan
With the live music business gradually opening up in late-2021 – albeit with much lower attendances – Andy Nathan made a return to the Highbury Garage in London in October. The gig confirmed his enthusiasm:
“I will freely admit that Cats in Space are one of my very favourite bands to have emerged in the past few years. Their sound is unashamedly inspired by the second half of the seventies but the combination of lush harmonies, symphonic arrangements and dual guitars ticks a lot of boxes for me and they have created something original that really stands out among more identikit bands in the current classic rock scene.”
The band released their latest album in July 2022 and Andy was lucky enough to attend a special invite-only album listening party, held at the Half Moon, Putney in London where they had played their debut gig back in January 2016.
As Andy discussed, this “double” album was their most ambitious to date.
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… the overall impression is that the sound is noticeably tougher than previous releases with a greater nod towards the original pomp rock and AOR behemoths from either side of the Atlantic. That automatically makes me biased, but I am struggling to keep my usual rule of avoiding hyperbole. For me this is not only their finest work to date but is nothing less than a masterpiece. ***** Andy Nathan Album review (Kickstart The Sun, 2022) |
The album made the end of year 2022 Best Of (Melodic Rock album of the year) but also the 2003-2023 Top Album reviewer selections where it was named with 2017′s ‘Scarecrow’ and 2019′s ‘Day Trip To Narnia’.
Photo: Andy Nathan
Reviewing their October 2022 gig Andy noted “What really also struck me was how professional the whole Cats in Space experience is- the crowd’s enjoyment of these lovingly crafted songs enhanced by an absolutely perfect sound and lights. It was a show of undisputed quality, confirming the band have reached an even higher peak than their previous high standards.”
Andy Nathan concludes: The live shows have tended to be rockier than the polished studio albums and what makes them even more enjoyable is their old fashioned delight in playing together with guitarists Dean Howard and Greg Hart pulling some classic poses as they unleash Lizzy-like twin leads together.
There was a blow when singer Paul Manzi who was great at bringing songs to life, was headhunted by The Sweet. However his eventual successor Damien Edwards, while a more laid back and less outgoing stage presence than his predecessor, has a superb vocal range which has given the sound an extra dimension on the ‘Atlantis’ and ‘Kickstart the Sun’ albums. Indeed the latter, harking back to the pomp rock glories of the likes of Styx and Boston in a way hinted at in earlier albums, is for my money a masterpiece and their best yet.
Bizarrely despite high profile support slots for Thunder, Deep Purple and Status Quo among others wider success has eluded them, not helped by a well-known radio station not considering them ‘rock’ enough and reluctant to playlist them.
Different they most certainly are but they have a strong claim to being my favourite new band to emerge during GRTR!’s twenty years.
The cats, eight years on, are well and truly out of the bag.
Story coordination: David Randall (Additional material incl. Introduction: Andy Nathan)
Contributors: Darren Griffiths, Brian McGowan, Andy Nathan, David Randall, Jason Ritchie, Pete Whalley, Dave Wilson
Gig review (Bracknell, July 2023)
UK Dates
SEPTEMBER
08 Stockport, The Forum Theatre
09 Bathgate, Reconnect Regal Theatre
15 Bury St Edmunds, The Apex
23 Frome, Cheese & Grain
26 Southend-on-Sea, Palace Theatre
29 Redditch, Palace Theatre
30 Paignton, Palace Theatre
NOVEMBER
09 Wimborne, Tivoli Theatre
10 Ilfracombe, The Landmark Theatre
11 Maidenhead, Norden Farm Centre for The Arts
DECEMBER
14 Southampton, The Brook
15 Milton Keynes, The Stables
16 Swansea, Patti Pavilion
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.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024
ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)
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