Gig review: SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON – Junction, Cambridge, 25 October 2023

The fact that the Junction is wall to wall with people is testament to not just the rise of Samantha Fish but also how the revival of blues has never been stronger. With its blue-collar honesty and everyman appeal, this is music that crosses boundaries of gender, age and social standing, its themes universal.

Beyond the undeniable glamour that the singer/guitarist brings, it’s without doubt her playing that draws the most attention, her style a perfect blend of blues, rock and country and her voice with an irresistible Southern flavour. This time, Fish has teamed with Jesse Dayton, their ‘Death Wish Blues’ joint album a thing of molten beauty and the accompanying tour a chance to experience the two talents together.

The evening opened with Canadian rockers The Commoners bringing their own dose of high octane, chicken scratch Southern Soul. Embracing the opportunity of the tour and playing to packed rooms, the quintet were all out to impress, their infectious and gloriously rough edged material played with commitment and flair.

From the rattling boogie of ‘Shake You Off’, swaggering and harmony-filled ‘Devil Teasin’ Me’ and onto soaring closer ‘Find a Better Way’ it all slotted in perfectly, their warmth and impressive playing utterly compelling. With it impossible to not have a good time with them and critically acclaimed albums under their belt, this Toronto outfit are surely set for even bigger things.

Opening your set with MC5’s scorching proto punk ‘Kick Out the Jams’ is a big statement but Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton are all about shaking things up and the primal reaction to loud guitars.

Spiky single ‘Deathwish’ bristles even more in the live setting, a raging fire that charges along propelled by the dirty riff, the dual vocals of Fish and Dayton a perfect combination of sugar and spice. The set mixes originals and a finely chosen selection of covers given the pair’s blues rock magic, the two playing off each other to superb effect on numbers like Junior Parker’s kicking ‘Feels So Good’.

This isn’t all pedal to the metal stuff, the sublime soulful swing of Barbara Lewis’s ‘Hello Stranger’ a thing of jazzy beauty and ‘No Apology’ dripping with lush sensuality. With the duo’s aim of pushing the boundaries of the blues, the night certainly covered as many bases as possible, the many facets shining like diamonds in the hands of two master jewellers.

With the titanic cigar box blast of ‘Bulletproof’ that rattled the rafters and a wonderful acoustic cover of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘I’ll Be Here in the Morning’ perfectly displaying this range it was a night to satisfy everyone.

It’s a testament to Fish, Dayton and the band that the mammoth twenty-two song set never flagged, its constantly shifting nature always gripping and the musicianship nothing less than breath taking.

With an EP and album already completed, this tour emphasised just how well the partnership between the two musicians work and hopefully this won’t be the last time the two share both a stage and recording studio.

It could be argued that blues has been with us since time began and with Fish and Dayton breathing pulsating new life into it, there’s no reason to think it’ll die anytime soon. Thrilling and powerful, these two live and breathe blues and it’s a glorious thing to see.

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)