For the thriving domestic rock scene, we have bands like Bad Touch to thank. For over a decade now, the blues rockers have been traipsing up and down the country, doubly praiseworthy as their Norfolk base is somewhat off the beaten track.

Initially my sightings of them were as a support band to numerous acts, but they have progressed to headline tours, albeit of small venues. Moreover this extensive tour also gave exposure to two support acts who are at an earlier stage down the same career path. I could not make the show in my native London, but a Saturday trip down to the South Coast was a good alternative.

Sadly this basement of a Brighton nightclub was not the best for live music- quite apart from the drink policies being somewhat restrictive considering a large number of us were well into middle age, all three bands suffered from sound glitches with drums too loud in the mix and vocals inaudible for the first few songs.

Hertfordshire rockers Electric Black – fresh from a recently released second album ‘Late Night Lightning’- opened proceedings and in the early stages of their set, the dark riffs of Black Sabbath and Wolfmother suggested they were heavier than the other two, and indeed the majority of their fellow NWOCR acts. However ‘Take The Roof Off’ owed more to AC/DC or Aerosmith, bespectacled frontman Ali Schiach leading the audience participation in the ‘down for a good time’ line.

I enjoyed ‘Hellfire Revival’ while final song ‘Sick of Myself’ had a heavier feel, driven by the uncompromising rhythm section of Matt Butler and Ryan Trotman and guitarist Jonny Bryant switching to a flying V after earlier pulling some classic rock n roll poses on his Les Paul.

The Karma Effect are a band I’ve enjoyed discovering and seeing progress over the last couple of years, and musically were an extremely good fit for the headliner. Indeed their twin influences of Aerosmith and the Black Crowes suggest they would have been a good support on Dirty Honey’s recent tour as their nearest UK equivalent. They had a tad better stagecraft, led by the charismatic figure of singer Henry Gottelier, polka dot shirt unbuttoned to the waist.

The set was a mix of new songs from about to be released second album ‘The Promised Land’ including opener ‘All Night Long’ and the now familiar stuff like ‘Wrong Again’ and the loose limbed grooves of ‘Doubt She’s Coming Back’, before the crowd picked up on ‘See You Again’, in what looked like a last-minute change to the setlist.

The guitars of Henry and Robbie Blake intertwine very tightly, but my only thought at hearing another newie in ‘Live It Up’ is that while they have the presence, image and sound, the chorus hooks are probably not quite memorable enough yet, and they need to avoid the fate that befell Inglorious. My only other reservation was, after a storming ‘Steal Your Heart’ ended the set, that it should have been far longer than 30 minutes- unfortunately with a 10 o’clock curfew, time was at a premium.

After a quick turnaround, Bad Touch opened with the title track of new album ‘Bittersweet Satisfaction’, a little heavier than before, with singer Stevie Westwood as dapper as ever with a hat atop his curls and a snakeskin suit. Their trademarks were all there in the Stonesy riffs of ‘Lift Your Head Up’ and ‘Strut’ which had a bit of the Black Crowes. After ‘Dressed to Kill’, ‘Slip Away’ was another newie benefitting from a slightly more raw sound, much of the credit going to manic drummer and most recent recruit Brad Newlands and ‘Good On You’ is now one of the few songs remaining from those earlier days, though I still find myself hearing ‘Jealous Again’ every time!

The band have always had a lovely sound to them, lead guitarist Rob Glendinning in particular, though at this stage my only reservation was the material wasn’t the strongest. But the gig gradually became more impressive, with ‘Taste This’ as Stevie led the crowd in a singalong to the ‘come get it’ lyric, and ‘I Get High’ before ‘See It to Believe It’. Rob and guitar partner Dan ‘Seeks’ Seekings played an instrumental intro before ‘Spend My Days’ which was mellower with fine guitar, one of those diversions into a mellower country rock feel that the band do so well and which gave a bit of much-needed diversity to the set.

‘Let Go’ was a grower while their cover of Alanis Morrisette’s ‘Hand in My Pocket’ has become a regular, featuring Stevie thanking crew and the other bands in generous manner and an extended solo from Rob. Then ‘This Life’, with its ‘Honky Tonk Women’-style intro, segued into another cover in ‘Baby Get It On’ to make for a fun closer.

There was a welcome shot of something different for the encore as ‘Nothing Wrong With That’ began just with Stevie on acoustic and became an almost gospel like anthem when the band gradually kicked in. In contrast old favourite ‘99 per cent’ was another with that Stonesy, Crowesy feel and saw the support bands join in the fun, though it almost seemed there were more of them in the cramped stage than the crowd immediately in front of it at that point.

It made for a perfect end to the tour and the camaraderie generated by spending so much of spring on the road together was plain to see. Venue reservations aside, it had been an excellent night with three bands giving their all, making me even more convinced that these hard workers are deserving of our future support.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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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 1 December 2024.

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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)