The Sari Schorr Future Starts Here tour rolls into the UK with the first date in York. The girl from New York here in the original York, what’s not to get excited about. Sari and her band have already 20 European shows under their belt. So tonight they should be really firing on all cylinders. But before that we have the excellent Matt Pearce & The Mutiny. The Mutiny are no support band on this double header show. It is almost 2 years since the release of the excellent and highly acclaimed Soul Food Store album. This album makes up the majority of the set tonight with seven numbers from this album and two from The Mutiny’s first album Gotta Get Home. Coming on with Got A Thing Going On a catchy number before going straight into Never Get Away From Love. Matt letting rip on his Les Paul mid song, the twin vocals of both Matt and Daliah really making this song. All the Gods is a real epic with Daliah Sherrington taking the lead vocal, some lovely wah wah guitar from Matt. Promised Land is another song having its live debut.
Bring it All is a slow number with Daliah’s smouldering vocal and Matt’s soulful guitar playing interweaving into a beautiful mix. Ordinary Blues is described as a funk prog number by Matt, “like Dean Martin playing Hemispheres”. Matt giving the Wah Wah some serious abuse on this one, lovely keyboards too, breathtaking stuff indeed. A Better Way, 1st time played live, so funky with a jazz fusion interplay a funky bass groove to die for. The band are on fire, musical perfection indeed. A massive and hugely deserved applause from the appreciative York crowd. From Here to the Moon begins with some soulful sax, before the band kick in with that vibe, like a blues train coming down the tracks. There is so much groove in this one that it makes you want to dance the night away, if only we could.
Scarecrowing/Oh Well finishes the night which has gone way to quickly for my liking. Oh Well was the funkiest version of that song that I have ever heard, a brilliant end to an awesome night. It is one thing that I took away from tonight is that Matt Pearce & The Mutiny don’t travel light and there is no short changing you here with six amazing musicians delivering a 50 minute funked up soul blues set. Matt Pearce & The Mutiny really delivered a wonderful show tonight and they are certainly well worth checking out live, you won’t be disappointed.
Sari Schorr has to follow that night after night and that is no small feat. Matt Pearce & The Mutiny have really set the bar high. Sari says “Hello” in New York English for the first time on this tour as she is welcomed by the appreciative audience. Welcome to old York, the original one as one fan shouts out from the crowd.
Opening up with the Circle is Complete from the Joyful Sky album, before going straight into The Distance. These two are from the recently released Robin Trower album that Sari sings on. The title track Joyful Sky is up next and Ash Wilson is really channelling his inner Robin Trower on these first three songs. He has really nailed the Robin Trower sound, close your eyes and it could be the man himself. Sari’s smouldering vocals really weave in perfect harmony with the smoking guitar. This is a real perfect pairing, the album is indeed something special and something everyone should own. Going back to Sari’s first album we have the wonderful Ain’t got no Money, before slipping into Demolition man and a storming solo from Ash Wilson. Ordinary Life is always so special live but tonight it was on another level, some really beautiful bass playing from Chris Cliff.
Peace of Me is another one off the Joyfull Sky album and sounds just so right for Sari’s voice. Sari went on to explain that all the songs on the album were written by Robin Trower and that she didn’t have to procrastinate for ages writing the lyrics. I don’t know if Robin Trower was writing with Sari’s voice in mind or not, but she is a perfect fit for the songs. The rest of the main set were made up of songs from Sari’s two albums A force of Nature and Never Say Never, with a new song Highway 69 thrown in for good measure. Beautiful as always a highlight of mine, this song for me is sublime, it’s one of those that I could have on constant repeat. Live it was truly breathtaking, Sari’s voice is very special indeed.
Sari Schorr has got one of those voices that I could listen to all night, she could sing anything and it would sound great. The Joyful Sky album is proof of this, it is a fabulous album and if you haven’t got it, go get it now. Saying that it that doesn’t take anything away from the brilliant songs that are on Sari Schorr’s first two albums and from the taster track Highway 69, I am sure the third album will be a belter too.
The audience tonight is not going to let Sari leave without an encore and she duly obliges with a brilliant version of the Willie Dixon song I Just Want To Make Love to You. Ash Wilson was on fire on this one, he really is a guitar virtuoso. Then final song of the night was Rock n Roll and what a way to finish with this Led Zeppelin stomping classic. Sari really made it her own and showed how she could really rock out with the best of them. What a way the end a brilliant night and Harry Bent on drums must get a mention for being great all night and nailing the final drum roll at the end.
The night has gone way too quick with two fabulous artists and musicians. Both Sari Schorr and Matt Pearce deserve to be playing to much bigger venues. They clearly both love what they are doing and this comes across in their performances tonight. If you haven’t seen either of them live then you really must. Live music at its best.
Set list: The Circle is Complete, The Distance, Joyful Sky, Ain’t Got No Money, Demolition Man, Ordinary Life, Peace of Mind, Damn the Reason, Aunt Hazel, Beautiful, Highway 69, Valentina, Maybe I’m Fooling, Black Betty
Encore: I Just Want to Make Love to You, Rock n Roll
Photos by David Pickles. With special thanks to Claire at Central Press PR for the media access.
