Sarri Schorr The Lexington London 29-9-26

 

First up was a Joe Hicks acoustic set playing tracks from his latest album Before It Gets Dark. With tracks of the high quality of The Architect and Heart In Two his easy going nature and Richard Marx style vocals went down well and even some audience participation as Owls !! You had to be there !!

I have been lucky enough to live with Sari Scorr's new album Running Wild for a couple of weeks so it was an easy decision when invited to attend the album launch gig.

Sari releases her most personal and defiant record yet on 9 October in Europe and 30 October in the United States via Provogue Records / Artone Label Group.

We were treated to a 90 minute set accompanied by her band that included Ash Wilson on guitar,Carl Stanbridge on bass,Russ Parker on drums and Carl Hudson on keyboards and played the following set.

Mr. In The Middle
Running Wild
Monday Morning
Man On Fire
King Of Rock And Roll
Better Day
Call It Freedom
Ain’t Got No Money
Elevate
Finding My Way
Love The One You’re With with special guest Marco Cinelli on vocals and guitar
Valentina
Ordinary Life
Cool Hand Rider
———
Afterglow

Starting with the 2 album singles Mr In The Middle and it's funky guitar riff and it's insistent drum rhythm and then Running Wild with it's great chorus was a great opening with Sari in great voice and smiling from ear to ear as she spotted more and more friends in the audience.

I have to commend the sound man who was spot on with the sound loud when required and also down to a whisper .The guitar sound for Ash was perfect from my vantage point and he didn't disappoint with his solo's fiery when required and he knows when to hold back too and play for the song. Superb.

You would never have known this was the band's first show of a Euro tour to 14 countries as they were so tight with new keyboard player Carl having chances to shine which he did with aplomb.

Monday Morning is a honky tonk blues number with and you can never have enough cowbell !! I love the way Carl's keys underpin the main guitar riff and fill in the gaps too. Sarri's vocals are earthly full of emotion and Carl's lengthy keys solo sees him hitting the mark perfectly.

Man on Fire sees Sarri's vocal alongside Ash's picked electric strummings and a gentle rythym before we dipped into the back catalogue for King Of Rock' N 'Roll.

Sarri introduces songs with emotion and true storyteller mode with her father and grandfather having songs from the new album. Next song Better Day was from her seeing a man with all his worldly belongings on the subway in New York and the upbeat driving drum rythym and Sarri's taut vocal line is topped off Ash's wah infused solo. Brilliant.

Call It Freedom starts on a slow blues track with Ash's guitar add libbing beautiful and matched with Sarri's impassioned vocal and added splashes of keys . It builds to the chorus with Sarri's lengthy held notes leaving us in awe. Again brilliant.

Elevate is an upbeat rocker with a stop start guitar riff and more Sarri held notes in the verse and some great interplay mid song between Ash's guitar and Carl's keys. First night of the tour !! Really !!

Finding My Way starts on acoustic strummings and leads to a big chorus with Sarri again holding notes that don't seem possible.

A cover version of Stephan Stills "Love The One Your With " saw the band joined by Marco Cinelli to trade vocal lines with Sarri and guiatr soloing with Ash to huge smiles from everyone in the building.

Valentina from Never Say Never and Ordinary Life from A Force Of Nature saw the back catalogue involved before the main set closed with the next single from the new album Cool Hand Rider. Again amazing to think this was the first time played to a crowd with the sound perfect and Ash loving the groove of the guitar riff and Sarri leads into a huge chorus before a beautiful held notes guitar solo from Ash that crescendo'd.

 Afterglow from the new album was the encore and builds from electric guitar strummings from Ash and Sarri's lower register melodic vocal tones into a mid range rocker with the last of many superb Ash guitar solo's and into Carl's keys outro.

The band left to huge applause and thanks from Sarri as did the crowd and her record label.

Running Wild is the best album of Sarri's career and in the live setting it goes up a notch.

Do yourself a favour and get the album which is out next week 9-10-26 and get yourself to a European show across 14 countries between now and the end of November and with UK dates due in May according to Sarri there is much to look forward to.

Superb.