Review of:

“Bedside Manor”

at:  The Barley Mow – Paulersbury

on: 12/11/05

Ok, so the Barley Mow in Paulersbury is not high up on your list of prestigious rock venues (at the moment) but it did present us with an entertaining and enjoyable evening of some classic and a few “not so classic” gems of rock kindly delivered by the band “Bedside Manor” who by all accounts have been together since the mid 90’s or would it be unfair to say – since the last century!

Tongue firmly in cheek this fun foursome did exactly what it says on the tin offering us a fine selection of tunes from the likes of Bryan Adams, AC DC and Thin Lizzy to name but a few and although their first half set was a bit on the short side as well as being a bit of a mixed bag, they more than made up for it in the second half when they certainly showed how good they actually were getting better and better as their set went on.

Bedside Manor make no bones about themselves being a Rock Party Covers Band and seemed to enjoy themselves as much as that by what seemed to be their “non-rock” audience.

Their music and style is somewhat infectious (in a rather good way!) and what seemed initially to be a bit unusual having their drummer as the main lead singer (though not so unusual to fans of “Genesis”) soon became rather an identifying feature of this band which just as their respective day jobs are all quite different ie: Vet,  Lorry Driver, Railway Worker and Policeman, their individual styles were also very different and unique which I thought made this band all the more engaging and entertaining.

Sound as I have often said in previous reviews is always a bit of a problem in a pub, with low ceilings, lots of windows and the odd rustic beam here and there and The Barley Mow was no exception. With no sound engineer on duty I felt that at times during the first half the vocals were a bit on the sharp side, the bass too heavy, the guitars too twangy and the end to the songs too sharp and abrupt (rather than tight), but as the evening wore on things seemed to settle down and come together rather nicely in a most user-friendly package that I for one really enjoyed.

The only shame was that The Barley Mow did not make the best use of it’s extensive space and let this band out of their small hideaway corner. I think the gig would have been all the better for it. As far as this venue goes I believe it holds a lot of promise for rock fans as the management seem to have the right attitude as far as music goes and certainly have a nice cosy and adaptable village venue, where the locals don’t seem to mind the noise. Time will tell.

Overall, musically I thought the band were very good with some exceptional drumming care of Jools some intricate bass work via Paul and some crisp and fine guitar work courtesy of Dexter and Martin.

So was the evening fun – you bet it was!

“Bedside Manor” I don’t believe are out to conquer the Rock Cover Band market but rather enjoy a good laugh and joke with their audience, have fun playing the music they like and get a kick out of giving people a good time. Add to this some serious musical talent, a few rock anthems and a jolly pissed-up crowd and what you have is a good all round party rock covers band who are approachable and in-tune with their audience.

Would I go and see them again – most definitely.

Cheers chaps!