I’d never heard of Australian blues rock, bells and whistles
combo twentysevens, but there they were, the opening act on
the Status Quo UK tour. And what can a poor boy do, save grab
a couple of CD’s and find out more.
Apparently, they opened at one Quo show back in Australia and
ended up getting offered a slot over here. So what do Messrs
Tyson, Barr and Parnell have to offer?
Well, yes they’re happy to brew up some mid-paced boogie
on “There’s Blues in My Heart”, and they do
it very well. But then they also credit a turntablist, DJ Indelible,
indulge in some politicising, ask questions of God and stir
up a funk worthy of the finer jam bands.
That’s all on the 8 track mini album “Diplomatic”,
and over on the 15 track parent album they have even more space
to search for the perfect vibe. “Music is The God”
is now my favourite new song, one part Widespread Panic, one
part Santana and one part Stephen Stills. At times – “The
Message of the Night” – they conjure up memories
of the late, lamented Tea Party.
But panic ye not, the dobro gets whipped out on several occasions
including a down home country blues take on the Stones’
“Satisfaction”.
Both these CD’s are absolute peaches, and with only one
shared song, you really need both.
24
August 2006
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to enlarge
29
MAY 2006
BRISBANE BAND NAMED TO SUPPORT STATUS-QUO WORLD TOUR
JUST doin’ what they do best has paid off for Brisbane
band twentysevens, with the announcement today
they’ve been selected to support legendary British rockers Status Quo on their “Just doin’
it…” tour, the UK leg of Quo’s current world
tour.
twentysevens singer/songwriter/guitarist Steve Tyson said the
Brisbane roots music outfit must have struck a chord with Status
Quo when they played the Twin Towns Services Club together on
Saturday 6 May.
“The Twin Towns gig was great – it was a great experience
for a local band to be able to support legends like Status Quo,”
he said.
“twentysevens members John Barr, Dave Parnell and I grew
up listening to the great guitarists of the ‘60s, and
Quo was very much a part of that scene.”
Steve said the real buzz came when Status Quo invited twentysevens
to be the support band for the UK leg of their 2006 World Tour.
“The opportunity to play to huge crowds at legendary venues
such as Wembley Arena and Manchester MEN Arena is a once in
a lifetime chance for a musician.”
twentysevens will perform original music from their ‘Songs
from the Middle Ages’ debut album – a fusion of
world music sounds and guitar-driven blues and roots.
The tour will kick off in early November. (Full
tour schedule)
REVIEW
in RHYTHMS Magazine,
March 2006 twentysevens SONGS FROM THE MIDDLE AGES (Red Music / MGM)
The nucleus of long-running, much-travelled Brisbane band Rough
Red has re-emerged as twentysevens. Guitarist Steve Tyson, bassman
John Barr, and drummer Dave Parnell have moved away from folk-rock
into more eclectic realms. “Songs From The Middle Ages”
covers a gamut of (non-medieval!) styles, from bluesy feel to
funky jazz, from flamenco-esque to grungey rock guitar. The
opening and closing tracks are infused with Eastern colour,
courtesy of Tyson’s shamisen and sitar respectively.
The soul of John Lennon and Ian Dury inhabits two of the band’s
excellent originals, “Once Upon a Time” and “Dancing
Like a Diplomat”. A dobro-driven version of the Stones’
“Satisfaction” and a straight cover of Cream’s
“Sunshine of Your Love” are more overt nods to their
heroes. The band’s name actually alludes to rock icons
like Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin,
Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley, who coincidentally, all died at
the age of 27.
Enriching the album’s diversity the three players, who
possess expressive if contrasting voices, share lead vocals.
When they come together, the harmony is surprisingly sweet.
Tyson’s growling style takes pride of place on a poetic
song about falling in love in Japan, “Crowded With Mist
Again”, which brings to mind the movie “Lost in
Translation”: The dark head bows politely and melts into
the street / eight million ways most likely that we could ever
meet / search Akihabara an electric symphony / like sand in
the Sahara it’s just a lottery. In “Dancing Like
a Diplomat”, Tyson travels to some of the world’s
trouble spots; in “War Torn” he opens old wounds.
John Barr’s smoother tones – complemented by Rebecca
Tyson’s alto sax – are ideal for the less verbose,
altogether lighter “Truth For Hire”. The Cat Empire-ish
rhythm of “Music Is The God”, which is enhanced
by Ms Tyson’s flute, suits Dave Parnell’s vocals
down to the ground.
