Live Review: The Black Crowes, The Marquee, 7th June, 1990


THE CROWE HAS LANDED


The Crowes swagger onstage looking like they'd feel more at home at a 70s music convention than anywhere else, but soon show us that they are made of the 'right stuff' by performing Thick n' Thin in such a manner that it has almost everyone present immediately stomping.

Singer Chris Robinson dodges back and forth across the weeny stage as he flirts with the crowd, earning every last drop of their undivided attention. His nimble frame stops moving occasionally to take swigs from a bottle of mineral water only to return to swiftly convince us that this band are perfectly capable of making it big, providing we, the punters, allow them to do so.

"Have all you critics got your pens and notebooks ready?" (Muffled sounds of scrunching paper to be heard – Me? Notebook? Never!) "Cos this one's for you," drawls Robinson, and Twice As Hard is fired up. More footstomping apparent.

A case of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue arises as the slightly Stonesy Sister Luck slows things down and follows straight through into a novel cover of Lennon's Jealous Guy (thankfully minus those whistling bits) which is soothing to the ears and gentle on the feet.


But these guys show no mercy as they hack into the Otis Redding penned Hard To Handle (my feet can't take much more of this stomping) which excites the crowd and even comes complete with a sing-a-long-a-chorus in which the audience are only too pleased to participate.

Alas, the evening must draw to a close and, much to my delight, The Crowes finish off with the single Jealous Again. The band leave the stage, at the same time dousing the fire that they sparked with the remainder of the mineral water.

I leave footsore, covered in beer, ash, and other things, and soaked with perspiration, but, at the same time, walking on air. What a night – what a band!


Allison Burke
Riff Raff
July 1990

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1 comments:

  1. Recall hearing Sting Me at that time and being blown away by how great a tune it is.

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