Henry’s Funeral Shoe @ Buffalo Bar

Monday 21 December 09 • Categorized as Gig Reviews

If you are have ever been to a gig, and if you are reading this then you probably have, then you will know that feeling you get, the anticipation, before the band plays.

Now I have only ever experienced this feeling at large concerts, you stand in the middle of a gigantic crowd watching an empty stage. The support band has finished and now you just stand there. You listen to the sound system doing its job and you watch as the roadies set everything up.

You listen, you watch, you wait.

Then you listen, watch and wait some more, until finally someone in the crowd catches the first glimpse of the frontman’s quiff or the guitarist’s nose and the crowd erupts in a frenzy.

That is because after all that listening, watching and waiting, they are finally doing what they have been waiting all day to do, see a great band perform.

Now that is rather difficult to pull off for a small band in a small venue, and I will admit, the wait for Henry’s Funeral Show was slightly different to what I have just described.

There were no roadies for instance, and because of this they were setting up themselves which ruined the effect of the “First Glimpse” moment. However that moment was replaced quite successfully by the first few random chords and the old drum roll signalling that everything was ready to proceed.

I have never felt this at a small gig before, and I was surprised to feel it at this one, despite the high regard that I hold Henry’s Funeral Shoe in.

I was exited about this event, and I had good reason to be. I was about to watch what is now the best live gig I have ever seen in my life.

From the first note, their passion was undeniable. I am working mostly from memory because I forgot about taking notes as I was carried away by the energy coming from the two guys standing on the stage.

I was in awe, not only of the musicianship and performance but also by the crowd reaction. The atmosphere was electric, the fervour of the audience and their obvious love of the music, singing every line and dancing with the intense groove being laid down by the band.

This was a real gig. This fact became apparent to me sometime during the night as it comprises about one third of the scribble in my notebook. I think that seeing something like this changes your perception of things, permanently.

Aled Clifford’s voice has the ferocity of a lions roar. People say the eyes are the window to the soul, but his eyes seem content to share that responsibility with his mouth, because when he sings you don’t just hear it, you feel it.

Brennig Clifford looks possessed when he sits in front of a drum kit. He hammers away in a wild and almost brutal way. For the fleeting moments that you manage to catch a good look at his face, you realise by his expression that his wild and brutal style of drumming is fuelled by his love of music.

I had interviewed them before they played and you could hear the love and passion for music in their voices as they were speaking, and on stage I could see it in every move they made.

Henry’s Funeral Shoe are an amazing live band and their brand of dirty bluesy rock is something that must be seen.

Note: Sorry for the poor quality photo, I forgot to take more.