When I recently reviewed The Whisky Priests I omitted this 1993 live album as I didn’t have a copy to hand, so a quick visit to Bandcamp changed that and I am now the proud owner of the 2000 reissue which saw the complete concert released, instead of the 17 songs that featured on the original single CD issue. So, here we have 23 songs with the lads in front of a sell-out crowd at the Markthalle in Hamburg. This is probably my favourite line-up with Gary Miller (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Glenn Miller (accordion, vocals) being joined by Mick Tyas (bass, vocals), Paul Carless (mandolin, harmonicas), Tony McNally (drums) and Mike McGrother (fiddle). This gave the band depth and breadth as they could mix up both instrumentation and vocals while always performing with the high energy which was very much their trademark.
The crowd finally get their way when the band crank into “Dol-Li-A”, but “The Raven” has always been one of my favourites while songs such as “The Colliery” is taken to new levels with the use of fiddle. A real highlight is Mick Tyas performing “General Taylor” totally a cappela. The crowd are there for him, keeping time, and it is an incredible performance which makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck just playing it. These guys mixed folk with rock with punk with passion and with a real understanding of what it means to be working class in the mining communities of Durham. When I reviewed this back in 2001 I said “there is so much energy that WP are like the Pogues on speed. It’s not all about power and enthusiasm, there are numbers that are slower & reflective about life in the pit, but they are all filled with a passion and intensity that screams out honesty.” I stand by that today – it is an awesome album.
http://www.garymillersongs.com/
