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Last updated 08/01/2012 18:35:36

               Keep it live                                                                                                                                                                                   

Orion at Crowle Liberal Club  - Saturday 24th April 2010

Crowle Liberal Club has long been one of the mainstays of the local live music circuit and a vast majority of Scunthorpe bands make regular stop-offs there. It’s been described a s “a club that thinks it’s a pub” no doubt observing that the dreaded bingo isn’t played (on a band night  at least), and this, coupled with the fact that the locals and the people who run the club are very friendly & welcoming to visitors makes it a venue popular with local musos.  

Tonight’s band was Orion, a 4-piece with whom many will already be familiar. Lead vocalist Trudy, Dave Brand (bass) and Dave Norman (drums) all featured with Jackhammer in recent times but following a surprise split, they recruited talented guitarist Mark Morley to the ranks to complete the present newly named line-up.  

Dave Norman’s imposing double Pearl kit is probably what most people would notice first at an Orion gig but tonight it all looked a little different as he had surrounded it with a very swish looking perspex screen which gave it quite a surreal appearance and one that no doubt provided a talking point for the punters. The idea, as Dave explained, was to contain the sound on stage and prevent leakage of the drum sound into the vocal mics giving better control over the sound through the PA.

The turnout was perhaps a little disappointing but the band didn’t appear to let that affect them as they began the first of 3 sets.As Jackhammer, the band played a lively mix of rock covers and it was good to hear that the present Orion line-up continued in a similar vein. I found the 3 Creedence Clearwater Revival  in quick succession, “Travellin’ Band”, “Up Around The Bend” and “Fortunate Son” refreshing as the only Creedence tune anyone ever plays is “Proud Mary” and there was a notable comedy moment when Trudy harangued the rest of the band after a very speedy “Hangin’ On The Telephone” referring to it as the “chipmunk version”! This was the first time I had seen Mark Morley and I have to say I was mightily impressed with his playing. Not one for jumping around, he calmly got on with business and did a great job on “Purple Haze” but perhaps his best work was on the medley of Queen songs which comprised half the 2nd set at the end of which he reported a broken nail!

Orion arguably saved the best for last with excellent versions of Purple’s “Highway Star” and “Burn” during which Messrs Norman & Brand locked in well with more excellent Morley guitar work. The Norman drum solo in Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick” was first class even though Dave was not particularly well  (which Trudy put down to lack of air holes in his perspex cage) and Trudy herself who had put on a sparkling vocal performance all night skipping easily from one genre to another proving just how versatile her voice can be, topped it all with the closing number “Rock’n’Roll”.

It was late finish at Crowle Liberal as usual but those who had made the effort enjoyed the night and it was good to see the band had successfully survived the line-up change. It was a top performance by Orion tonight, they’re in fine fettle, and I know I keep saying this, but we have a lot of talent in this little town of ours so we need to support it. Keep it live.

PJF

Gig Review