Following a false start towards the end of last year, a West
Midlands audience finally got the opportunity for find out what Police Dog
Hogan are all about. Folks in the South of England and various other locations dotted
around the country already knew that they are one of the hottest live bands on
the UK roots circuit, so it was a case of getting up to speed. A highly
credible turnout at the Hare and Hounds for a new band in town saw this
multi-instrumental assembly firing on
all cylinders and fully eager to ride the waves generated by the band’s all-consuming
rousing stage performance. This was Police Dog Hogan doing what comes natural
and deliver a totally authentic high octane entertaining performance.
It has been around six or seven months since the band
released their third full length album and many of the songs are quickly
becoming embedded favourites in the set list. This is hardly surprising for a
record richly populated with tunes reflecting their live presence. ‘From the Land of Miracles’, ‘West Country Boy’ and ‘Thunderheads’ head the fast flowing
numbers from an album titled WESTWARD HO which frontman James Studholme informed
those present was influenced by his own South West roots. Critics heralded the
record as symbolically representing the strategic extremity of the British
Isles and the last staging post before the Eastern Seaboard of the USA. You don’t
have to exert too much energy in discovering the Americana context to Police
Dog Hogan, to the extent that their very British slant on the genre has been
presented to industry bods in Nashville. 
While the band show little refrain in hiding their American
heroes via covers of Steve Earle’s ‘Galway
Girl’ and the immortal Hank Williams classic ‘I Saw the Light’, it is perhaps their take on home grown
observations that give Police Dog Hogan their identity. ‘Crackington’, ‘No Wonder She Drinks’ and ‘Fraserburgh Train’ all have distinct origins and what could be more
British than the poignant ‘A Man Needs a
Shed’. Maybe further Midlands gigs will get the crowd more actively celebrating
the band’s ode to low class drinking in ‘Shitty
White Wine’, but they were reciprocally vociferous in giving a helping hand
to the cleverly written song ‘Burnt’.
For this evening Police Dog Hogan was operating as a seven
piece unit with James (guitar/lead vocals), Tim Dowling (banjo) and Eddie Bishop
(fiddle) assuming a more focal role. Shahen Galichian (accordion/harmonium),
Michael Giri (drums) and Don Bowen (bass) each had their moments to
individually shine in addition to a collective effort propelling the theory of
the sum being greater. The numerous trumpet interludes from Emily Norris give
the sound a finer touch and whose presence accentuates the band’s explicit
diversity. The buoyant outlook of this part time band is a refreshing trait alongside
a stage show awash with humour and just sheer gratefulness to share their
passion with a paying public. The joviality peaked with a touch of Anglo-French
rambling in ‘La Moutarde du Dijon’
and the desire of the band to evolve lay in a new song ‘Black Road’ thus showing a stated intent to continually update
their song writing repertoire.
Enthusiastic local performer Rich McMahon was a popular choice
to open the evening with a mix of covers and originals fuelled by a combination
of Irish and Midland roots. This pro-active and purposeful singer-songwriter
has forged a growing reputation on the local circuit and he no doubt gained a
few more admirers from this three figure Hare and Hounds gathering with his
brash brand of observational songs.
Now Police Dog Hogan has conquered the West Midlands, world
domination is a less daunting prospect. In the meantime the band will continue
to make forays around the country demonstrating the high value that can surface
from the art of enterprising song and the extracted inspiration from roots instrumentation.
This theory will be endorsed by each member of a satisfied Birmingham crowd and
justify the decision of the Kitchen Garden Events team to promote the evening.
www.policedoghogan.com