Gig Review: The Delines - The Glee Club, Birmingham. Monday 31st March 2025

 

What is Americana? Gatekeepers, tastemakers, bedroom bloggers and media movers all grapple with a definition. Some expand it from music to wider culture; others philosophically pinpoint it as a 'state of mind'. Artists are often oblivious to it, rejecting the boundaries of genre constraints. Whatever your take, Americana is a living breathing entity, flowering far from any hinterland. If there's room for one more assimilation, embrace the literary imagination of Wily Vlautin, absorb words from the grounded tones of Amy Boone and let the soundtrack ferment in a combo of instrumental maestros. Maybe the answer lies in The Delines. 

Characters from the gritty lanes of real America are given a voice in the songs. Three minute story tellings are a microcosm of a Wily Vlautin novel. Often female and always the underdog, the themes are stark. When The Delines launch into any song from a tight album catalogue, a hush descends on the audience. Honing in on the lyrics goes hand in hand with laying your money down for a show. It helps they are delivered with mesmerising clarity. Blend in a soundtrack reverberating around delicate rock and soothing soul enhances a musical punch. All these ingredients came to the fore in The Glee Club.

Bands that curate an identity sound possess a formidable selling point. The Delines are never going to smash the ceiling of populism, yet there appears an optimum engagement in the numbers they deal in. 

Growth has accompanied the band's activity in the UK. Using Birmingham as a barometer, a cosy gathering in the Hare and Hounds' small room greeted a new name in 2014 stated at the time as 'nailing the sound of country soul'. When returning to the venue post-pandemic, it was the large room playing host. Three years down the line a packed main room in The Glee Club doubled previous turnouts putting the talent on a suitable pedestal.

The Delines excel as a unit. Vlautin and Boone interact innately, Sean Oldham and Freddie Trujillo shore up the bass and drums backfield with consummate ease, while Cory Gray magnificently multi-tasks on keyboard and trumpet. The latter's timely blasts ignite any room. The ease of the tempo aches with cultured elegance. The odd raising of guitar intensity is respectful. Boone almost owns the vocal space allowing sufficient room for harmonies to frequently bloom. For an hour and half, The Glee Club left its comedy facade behind filling the air with fragrant sounds of country soul and, yes, Americana.

From the progressive hotbed of Portland Oregon, The Delines chose the southern English roots of singer-songwriter Peter Bruntnell to open on this tour. If the main course is a delicious serving, ensure the starter matches the pedigree. A combination impeccably honoured. 

Whether it's the fertile imagination, wondrous vocals or esteemed musicianship that seal the moment, take a step back and savour how all the ingredients make The Delines tick. They are a band turning real life travails into a genre defining moment. 

Gig Review: Red Sky July - Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Thursday 27th March 2025

 

It was as though time had stood still. Engagement with Red Sky July fizzled out a few years ago after a trio of releases and a couple of ventures out to see them live. The band admitted the last time they visited Birmingham was to open for Beth Neilson Chapman at the Town Hall. That was 2014, a year where the band connected with a lot of new fans. SHADOWBIRDS was the excellent album opening doors and later in the year a first Red Sky July headline gig was caught at the now demised Musician in Leicester. TRUTH AND THE LIE and VOYAGER records followed though alas no more opportunities to see them live. Now fast forward to 2025 and a year of reconnection, at least with some in the Kitchen Garden. A new album and tour dates in support of it brought the years flooding back with the final night being a long awaited return to Birmingham.

There was one major change with the line up since the heady days a decade ago. Haley Glennie-Smith has replaced Charity Hair as the third member joining the core team of husband and wife Ally McErlaine and Shelly Poole.The fit proved seamless from a distant memory as the trio gelled on all points from harmony to musicianship and a genuine affable bonding. A warm friendly atmosphere defined this gig alongside three artists excelling in what they do best. 

McErlaine's adept guitar skills on both acoustic and electric befitted somebody with a distinguished pedigree polished as a key early member of Scottish band Texas. Poole's vocals bridged a pop background and a current deep dive into folk and Americana via Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris covers plus an interesting take on a Child ballad. Glennie-Smith proved the surprise package with a smooth combination of sweet vocals and effective guitar playing. Apart from a sprinkling of covers, the setlist trawled the Red Sky July catalogue with an expected focus on the new album MISTY MORNING. The pick of the new songs was a story piece titled 'Utah'.

As enjoyable as this Red Sky July renewal was, a combined set time well short of an acceptable ninety minute mark left a gap in the music. While a wholly personal and arbitrary measure, any investment in time to attend live original music for a modest outlay deserves the said time of entertainment which may or may not include a support act. Arguments of quality over quantity and artist discretion are rebuked from somebody laying their money down. Maybe something for artists to reflect on away from any contractual arrangements.