Opening with the title track from the latest album, the band quickly seamlessly wove the new material into the set. Songs like ‘Bad Year for Rock ‘n’ Roll’, ‘Jesus was a Social Drinker’, and ‘We Got Up and Played’ are fast becoming stage favourites and that is a credit to Chuck with his pretty awesome back catalogue. A full Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express show is an intoxicating experience especially when the lead protagonist is in imperious form. ‘Temple Beautiful’, ‘You Did’ and the closing pre-encore anthem ‘Willie Mays is Up At Bat’ quite rightly form the pinnacle of the show from many perspectives, yet this wouldn’t be possible without Chuck’s trusted team of players – now the longest stable Mission Express line up.
Led by bandleader Stephanie Finch on keys plus much
more, the extended trio of James DePrato (lead guitar), Kevin White (bass) and
Vicente Rodriguez (drums) each played an highly charged role to fuel the
adrenalin. The whole band feel probably peaked on the never ending ‘Summertime Thing’, while Stephanie eased
into a duet role for ‘In the Mausoleum’
from the new album and a cover of ‘Amanda
Ruth’ from Austin country punk band Rank and File.
There are times when you feel the term ‘Americana’ was
designed with Chuck Prophet in mind. Basically, just an old punk sliding into
alt-country rock, with a fascinating articulate view on the world, mirrored in
his writing. Barely twenty-four hours earlier, and literally straight off the
plane, Chuck had participated in a songwriter’s session. The highlight from his
four track selection for that show was translated into the full band format a
day later with ‘The Left Hand and the
Right Hand’ still being preluded by the story of two infamous and notorious
San Francisco brothers.
It was clear Chuck did not want this show to end and was
only prevented from joining the audience by the lack of steps from the raised
stage. He was clearly in the mood for more impromptu stuff and subsided to
calls for a cover of ‘Shake Some Action’
by the Flaming Groovies. This eventually closed the show, but not before one
final story of a wide eyed fifteen year old falling in love with his life’s destination
at a gig by the aforementioned band.
Like so much of this year’s SummerTyne Festival, the pairing here was spot on. Probably to a similar extent of the Beth Nielsen Chapman and Callaghan gig that went head to head with this in the Sage 1 finale. The choice was stark in style and Chuck Prophet ensured those who wanted their festival to end in a frenzied haze had their desires fulfilled.
