The 11th of July saw The Blueshoundz on Stage at the Penguin Club for the first time. The band had billed themselves as “into the style of the 60s ~ 70s British Rock Blues Original gritty blues from a tight four piece playing for the hell of it” and did not disappoint. They were surprisingly tight for a band that has been together for three practices and performing only their second gig. This is due to the combined skill and experience of the band members, with three of the four being old enough to remember the 60s, (even if through a haze) and having had extensive musical careers.
Up front and larger than life wa
s Maurice Sammons on lead guitar and vocals, showing extreme skill in both areas. His riffs and lead were varied and executed with a clean precision. The interplay between the guitar and harp was something to be enjoyed. Pat Trembeth tucked in behind the lead providing brilliant touches of colour that fattened out the sound and extensive lead breaks that gave an authentic dynamic. At one stage there was a sustained copy-cat competition between the guitar lead and harp where the gauntlet was laid down in an excellent impromptu jam. The balance, volume wise, was not always perfect but this would be easily remedied by putting someone on the sound-desk. While it wasn’t a perfect performance as there were moments of untidiness around some endings and the occasional mishap, it was nothing that won’t disappear with more time together.
