Live
Breakestra: Dingwalls 17/11/09
Breakestra are one of those bands I'd heard about but never really consciously checked out. I vaguely remember 'Hiding' and making a mental note of "I must explore more" but as they say "the proverbial road to hell is paved with good intentions". So in truthful reality, I'd promptly forgotten about them, until a last minute ticket came up and I rather nonchalantly thought "what the hell I'll go"- boy was I in for a rude awakening!
Dingwalls was rammed to the rafters as Miles "Music Man Tackett" and his merry band of funkateers took to the stage. MT was cool calm and collected as he eased his way into the set. The first thing you notice about the band is Miles's soft, airy yet extremely soulful voice it's very pleasing to the ear and gives the Bauthoritativereaksters their distinctive and authoritative stamp and definitely gets my seal of approval what you have here is a front man who happens also to play funky ass bass too and what a damn fine bass player he is.
The set picked up further momentum when guest singer Afrodyete (African Goddess Of Love folks!) hits the stage. She really is a bundle of fun and brings some lurve to the proceedings with her enthusiastic dancing and good vibes as well as the Mavis Staples squawk! This diminutive diva really punched above her weight, she's born for the stage and her warm presence is a joyous sight to witness, think Vicky Anderson in her heyday and that's no lie......
'Come On Over' is the perfect vehicle for this little red hot mama and the band respond accordingly ,a ripping horn section, hammond crankin keys, Pat Bailey's excellent Telecaster gee-tar and the hottest break beat drummer in town who was like the Duracell Bunny, he just kept going through think and thin this guy must have played a thousand district band tryouts, damn sickass beats all night! Respect!! Let me also give a shout out to our very own Speedometer man Matt Wilding (Southend UK y'all) who was on percussion and was very much a key factor in getting the crowd nodding and swaying all night long
This my brethren, was no backyard jam. The boys have a highly planned and tightly polished set that is geared towards keeping the groove going without stops. We all got a potted history of funk as quote after quote kept dropping in between their own fine tunes from their excellent new album 'Dusk Till Dawn'
The audience reacted as if they were in funk heaven and so did I this was the coolest, grooviest funkiest ever. Most definitely and unreservedly one of the best gigs I'd witnessed (and boy i've reviewed a fair few!) all the backyard party jam B-boys love this group and it's not difficult to see why.
Half way through proceedings Miles played his cello and it was a nice change of colour from the swampfunkularistic madness. Very west coast almost grateful dead man! Pat's guitar stretched out and the keyboards too. These boys had been underpinning the harmony all night with deftness of touch and sleight of hand. Extraordinary and exemplary playing.
We all felt we were in the right place tonight, song after song after song volleyed out (I counted 56!! see pic of set list for proof) all the greats got a name check Dilla, M.J and even Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire' got a a soulful ska like delivery, nothing is off limits with these guys, hollerin' funk at it's utmost finest. Actor Martin Freeman and I both had a chuckle that they were like funk on 45 (as opposed to stars on 45). I beesech you, nay implore you to root them out and do yourself a favour....... A sublime knockout deeelite!!
Words Emrys Baird
