“Do We Get The Thumbs Up?”

Christian Kane – Part Two

Live in London  is an acoustic set performed by Christian and Steve; it’s more intimate acoustically but does not lack any of the energy of the full band recordings. The Live In London is a closer representation of the UK gigs this month. Perhaps listen to this set if you are at all daunted by the country music tag, because this will give you a chance to hear the music and the lyrics in a rawer setting without the other guys. In this collection and on the night in Liverpool you can really hear Steve and Christian play off each other in the songs as well as between them. Their chemistry shines through and they set the songs off well.

Stripped down versions of Spirit Boy, Into the Darkness, One More Shot and of course America High are well worth listening to but this collection boasts songs not on the first album and this is the real strength of the acoustic collection in my opinion.

More Than I Deserve is a newer song, nice chord progression and a great chorus. Quite simply this song is proof if proof were needed that the boys can come up with more gold whenever they need to. This is one for the girls to swoon to and the guys to get a little mushy to even if they don’t admit it. Both Steve’s and Christian’s distinctly different vocals give this song great depth and it goes down well live.

Middle America Saturday Night is Kane’s ethos in an poppy catchy little effort. pictures of small town, girls hanging out with guys, cars and music. “Country music or rock and roll!” is a very apt sentiment for this band, as is the belief that no-one could tell them they weren’t born to be stars. Great lyrics, great energy, great song.

Pinata Novia is a Steve Carlson song and he takes the vocal on the London collection. His gravelly delivery is a contrast to Christian’s and it works well on this song.

Seven Days ends the collection on a high, seemingly song about letting it all go and trusting yourself to fate, letting it all hang lose and taking a few risks. A nice end to a very deep live presentation.

Kane seem to be able to do it all; write about love, write about family and loss and they are fully capable of flipping it over and giving you a song about drinking, dancing and having a good time. The House Rules is a great example of that. That song is not on either of the collections talked about here but it is available to hear on the bands myspace (kanecountry). That song says it all, they don’t tolerate no sitting around, you go and have a good time and get carried along either in person if you are lucky or through this live CD. Both are very possible!

This is where I came in. The band have their following and this writing wont change that, what I do hope to get across is the sheer quality that comes across from this band both on record and in person. One thing that struck me attending the live concert was that there was a great ‘home-baked’ or homemade quality to it. Not homemade as in amateur, but more in the feeling of teamwork it all has. Everyone was at that gig because they believed it, Laura who sold handfuls of CDs after the show and whom even I could tell was quite a vital cog in the whole bandwagon, Eric as part of the band’s management works hard and always wants everyone to make their own mind up about the boys. I told him from the start of the evening that his boys were not about to live or die by what I was going to write, but they like me are striving for bigger things and on only the strength of that Liverpool performance I could tell that they at least would get there. The jury is still out on me, and my writing but to be able to write about this music was an absolute pleasure and I encourage everyone who reads this to give the albums a go.

I wanted to write about unknown bands because by the time they are playing huge stadiums and are featured on music magazines, the secret is already out. Well it feels like the secret on these guys is already out too but big success should be around the corner and I’m simply happy to have gotten a ticket for the journey at all. This is good music and it was a pleasure to write about it, I only hope I did it justice.

Towards the end of the gig Eric asked me, “Do we get the thumbs up?”

I think the answer is obvious.

Whatever the destination for Kane, it’s going to be one heck of an interesting ride.

© Simon A. Moult / Moultymedia 2007
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