There are two gigs coming up next week which I want to tell you about – an album launch and the return of a popular band who have kept a low profile this year.
First up, the B-Side Band. Next Sunday, (September 12) the band are releasing their second full length CD, Down Under & Blues, at Astrolabe at the Mount, kicking off at 3pm.

Since I helped out a little during the recording I've turned over reviewing duties to music connoisseur Ken Usmar (see box), but I can certainly tell you a little about the band.
The B-Side Band is an odd outfit, and I don't think they'll mind me pointing this out. They're odd because they don't have a bass player. This is a deliberate choice, echoing many early bands playing in the rockabilly/blues style that they do. Indeed a couple of the album's half a dozen covers are by blues legends Jimmy Reed and Eddie Taylor, both of whom were known to play bass-less. What is surprising is how little you miss it (even if you notice it's not there).
And although they don't play a lot locally, the B-Side Band has had an unusual degree of success online with their previous album Pilot Bay Blues, which has been doing great business as mp3 downloads. On the popular American site CDBaby it has remained in the ‘Editor's Picks' for Harmonica Blues since shortly after its release.
The other thing that I like about the band is guitar player Simon Elton's love of Kiwi musical history. On both albums he has chosen cover songs that were big (but now mostly forgotten) hits in New Zealand in the 50s or 60s. Some of them I'd never heard before but they're locked into Simon's encyclopaedic musical mind. Don't ever play Trivial Pursuit with him.
At Astrolabe the band will be joined by Boatshed Studio boss Nigel Masters and maybe others. There is no entry fee; it should be a fun afternoon.
And a couple of days earlier (Friday, September 10) The Mellow Drops are putting on a show at the Colosseum. The band have been through a few changes since their sold-out gig at the last Arts Festival and now have a new drummer in the form of Tim Frame. And despite a year interrupted by weddings, births and illness they have been busy.
Without advertising the fact, the boys entered the Battle of the Bands which has been taking place at Brewers Bar over the past couple of months. Sweeping all before them they are now in the national finals and will be heading up to Auckland to compete at the Kings Arms at the end of the month.
The Colosseum gig will be recorded and filmed, with tracks available for free internet download. Carolyn and The Elements will be playing support and tickets cost $10.

B-Side Band – Down Under & Blues Tipping Point Records
Reviewed by Ken Usmar
This second release from Tauranga's B-Side Band is a considerable step up from their debut, Pilot Bay Blues; whereas the first album seemed a little tentative, this one is full of confidence and spunk.
If you haven't heard B-Side Band, they play a great blend of rockabilly, rhythm & blues, and some good old yee-haw country. This is ‘up' music and among the 10 original compositions on the album you will find some very clever and amusing lyrics. Nowhere is this more true than on ‘Remuera Cowboy' and ‘All My In-Laws Are Outlaws', the latter of which reminded me lyrically of another fine Tauranga musician,
Dave Roy.
‘Yeah Don't You Know' is a song laden with good Kiwi imagery and their very good cover of Derek Jacombs' ‘21st Century Blues' sounds ‘other-worldly' with the distortion that has been put on the vocals. The medley of ‘Jesus On The Mainline' and ‘Bad Boy' segues from pure gospel to raw blues and both hit their respective bull's-eyes. I felt ‘Land of the Long White Cloud' failed to reach the heights of the rest of the album and ‘Return of Clint' might have been better as the album's closer, but hey, that's nit-picking and this CD is a great listen. I thoroughly enjoyed it.