Burning Rope played their debut sold out gig at The Tuesday Night Music Club, Coulsdon and hit the high notes for the very excited and appreciative audience. This was after only two rehearsals in the Cotswolds at Overbury Village Hall’s excellent music facilities.
The band, who are named after the Genesis song, have evolved from former Catfish members Paul Long (keys, guitar & vocals) and Adam Pyke (bass & vocals) who are joined by Alex Voysey (guitar & vocals) & Mitch Weaving (drums). Alex played with the band at the Staines fundraiser for the late Matt Long.
The evening had several surprises in the setlist with material from several sources including Catfish and The Riotous Brothers, totally new songs written over the last year and a couple of covers. Vocals came from both Paul & Alex, but also for the first time from Adam, mainly as backing vocals but lead vocals on one song! Paul has encouraged all band members to create material for the band.
As Paul introduced it was great to being back home at the venue again and playing to a live audience again for the first time in 14 months, after having to support his son Matt (Catfish’s guitarist and vocalist) battle with bowel cancer that sadly was lost in October 2024.
The band kicked off with appropriate songs ‘Now More Than Ever’ with its heavy sound and great harmonies from Alex & Paul with Paul on rhythm guitar, and ‘Second Time Around’ with its funkier heavy beat from the rhythm section of Adam & Paul complimenting the guitar work of Alex and Paul’s keyboards.
Next up was a new song ‘Before the Landslide’ which was about both Paul & Matt and the tragic situation with a great guitar solo from Alex.
After more encouragement from the packed room the band then played ‘Life in Reverse’ about recovery as you can only look forward (thanks to Alan Bates), with a great bass solo from Adam and ‘Ghosts’ about a friend of Paul’s struggling with demons with its passionate vocals from Paul and opening plaintive guitar work from Alex.
Then we had a first with Adam Pyke on lead vocals on ‘Tainted Love’ which is best known from the 1981 version by Soft Cell but was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964 in Northern Soul style.
Before the break the band thrilled the crowds with ‘Somebody Loan Me a Dime’ from the first Catfish album with Alex on lead guitar showing his range to a funky rhythm section platform and lovely keys, and from the final Catfish album ‘Time to Fly’ ‘Don’t Turn Around’ which Catfish had been playing live for a while, which included vocals from Chloe Josephine on the album recording.
The second half kicked off with a couple of covers with Elton John’s ‘Have Mercy on the Criminal’ with Paul’s great vocals and ‘Joe Bonamassa’s ‘Blue & Evil’ with Alex on vocals with its quick guitar break and heavy rhythm section backing.
Next up was ‘Anyway’ which had been played at some of the Catfish live performances and ‘Not Guilty’ with its heavy funky beat and lovely Paul vocals. Then we had a Riotous Brothers song (which Paul was a member of) with ‘Something Got to Change’ with its slower pace and echoey guitar and lovely vocals from Paul.
Another new song was ‘Rise Up’ with its catchy chorus which is about couple dealing with cost-of-living crisis, with its heavy rhythm section start, echoey guitar from Alex and passionate vocals from Paul. Then we had Alex with his growly guitar sound on ‘The Big Picture’ to its stomping beat with Paul’s vocals and another bass solo from Adam on his six-string bass showing his versatility.
Then to finish we had the Catfish song ‘Big Shot’ which hadn’t been much performed live since 2018 and updated with Alex’s input, and ‘Broken Halo’ from the ‘Time to Fly album with its quick heavy beat.
After a standing ovation the band played as an encore ‘I Can’t Dance’ with its boogie woogie sound with Paul on rhythm guitar and vocals from Paul & Alex. Then the crowds were on their feet wildly applauding what was a spectacular live performance.
