Scroll forward to 2011, and Wally Kempton is celebrating his birthday at The Tote. Serendipitously, it’s the second evening of The Tote’s 30th anniversary celebrations and Even – as curator for the evening – has cajoled Snout out of retirement to join it in celebratory mode. Earlier in the evening recent American arrival Becky Lee and Drunkenfoot opened proceedings with what was described as an invigorating performance, followed by equally enticing set from Minibikes.
By the time Snout appeared on stage (fashionably late, in true Tote style), the Tote’s idiosyncratically ventilated interior was thick with humidity and mature patrons. Ten years after its demise, and Snout still pack a pop punch. Ross McLennan is a mercurial figure on bass, his melodies as fresh as the day McLennan transposed them from artistic inspiration to practised form. The stage banter is irreverent and familiar, with the band adopting the refreshing demeanour of kids playing a party to a backyard full of enthusiastic patrons. There’s more love in the air than a Hugh Hefner pyjama party and the band is willed back onto stage for a closing cover of The Beatles’ Paperback Writer. It’s rough, ready and sloppy around the edges – but that’s all you really want.
And then it’s Even’s turn to bring happiness to the masses – or at least, that sliver of the masses lucky enough to be at the Tote that evening. At its peak, Even are every good ’60s and ’70s rock’n’roll and pop band, rolled into a perfect whole. According to informed rumour Ash Naylor can play any song known to the pop and rock world – and that’s before you get to his own compositions (I Have Nothing being a particular example on the night). Ross McLennan appears on stage half way through the set to perform vocal duties on The Yardbirds’ For Your Love and there is much rejoicing and flat crowd harmonising.
In the haze of the end of the night, three more great moments stand out: the first is Kempton’s happily grumpy embarrassment at the chorus of happy birthday started by Naylor, the second is the pop-perfect rendition of Don’t Stop (featuring Kempton on lead vocals) and the third is the impromptu cover of The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues with Francis Leach on vocals. The night ends, and everyone’s happy and smiling. You don’t get better than this.
BY PATRICK EMERY
LOVED: The bar room blues sing-a-long to Roadhouse Blues.
HATED: Missing the first couple of bands due to the early starting times.
DRANK: Fat Yak, as always.
