RIDGE BANKS & WALL OF SOUND/WILD DAISY & THE BLACKHEARTS
Metal Monocle 10th August 2025
My first visit to the The Metal Monocle to see the next leg of the Ridge Banks tour... first impression was it was great to walk into such a friendly warm venue with a vibe close to the Donkey as it used to be... and to catch up with old friends...
So... what of the music a week on from the previous one... First up were Wild Daisy & The Black Hearts a great southern rock band with their own personality writ large on it... and they delivered another terrific set. Solid drum and bass providing a superb basis for the band.. crisp rocking drums and a pounding bass while the guitar players rock out in great style... i particulary love the sound of the lap steel where it is used... the two musicians playing together and meshing beautifully... it is no surprise that they have been friends for a couple of decades as the interweaving is almost telepathic... up front the fabulous Hannah Adams is the perfect front person.. .a fabulous singer and performer making the band rivetting both musically and visually... a band clearly having a ball playing together and it communicates readily with the audience... a great set... totally loved it!!
Next up was Ridge Banks Wall of Sound... their debut last week was hampered by poor sound for a large part of the show but no such issues this week as, as with the Blackhearts, the sound was excellent and we got to hear the real quality of Ridge's voice and singing... and indeed the quality of the songs.
The band have been together on the same continent for only a couple of weeks and only had 8 hours rehearsal... but never the less they delivered a great set.. though I personally would encourage Sean to get closer into the mic at times as he is a superb musician and should be heard on full volume!!
The Wall of Sound are a great band, featuring some well known local musicians.. .Nick Plews on bass and Mark Haynes on drums providing a quality rhythm section as well as Sean Clutterham on hamonica and Harris Nixon on guitar... each a fine musician who have contributed much to the local scene... and form a perfect vehicle to highlight Ridge on Acoustic and Vocals.
Ridge has a great and expressive voice and delivers his songs with real assurance and qualiy and a warm open personality that shines through
As an added joy on this occasion we had a guest appearace by Elaine (Dust'n'Debris) adding lovely violin to one number.
I throughly enjoyed the set again but this is a new band still bedding in together... and judging by the improvement on last week i can see them getting tighter and stronger as they continue to play... an exciting prospect to think how great they can be!.. .clearly a band who are close in friendship and musical direction they generate a wonderfully warm presence on (and off) stage.
Two bands tonight.. .both with a hugely warm close presence and delivering quality sets... a wonderful warm and friendly evening... great venue... great music... great friendships... what more do you want?
Looking forward to the next couple of their shows i'll be going to!!
Keep music live... keep music real... support your local bands and artists
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