The New Mastersounds at Suwannee Hulaween: The FunkCity.net VIDEO
Jake Funkmayor of FunkCity.net was busy at Suwannee Hulaween recording some truly scintillating sets. He followed the LIFO METHOD; here is the outstanding festival-closing set by The New Mastersounds on the Spirit Lake stage. Their two-and-a-half hour set featured their complete range of genres and sounds, with a wonderful introduction by Suwannee godfather Paul Levine.
The New Mastersounds are: Eddie Roberts, guitar; Simon Allen, drums; Joe Tatton, keyboards; and Pete Shand, bass.
Paul Levine stepped on the Spirit Lake stage one last time to welcome some more of the park’s frequent fliers, this time the superb funk masters The New Mastersounds. After some great exploring of grooves in “Dusty Groove,” drummer Simon Allen challenged us with “So we’re scheduled for two and a half hours. Do you have the energy for that? Because WE DO!”
The long set allowed the quartet from Leeds to go in various directions, including more vocal tunes than we normally hear. Every member had multiple opportunities to shine, and shine they did. As previously noted, the music blaring from the lake again interfered with the sound on stage, to the point where Allen said, TELL THE NEIGHBOURS TO TURN THE MUSIC DOWN!
Guitarist Eddie Roberts, ever dapper in his jacket, played a variety of styles, but he always returned to that wonderful Grant Green groove. Allen and bass player Pete Shand form one of the tightest rhythm section on the funk scene, and we were there for it. Keyboard wiz Joe Tatton balanced his B3, electric piano, clavinet, and piano to perfection, especially evident in “Why Did You Do It?”
Allen next told us it was “sleepy time now. Everybody get down on the mat.” That set up “Land of Nod.” After a brilliant set, it was all over but the singing, as they closed with the great “Nervous” and its famous chorus, “Bap ba dap ba top” (well, something like that). Incredible!
[NMS: Paul Levine intro, Tantalus, Miracles, Dusty Groove, Passport, Take What You Need, Smoothie > Two Fat Ladies, Coming Up Roses, Down On The Farm, The Road to Fuji Rock, Thirty Three > Do The Sausage Roll, Hey Fela!, Till The Cows Come Home, When Will You Be Mine? (AWB), 102%, Pudding & Pie, Baby Bouncer, San Frantico, Why Did You Do It?, Land of Nod, You Got It All > Eazin’ Down, You Mess Me Up, Freckles, Nervous]
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