Mark Morriss et The Bluetones

Having been big fans of the Bluetones we were not quite sure what to expect from Mark Morriss. But in the days of stellar gig prices, £10 in a small venue was too good to miss. As my gig buddy remarked "It would be rude not to". I hastily ordered the album and managed a few listens. Well the album was nice enough but didn't quite grab me in the same way as the Bluetones did in those heady Brit Pop mid nineties. Still the sweet tones of Mr Morriss were enough to get use excited about the short trip to Manchester. The Deaf Institute is a quirky venue to say the least but we left enough time to explore the hostelries in the area. We need not have looked any further than the iconic ex cinema next store formerly the Grosvenor Picture House but now The Footage pub. A delightful place with great classic music, pool tables and a great selection of Food and Drink. A sort of rock sports bar. On entering the Deaf Institute it was difficult to believe that someone who was so well known in the nineties would be playing such a small venue, but what a venue this is. Difficult to describe the three level establishment with a psychedelic, retro, music hall feel. All in all a lovely vibe. Well Mr Morriss's voice was unmistakeable as he launched into the opening number. His sweet voice complemented by a tight band. Great sound balance despite Mark being agitated by the volume of his guitar. In between songs he fidgeted nervously with his tuning and made semi humorous remarks. Well it was lovely to see him, and his new stuff sounded great live but how we wished for some of those nineties classics like Bluetonic and Marble Head Johnson. But no this was not the Bluetones so he wouldn't be going there. Still a lovely set in great surroundings. Mark finished with Space Cadet and thanked us as "You are the only audience I've got and you're not growing" Geoff Poole

The Bluetones came to prominence at the tail end of the 90s britpop era. Some attribute the group’s popularity to their ability to ride off the success of this exploding scene; however they well proved their importance within its infrastructure as well as reminded us why 90s britpop was so appealing in the first place. Their sound was straightforward and catchy, but included enough psychedelic experimentalism to keep things interesting. Their music is not revolutionary so to speak, but this isn’t really what the Bluetones music is concerned about. They are a group who places their attention on creating well structured pop songs and they have proven themselves to be masters at this task. Their live set up is modest, but is highly organized and at times even edgy. They have the traditional bass, drum, guitar, lead vocalist setup but they do wonders with it.
Guitarist Adam Devlin builds lush and multifaceted tones with his guitar, leaving the impression you are listening to much more than just a single six string instrument. His style fluctuates between shimmering pop riffs to crunchy distorted leads. The band attentively follows the direction of each other, toning things down as needed with jazz drum strokes, slowly pulsing bass lines, soft vocal harmonizations or kicking things into overdrive with fast guitars and aggressive vocals. The band makes do with what they have, but nothing they put out is complacent. It is fresh and interesting and exploding with sincerity and purpose. They may have not left as strong as an impression as Blur or Oasis; however, their debut album “Expecting to Fly” did knock them off the number 1 spot on the UK charts. The group has solidified its place in the Britpop cannon as well as left a mark on the underground and indie scene. With their direct and potent approach it is little wonder why.