| The Man in Black, The Corsairs The Corsairs, 2005
The 1st time I saw Mark play I was 22, young, dumb and full of it. I'd wrecked at the legendary Klubfoot and seen loads of Punk, Psycho and Rockabilly bands. Mark was only 14 years old but he was good on the slap bass. Now, 18 years on, I personally think he is one of the best double bass players in the country and maybe even Europe. Mark fronts The Corsairs with Craig on the guitar and their mystery drummer. They have managed to bum out hundreds of drummers over the years. I've taken many a girlfriend along to see the boys play, one even used to fly over from Belfast to watch 'em perform. Nowadays, it's my ex-girifriends who are bringing their partners to the gigs. The Corsairs certainly leave an impression on everyone who sees 'em and have built a loyal following of fans up and down the country. They definitely are a live band, always giving 100% and getting any crowd up on their feet with a reputation second to none. Proof is in the amount of gigs they play with 154 in 2004. This must make them one of the hardest working bands in the country, playing fast, loud and with lots of passion but when needed, they can tame it down. All in all The Corsairs are the 'dogz bollox' and are a band not to be missed. -- Liner Notes by Norm Weavers -- I was impressed by The Corsairs first CD "Between The Sheets", which only contained cover songs. But there's nothing wrong with being a cover band, especially not when you're as good at it as The Corsairs. Hey, if I ever get married again (don't hold your breath) I want this band to play at the wedding! They play all my favourite 50's songs with great energy and skill. This new album however, also contains 8 originally tracks written by Mark Loveridge. The sound of the band has changed quite a bit too on this second album. It has become rougher and wilder, and the addition of saxophones and piano makes it sound less like the original 50's rockabilly sound. Craig is experimenting with guitar licks and effects, and the rhythms are not all classic rockabilly. Playing with and rearranging songs from other genres, like Nirvana's "Best Friends Girl" will probably not be appreciated by the hardcore rockabilly fans. Mark's own "Baby Be Mine" has the rockabilly rhythm, but it tends towards hardrock too much for my taste. Tracey Ullman's "Breakaway" is a great rendition though, with Mark slapping his doghouse very fast. The closer is the title songs of the album "The Man in Black", which demonstrates specifically that The Corsairs have traded in their grandeur 50's sound for the neo-sound of the 80's. Technically this is a very good album, good rock 'n' roll too, but it's completely different that The Corsairs debut release. Personally, I prefer "Between The Sheets", which I thought was absolutely terrific! THE CORSAIRS BIOGRAPHY: CLICK HERE Tracklisting: The musicians: Contact & bookings: thecorsairs@hotmail.com Reviewed by The BlackCat, 2005 |
