Bluesnights @ Dorchester Arts Centre
Dorchester, UK - December 2011

Blues In Britain

photo by paul martin

We were very pleased to welcome back to Bluesnights, for their fourth visit, our good friends The Spikedrivers to round off the year in fine fashion. They are a good draw and guarantee a sold-out venue.  Ben Tyzack, on guitars, harp, vocals; Maurice McElroy, on drums, percussion, vocals and Constance Redgrave, on bass, percussion, vocals have now clocked up almost twelve years together.  One can hear and see the empathy between them!  All three are very personable and engage well with the audience; with a nice sprinkling of humour and anecdotes, everything clicks.

They started the first set with an A cappella gospel number which quickly established the trio’s vocal credibility, both individually and collectively.  Their own compositions are well constructed and are slickly presented.  An example of this is “Midnight Mademoiselle” with delicate slide touches and a wistful feel to it. An excellent tribute to JL Hooker titled “Urban Love Boogie” is a typical hard driving butt kicking boogie; very well done.  On Arthur Big Boy Crudup’s swinging blues “That’s Alright Mama”, Ben used a 12 string guitar with tasty slide and harmony vocals.

Starting the second set Ben performed a solo song, his own composition “Such a Southern Place to Be”. This was really nice, a gentle ballad with poignant lyrics referring to his childhood in South Carolina. They cranked it up on “Bright Lights, Big City”, which turned into an excellent workout with the audience joining in the chorus. Great feel! I liked the up-tempo rhythm and the introspective lyrics about life on another of their own compositions, “Soul Searching Blues”. They did a cracking rendition of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster”; slow sustained riff, with superb slide solos with the bass and drums locked tight and heavy holding it all together! Then a terrific belter, “Aint It Real”, a hard driving, all out rock and roll number, made the most of a very tight rhythm section.

In response to audience demand, they came on for an encore. A member of the very appreciative crowd requested “Dust My Broom” and the band duly complied. This was very energetic with excellent slide on this classic boogie.  It was a wonderful evening; very enjoyable musically.  Maurice’s percussion and drumming plus his witty asides were excellent, as was Constance whose sense of rhythm is terrific. This band will continue to delight for a long time with their own songs and classy version of blues classics.  They turn on a top class show and are worth every penny. They come highly recommended by the near-capacity audience, and me, which loved every minute of a very fine performance.

Blues In Britian - UK
Reviewer Lewis A Harris

Boogaloo Weekend
Torquay, Devon UK - May 2011

Blues In Britain

…..Quite the opposite is true of course of The Spikedrivers who set the benchmark for quality and professionalism, although I was pleased to find I was not alone in thinking their recent ‘seven release uncharacteristically underwhelming compared to their previous output.

No such qualms tonight though, as they strode on to the stage together, picked up their instruments’ and in unison launched into their first number - wow factor start to a gem of a set. Steady Rollin Train featured some dynamic slide by Ben Tyzack, who was in wonderful voice all evening with his rich honeyed and warm vocal tone in superb harmony with sound of his guitar. Stop Breakin’ Down preceded Urban Love Boogie, a fine tribute to John Lee Hooker, and Love Her with a Feelin’, both of the latter two tracks featuring on the band’s latest double CD release Front Porch Swing taken from an acoustic evening at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley.  Easy Money in Hard Times is a topical piece about the villains of the day in the banking world. 

With Constance Redgrave’s fluid bass lines and Maurice McElroy’s sympathetic and empathetic drumming, the trio are as close a unit as you could find, and have developed a trademark sound and a niche which is both authentic and compellingly accessible.  The dance floor was full and an enthusiastically appreciative crowd were delighted by the virtuosity displayed whether it be a washboard or electric guitar.  A fine set with drama, light and shade, from train songs through to Little Red Rooster and the closing Dust My Broom.  This very magazine said it best “If you have not seen them you simply must!”

Bob Chaffey

8th Festival of Blues en Loire
La Charite-sur-Loire France - August 2010

Blues Alive

Spikedrivers. A stunning trio! Difficult to describe the blues of this group. It is festive, happy, makes me want to dance. Spikedrivers are great fun on stage and very contagious to the audience. Ben Tyzack has a guitar sound to die for. On slide he’s fiendishly good. Maurice McElroy plays drums with great finesse while Constance Redgrave - whether on bass or washboard - is dynamite! That beautiful smile didn’t leave her face the entire evening. If you add all that to the songs, there’s nothing one can say against these three artists. This group is truly unique. By the end of the concert, they won over the entire house, and were given a standing ovation.

original text in French
Spikedrivers. Un trio époustouflant !!! Difficile de qualifier le blues de ce groupe. Il est festif, joyeux,donne envie de danser. Spikedrivers s’éclatent sur scène et c’est très contagieux pour le public. Ben Tyzack possède un son de guitare « à tomber ». En slide il est diabolique, Maurice McElroy joue des percussionset de la batterie avec beaucoup de finesse quand à Constance Redgrave que ce soit à la basse ou au washboard elle dynamite les morceaux !!!Son magnifique sourire ne la quittera pas de la soirée. Si on ajoute qu’au chant, il n’y a rien à reprocher aux 3 artistes,ce groupe est vraiment unique en son genre. A la fin du concert, ils sont ovationnés par une salle conquise et debout.

Webzine BLUESALIVE N°6

Ealing Blues Festival
London W5, 22-25 - July 2010

Jon Taylor

The Spikedrivers late-afternoon set coincided with the post-lager munchies, so much of what they played was heard from a distance. Often described as ‘down home rural blues’, the trio comprise guitarist Ben Tyzack, drummer Maurice McElroy and Constance Redgrave on bass (doubling on washboard, as you do) with all three sharing vocal duties. Mixing up-tempo foot-tapping Louisiana stomp with atmospheric soundscapes the band conjured images of shimmering heat haze horizons or sleazy bar-rooms with equal ease and had the crowd up and moving with numbers such as “Easy Money in Hard Times” and “Shake Your Hips”.

Blues In Britian - UK
Reviewer Jon Taylor

Lakeside Blues Bonnanza
Haling Island, 22-25 January 2010

Bob Chaffey

Probably the starkest contrast possible was drawn as The Spikedrivers proceeded to give a seemingly effortless and consummately professional performance whilst retaining all the feel and authenticity of the blues.

Their own material sat alongside that of Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy and John Lee Hooker amongst others and wowed the audience who responded with fervent applause and a full dance floor.

For their multitude of admirers, they seem to be growing in stature as a headline band. If you have not seen them you simple must!

Blues In Britian - UK
Reviewer Bob Chaffey

Euskalherria Peña
Burlata, Spain, 22-25 November 2009

j. óscar beorlegui

…, came the American roots trio The Spikedrivers: pure sound and visual image of the blues, with touches of rhythm & blues and, American folk. For the concert, think soft and quiet at first, always measured and calm, becoming a sort of journey through the history of blues with a more genuine taste, and obvious connotations ... railway including an old train whistle, of the subjects of different sound intensities but identical musical force in all cases.

And through all this, you heard a musical rainbow (there was everything from moments of inspiration or southern most country-blues to slow moments of unsurpassed R & B and, of course, pure rock and blues) all and all exquisitely offered, as was demonstrated by the versatility of the three players involved and the profusion of instruments used, highlighting the continued use of slide-guitar from the guitarist and washboard and percussion by the bassist and drummer on some tracks, homemade instruments originally used by the blacks in southern U.S.. In short, The Spikedrivers proved to be big: as big as playing live music can be, small as referring to format, with only three players, as is the key number of the Catholic religion ... and music electrified in life. 5 Stars

original text in Spanish

LLEGÓ un año más el otoño, la estación de la caída de la hoja en otros pueblos -solamente-, y, de su mano, al igual que el rock, en mayo, el blues a la peña Euskalherria. El Udazkena Blues, ciclo que en la primera jornada de ésta, su tercera edición, acercó hasta sus locales al trío de raíces norteamericanas The Spikedrivers: pura imagen visual y sonora del blues los citados, con sus toques incluidos, a modo de indispensable maquillaje -si se quiere-, de rhythm"blues y, evidentemente, de folk americano. El concierto, de discurrir suave y reposado en un principio, acompasado y tranquilo siempre, vino a ser una especie de viaje por la historia del blues de regusto más genuino, con claras connotaciones… ferroviarias incluso, como pudimos comprobar al final de uno de los temas, reproducción del silbido de un viejo tren incluido; de unos temas de diferentes intensidades sonoras pero de fuerza musical idéntica, en todos los casos. Y todo ello, el repaso por dicho arco iris musical (hubo de todo, desde momentos de inspiración más country o sureña hasta slow-blues, momentos de insuperable R & B y, evidentemente, de puro rock and blues) todo ello y todos ellos exquisitamente ofrecidos, como quedó de manifiesto con la versatilidad de los tres músicos implicados y con la profusión de instrumentos que utilizaron, destacando el continuo empleo del slide-guitar por parte del guitarrista y de las tablas de lavar o washboards exhibidas por la bajista y el baterista en algunos temas, instrumento casero de percusión empleado originalmente por los negros del sur de EEUU. En resumen, que The Spikedrivers demostraron ser grandes: tan grandes en lo que a tocar música en vivo se refiere como pequeños en lo referido a formato, siendo tres músicos sólo como son: el número clave de la religión católica… y de la música electrificada en vivo.

jóscar beorlegui -www.noticiasdenavarra.com

Reviews from 2009

Excerpts from some live reviews 2009:

The Portland Gallery, London
May 2009
The late Michael Tyzack was a professor of art in Iowa and trumpet player, which was why his son Ben Tyzack and The Spikedrivers were playing at the opening of a retrospective exhibition in this lovely art gallery near the Ritz. Guitarist Ben, bass player Constance Redgrave and drummer and percussionist Maurice McElroy did a long set on a lovely summer’s day while the booze flowed. Eventually people were lying on the floor but the waiters just bent down to fill the glasses. If you have seen The Spikedrivers, you know what they play. If you haven’t, well that is a treat yet to come

Blues In Britian - UK
ReviewerFran Leslie

Blues Passion Cognac, France
July 2009
…Other stages included the Place du Canton, where both The Spikedrivers and The Mountain Men impressed the journalists and the public. These two bands were decided by the attending hacks to be the hits of the festival. As often happens, the smaller stages throw up the best music. The Mountain Men hail from Grenoble. A guitar and harmonica duo with their feet squarely in the Delta, their razor sharp sound lit up the afternoon crowd flooding the Place du Canton. Mat Guillou hammered out rhythms on his National Steel while on harmonica; Ian Giddey added that flavor of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Check out their release The Time is Coming.

The Spikedrivers braved what was clearly the hottest day of the festival for two scorching sets that filled the pedestrianized streets to breaking point. People were literally hanging out the windows to catch a glimpse of Ben Tyzack’s gorgeous guitar work.

Both The Spikedrivers and The Mountain Men featured at a secret gig on Sunday courtesy of Blues Qui Roule’s Alain LeClerc. Those fortunate enough to attend were treated to both bands totally acoustic in the surrounding of an ancient winery. They jammed with Italy’s Max Ferrauto, an excellent Howlin’ Wolf style vocalist who’s currently on tour around Europe.

All in all I’d call this years Blues Passion Cognac, a big success. Michel Rolland has answered critics of last year’s festival by providing some serious blues acts from all over the world. He’s also done well treading that thin line of attracting big name popular acts while giving the blues audiences what they want.

Blues In Britian - UK
Reviewer Katie Dalstrom

Rock ‘n’ Blues on the Pier
Pavilion Theatre, Cromer Norfolk
October 2009
A brand new festival on the circuit, this inaugural bash took place on the pier at Cromer. With every new venture there are always the pre-match nerves, but credit must be given to festival producer Scott Butler for organizing a well balanced, varied and very interesting event.

… The Spikedrivers finished the afternoon session with possibly the set of the weekend. A highly original band, The Spikedrivers play with an intensity that makes you sit up and listen. Those familiar with the Live at the High Barn album will get the picture. Superb versions of Blue Trash, Where Did the Money Go featuring Maurice McElroy on drums, washboard and vocals, L’l Red Rooster and Constance Redgrave took vocals with an excellent rendition of Gypsy Wind and with guitarist/vocalist Ben Tyzack on top form this really was an exciting set.

Hopefully this festival will now become a fixture on the calendar. Special mention for Howie on sound, Andy and the backstage crew and of course Scott Butler for a very successful weekend

Blues In Britian - UK
Reviewer Mike Lightfoot

Mamas, Crieff Scotland
Oct 2009

Spikedrivers acclaimed as “one of the best ever live acts” to appear at MAMAS.

MAMAS finished 2009 with one of the best ever live acts to appear in Crieff when the Spikedrivers provided a night full of life, good humour and highly impressive musicianship.

The night was opened by Sandy and Charles swapping from solo to duo while they covered tunes from Lindisfarne to Stevie Ray Vaughan and finishing off with some tip top blues harp from Sandy on Little Walter's Easy.

The biggest surprise of the night was when the Spikes walked on to open with an acapella start to their first set, but it certainly got people listening.

With Ben Tyzach on guitars, Constance Redgrave on bass and washboard and Maurice McElroy on drums and all sorts of percussion with the vocals shared by all three, you expected some hard driven blues to start the night but the acapella was a "sit up and watch moment" leading in to some gutsy slide guitar and rhythmic drumming on Train Done Gone.

A few tunes into the set and the band had the crowd in the palm of their hands. There is a big difference between polite applause and an enthusiastic response to bands and both the crowd and the band were obviously having a ball. Highlight of the set had to be Ben's tribute to his youth called Layin' Down Lincoln's, about placing 1 cent pieces on railway tracks to get a flattened coin! With Maurice playing a rootsy beat on his Spanish box drum over a blues riff you could hear the train rushing by.

Thinking the first set had been good didn't prepare anyone for the second set as the band stepped things up with some outstanding blues. After nine years of playing together the band have a good back catalogue of their own material but still like to throw in some old classics from the masters of bygone days and thanks to a request via their website on the day they included James Moore's Shake Your Hips. A slow starting number that builds and builds to a 10 minute masterpiece that you don't want to finish. Mr. B had brought all his moothies with him and was a bit chuffed to be asked to join the band for Bright Lights Big City with a bit of a dueling moothie/guitar improvisation. And of course the Spikes had saved the best tune of the night as they finished off with Dust My Broom and no blues night is complete without a Robert Johnson number. A proper blues tune with driving bass, powerful drumming and jaw dropping slide guitar to leave the crowd wishing the night could go on a bit longer.

Probably the best band ever to appear at MAMAS over the last eight years. A big thank you to everyone who came along to make the night so memorable.

If you would like to know more about MAMAS view www.mamas.org.uk or call Norman on 681667.

Stephen Lowson Strathearn Herald

Boogaloo Blues Weekend
Cricket St Thomas Nov 09

Saturday afternoon acoustic set:
The Spikedrivers equally comfortable in this more intimate setting, gave a typical and quite beautifully observed vignette of authentic blues as always featuring wonderfully evocative and warm tonal delights. One this occasion featuring that well know instrument, the quail’s egg whisk, played exquisitely on washboard by Constance Redgrave. Ben Tyzack’s warm compelling vocal and superb slid guitar work enchanted a thoroughly contented audience. Tim Aves added an acoustic set to his inimitable work as MC and DJ for the weekend to complete an unbeatable afternoon’s entertainment. He invited The Spikedrivers back to join him and played some exquisite slide guitar.

Saturday Night
Following on from the wonderful Sean Webster, The Spikedrivers then reprised their matinee appearance. This popular trio with their unique and erudite approach, manage to charm and entertain with consummate ease. “Love Her With A Feeling” was followed by an uncharacteristic burst of venom from Ben Tyzack prior to a newly written piece “Easy Money In Hard Times” focused on recent events concerning bankers and MP; a relevant piece of modern blues recording recent events and with reference to a live recording the band are to undertakes in January and invite you - check out their web site. Drummer Maurice McElroy also featured with his inimitable vocal style before “Bright Lights, Big City” and Hip Shake” completed a tremendous dancing set.

Blues In Britian - UK
Reviewer Bob Chaffey

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