Amazing Kappa

Artist
Paul Kappa and the Amazing KAPPA Band
Venue
3 Tuns Gateshead
Date
30 Jan 2009

Paul Kappa is something of a legend down on Merseyside, where he regularly plays sell out shows at the Cavern Club in Liverpool's Mathew Street.
For those of you that recently arrived from a different planet, the Cavern Club secured its place in world history at lunchtime on Tuesday 21st February 1961 when a little known band called
'The Beatles' made their first of 292 appearances, their last occurring on 3rd August 1963.

To be the resident house artist of such a famous venue is an achievement of some merit, especially when you consider the wealth of talent that has graced that stage over the years.
As such, the reputation this band has built up for themselves is nothing short of legendary,
Being known locally as "The Amazing Kappa Band" - a title that based on tonight's performance is well and truly deserved.

Opening up with a fast and loose version of Hendrix's monumental 'Voodoo Chile' is both a bold statement of intent and a huge gamble.
Perform this badly and you risk being mobbed, perform it superbly and how do you ever follow it?
The answer is by playing a three hour set full of live killers that absolutely tore the roof off the place!

Listening to the lovely rich tones being wrung from his Stratocaster,
Kappa's playing reminded me of watching the DVD of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Classic Mocambo show.
Throughout the entire night the standard of this power trio's musicianship was inspirational to say the least, with almost every number being performed in a refreshingly original arrangement that compiled literally dozens of rock and pop classics and blues standards into seemingly never ending blues jam medley workouts that defied you to guess what was coming next.
Over the course of the night there must have been over 50 songs woven into three giant webs which ran for around an hour each with the band barely stopping for breath before launching into the next segment.

To be able to perform with
Such a free rein requires the tightest of musical understanding and Kappa's fellow bandmates both excelled in their ability while never intruding onto the main attraction,
Bassman Martin Byrne and drummer Tony Smith playing with an astounding level of control as they move effortlessly from 60's psychedelia to delta blues via classic pop and rock. Indeed, the ease with which the band changed genres defied belief.

Playing Ravel's 'Bolero' with guitar held behind head before launching at breakneck speed into Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' was nothing short of breathtaking, and if somebody had told me you could go from Led Zeppelin to The Big Bopper
in the same moment I would have told them to go screw themselves
. Just goes to show how wrong a man can be...

As a live experience,
"The Amazing Kappa Band" is nothing if not worthy of their name.
Tonight forever raised the bar for all who follow on what was unquestionably the best gig I have ever seen
-and by a country mile at that!




Who the f--k is Paul Kappa?
I heard this guy’s name being mentioned frequently about 6 or 7 years ago as he used to be part of a band called Cat Scratch Fever. Although not really known in this region as they were from Liverpool, they soon built up a fanatical following in South Shields due to their tremendous shows. I never got to see that group perform, but the name of Paul Kappa kept on getting bandied about as being a musician of exceptional quality. Even years later when the man hadn’t been back in this area for so long, his name was still legendary and spoken about with such immense admiration. So as you can imagine there was a massive buzz going around when it came to light that Buckets bassist Kev Charlton had booked the band to lay a gig for his sister’s secret 40th birthday party. It was all very hush-hush as nobody wanted to spoil the surprise, but there was a definite buzz in the air as the gig neared.
and people were excitedly looking forward to seeing the return of the legendary Mr. Paul Kappa (and his power trio now simply named ‘Kappa’). So I agreed to lend my services to the event and be sound man. On the night the 3 band members were professional as hell and quickly assembled their equipment and it didn’t take us too long to get a reasonably good sound. I didn’t want to interfere too much with the atmosphere of the party, so we basically got a line-check & some minor EQ-ing sorted in the short time that we had, but overall it was a good solid ground to work on.
I really had no idea at all what music Kappa would be playing. All I knew is that they were a typical early 70’s style power trio (bassist, drummer, and singer/guitarist), that the music that they played was varied, and that for some strange reason you had local musicians raving on about just how good the group was. So my pre-conceptions of what to expect were pretty much zilch, and my attitude was just to get them as good a sound as pos - OVERPLAY

Artist
Paul Kappa and the Amazing KAPPA Band
Venue
3 Tuns Gateshead
Date
30 Jan 2009

Paul Kappa is something of a legend down on Merseyside, where he regularly plays sell out shows at the Cavern Club in Liverpool's Mathew Street.
For those of you that recently arrived from a different planet, the Cavern Club secured its place in world history at lunchtime on Tuesday 21st February 1961 when a little known band called
'The Beatles' made their first of 292 appearances, their last occurring on 3rd August 1963.

To be the resident house artist of such a famous venue is an achievement of some merit, especially when you consider the wealth of talent that has graced that stage over the years.
As such, the reputation this band has built up for themselves is nothing short of legendary,
Being known locally as "The Amazing Kappa Band" - a title that based on tonight's performance is well and truly deserved.

Opening up with a fast and loose version of Hendrix's monumental 'Voodoo Chile' is both a bold statement of intent and a huge gamble.
Perform this badly and you risk being mobbed, perform it superbly and how do you ever follow it?
The answer is by playing a three hour set full of live killers that absolutely tore the roof off the place!

Listening to the lovely rich tones being wrung from his Stratocaster,
Kappa's playing reminded me of watching the DVD of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Classic Mocambo show.
Throughout the entire night the standard of this power trio's musicianship was inspirational to say the least, with almost every number being performed in a refreshingly original arrangement that compiled literally dozens of rock and pop classics and blues standards into seemingly never ending blues jam medley workouts that defied you to guess what was coming next.
Over the course of the night there must have been over 50 songs woven into three giant webs which ran for around an hour each with the band barely stopping for breath before launching into the next segment.

To be able to perform with
Such a free rein requires the tightest of musical understanding and Kappa's fellow bandmates both excelled in their ability while never intruding onto the main attraction,
Bassman Martin Byrne and drummer Tony Smith playing with an astounding level of control as they move effortlessly from 60's psychedelia to delta blues via classic pop and rock. Indeed, the ease with which the band changed genres defied belief.

Playing Ravel's 'Bolero' with guitar held behind head before launching at breakneck speed into Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' was nothing short of breathtaking, and if somebody had told me you could go from Led Zeppelin to The Big Bopper
in the same moment I would have told them to go screw themselves
. Just goes to show how wrong a man can be...

As a live experience,
"The Amazing Kappa Band" is nothing if not worthy of their name.
Tonight forever raised the bar for all who follow on what was unquestionably the best gig I have ever seen
-and by a country mile at that!




Who the f--k is Paul Kappa?
I heard this guy’s name being mentioned frequently about 6 or 7 years ago as he used to be part of a band called Cat Scratch Fever. Although not really known in this region as they were from Liverpool, they soon built up a fanatical following in South Shields due to their tremendous shows. I never got to see that group perform, but the name of Paul Kappa kept on getting bandied about as being a musician of exceptional quality. Even years later when the man hadn’t been back in this area for so long, his name was still legendary and spoken about with such immense admiration. So as you can imagine there was a massive buzz going around when it came to light that Buckets bassist Kev Charlton had booked the band to lay a gig for his sister’s secret 40th birthday party. It was all very hush-hush as nobody wanted to spoil the surprise, but there was a definite buzz in the air as the gig neared.
and people were excitedly looking forward to seeing the return of the legendary Mr. Paul Kappa (and his power trio now simply named ‘Kappa’). So I agreed to lend my services to the event and be sound man. On the night the 3 band members were professional as hell and quickly assembled their equipment and it didn’t take us too long to get a reasonably good sound. I didn’t want to interfere too much with the atmosphere of the party, so we basically got a line-check & some minor EQ-ing sorted in the short time that we had, but overall it was a good solid ground to work on.
I really had no idea at all what music Kappa would be playing. All I knew is that they were a typical early 70’s style power trio (bassist, drummer, and singer/guitarist), that the music that they played was varied, and that for some strange reason you had local musicians raving on about just how good the group was. So my pre-conceptions of what to expect were pretty much zilch, and my attitude was just to get them as good a sound as pos - OVERPLAY

Like a majestically-trousered, silver-scarved Rod Stewart on the cover of his 1975 Atlantic Crossing lp, The Amazing Kappa have one foot in Blighty and one in the States. The Liverpool trio travelled to Chicago to record ‘Electrical Storm’ and, on first listen, it’s hard to believe that these lads have been anywhere east of Detroit throughout their lives.

The album’s heart is bluer than David Cameron’s thong. “Steer You Wrong”, “Stop Foolin’ Round” and the full pelt “Burnin’ Out” throb with sweaty amped-up passion. Meanwhile, “Simple Monday Evening” smoulders like a lit cigarette in a barroom ashtray. And while frontman Paul Kappa’s vocal veers from a Bryan Ferry swoon to Brian Johnson howl, he always delivers with throaty conviction.

OK, it’s not just about the blues. Sometimes it’s slash blues – as in folk/blues or rock/blues. “Goddess” and “Give Me More” are Thin Lizzy rockers with added bottleneck, ”Angelika” is an evocative acoustic daydream, “Strangetimes” is a colourful Zeppelin stomp and “Sky High” marries contorted riffs with skittering riffs to come like AC/CD gone funk.

The weirdest – and most interesting – moments come around the middle of the album, however. Paul goes all clean-cut for the shimmering Style Council soul of “Let Me Love You”. But two tracks earlier the sly and perfectly lovely folky acoustica of “Steer You Wrong” suddenly veers off into a Gogol Bordello-style Russian peasant shindig. Mind you, if you do have to include a mandolin solo, it’s better than the insipid twinkling of “Losing My Religion”. The Amazing Kappa have no trouble at all making gutsy, infectious music. But it’s odd moments like this that make them especially memorable.

by overplay - OVERPLAY

Like a majestically-trousered, silver-scarved Rod Stewart on the cover of his 1975 Atlantic Crossing lp, The Amazing Kappa have one foot in Blighty and one in the States. The Liverpool trio travelled to Chicago to record ‘Electrical Storm’ and, on first listen, it’s hard to believe that these lads have been anywhere east of Detroit throughout their lives.

The album’s heart is bluer than David Cameron’s thong. “Steer You Wrong”, “Stop Foolin’ Round” and the full pelt “Burnin’ Out” throb with sweaty amped-up passion. Meanwhile, “Simple Monday Evening” smoulders like a lit cigarette in a barroom ashtray. And while frontman Paul Kappa’s vocal veers from a Bryan Ferry swoon to Brian Johnson howl, he always delivers with throaty conviction.

OK, it’s not just about the blues. Sometimes it’s slash blues – as in folk/blues or rock/blues. “Goddess” and “Give Me More” are Thin Lizzy rockers with added bottleneck, ”Angelika” is an evocative acoustic daydream, “Strangetimes” is a colourful Zeppelin stomp and “Sky High” marries contorted riffs with skittering riffs to come like AC/CD gone funk.

The weirdest – and most interesting – moments come around the middle of the album, however. Paul goes all clean-cut for the shimmering Style Council soul of “Let Me Love You”. But two tracks earlier the sly and perfectly lovely folky acoustica of “Steer You Wrong” suddenly veers off into a Gogol Bordello-style Russian peasant shindig. Mind you, if you do have to include a mandolin solo, it’s better than the insipid twinkling of “Losing My Religion”. The Amazing Kappa have no trouble at all making gutsy, infectious music. But it’s odd moments like this that make them especially memorable.

by overplay - OVERPLAY

Like a majestically-trousered, silver-scarved Rod Stewart on the cover of his 1975 Atlantic Crossing lp, The Amazing Kappa have one foot in Blighty and one in the States. The Liverpool trio travelled to Chicago to record ‘Electrical Storm’ and, on first listen, it’s hard to believe that these lads have been anywhere east of Detroit throughout their lives.

The album’s heart is bluer than David Cameron’s thong. “Steer You Wrong”, “Stop Foolin’ Round” and the full pelt “Burnin’ Out” throb with sweaty amped-up passion. Meanwhile, “Simple Monday Evening” smoulders like a lit cigarette in a barroom ashtray. And while frontman Paul Kappa’s vocal veers from a Bryan Ferry swoon to Brian Johnson howl, he always delivers with throaty conviction.

OK, it’s not just about the blues. Sometimes it’s slash blues – as in folk/blues or rock/blues. “Goddess” and “Give Me More” are Thin Lizzy rockers with added bottleneck, ”Angelika” is an evocative acoustic daydream, “Strangetimes” is a colourful Zeppelin stomp and “Sky High” marries contorted riffs with skittering riffs to come like AC/CD gone funk.

The weirdest – and most interesting – moments come around the middle of the album, however. Paul goes all clean-cut for the shimmering Style Council soul of “Let Me Love You”. But two tracks earlier the sly and perfectly lovely folky acoustica of “Steer You Wrong” suddenly veers off into a Gogol Bordello-style Russian peasant shindig. Mind you, if you do have to include a mandolin solo, it’s better than the insipid twinkling of “Losing My Religion”. The Amazing Kappa have no trouble at all making gutsy, infectious music. But it’s odd moments like this that make them especially memorable.

by overplay - OVERPLAY

Like a majestically-trousered, silver-scarved Rod Stewart on the cover of his 1975 Atlantic Crossing lp, The Amazing Kappa have one foot in Blighty and one in the States. The Liverpool trio travelled to Chicago to record ‘Electrical Storm’ and, on first listen, it’s hard to believe that these lads have been anywhere east of Detroit throughout their lives.

The album’s heart is bluer than David Cameron’s thong. “Steer You Wrong”, “Stop Foolin’ Round” and the full pelt “Burnin’ Out” throb with sweaty amped-up passion. Meanwhile, “Simple Monday Evening” smoulders like a lit cigarette in a barroom ashtray. And while frontman Paul Kappa’s vocal veers from a Bryan Ferry swoon to Brian Johnson howl, he always delivers with throaty conviction.

OK, it’s not just about the blues. Sometimes it’s slash blues – as in folk/blues or rock/blues. “Goddess” and “Give Me More” are Thin Lizzy rockers with added bottleneck, ”Angelika” is an evocative acoustic daydream, “Strangetimes” is a colourful Zeppelin stomp and “Sky High” marries contorted riffs with skittering riffs to come like AC/CD gone funk.

The weirdest – and most interesting – moments come around the middle of the album, however. Paul goes all clean-cut for the shimmering Style Council soul of “Let Me Love You”. But two tracks earlier the sly and perfectly lovely folky acoustica of “Steer You Wrong” suddenly veers off into a Gogol Bordello-style Russian peasant shindig. Mind you, if you do have to include a mandolin solo, it’s better than the insipid twinkling of “Losing My Religion”. The Amazing Kappa have no trouble at all making gutsy, infectious music. But it’s odd moments like this that make them especially memorable.

by overplay - OVERPLAY