The Universal

THE UNIVERSAL Live at Northampton’s Legendary Labour Club.10th October 2009

Terry Shaughnessy and his band “THE UNIVERSAL” are a product of Liverpool’s influential contemporary music scene and they made their
brilliant debut in Northampton, at the now, “Legendary Labour Club”.

THE UNIVERSAL are undoubtedly influenced by the mod subculture and are noticeably fashion-conscious, dressed in sharp and elegant Fred Perry polo’s that have been associated with the mod scene for years, as well as rock icons such as, Townsend, Weller, and the Gallagher brothers.

THE UNIVERSAL played American and English R&B, mixed with Traffic/ Humble Pie type blues electric rhythm and lead guitar. Even so R&B is the dominant genre, and was clearly evident throughout their blistering forty-five minute set.

THE UNIVERSAL are made up of two guitars, bass, and drums, and their melodic song arrangements appeared so well rehearsed, it made their performance look effortless, yet their rhythmic interplay and emotionally charged lyrics demanded attention from the crowd, who clapped, cheered, and reciprocated their appreciation for a great band and a commanding set.

Fantastic band, great songs, and utter respect for “The Seeker”, can’t wait for CD.

Ian and Pete AKA The Boiler Club.
Sunday, 11 October 2009 - The Boiler Club.

Headline act, swaggered on stage with the class and style that every great frontman should have. We must have been getting close to 1am but they were fresh, and ready to put in a stellar shift of music. Backed up by a great crowd, these guys didn’t disappoint and probably produced one of the best live sets BAND IN A BOX has witnessed. Fantastic musicianship of the highest order. Music sounds brilliant when you have a band like this headlining the night. Hope to get them back in the very near future and if we do, do not miss out. You have BEEN WARNED! Serious quality going on here people! - BAND IN A BOX

"Sharp dressing Liverpool band The Universal are set to announce their exciting arrival on musical radars up and down the UK with the imminent release of their self-titled debut album on May 17th through Diffusion Music".

Guitarist and songwriter Terry Shaughnessy`s band The Universal cannot escape without brandishing an iconic image associated with a primary British sub-culture. The `Weller` comparisons will of course be expected, almost meticulously encouraged for a wider audience. I`m sure Shaughnessy`s choice of essentially working-class Britpop heroes and similar guitar based genres spanning nearly five decades is the clear reason The Universal are emerging as a formidable line-up. The ten track debut has incredible production, the final mixing is daringly energetic and while not being creatively overbearing, the band`s melodic tightness shines through. Pushing forward the classic guitar/bass formulation, a treat for us power-pop heads and British rock provisionals, fabulous chorus fills and percussion work-outs, we would be truly justified in saying it`s no longer grim up North.

"With these influences in mind, The Universal tip their collective hat with wide-eyed appreciation towards a glorious musical past yet add a uniquely modern edge to a guitar style that will never go out of fashion".

- http://mojophenia.blogspot.com/2010/03/universal-sharp-dressed-melodic-rock.html

Sharp dressing Liverpool band The Universal are set to announce their exciting arrival on musical radars up and down the UK with the imminent release of their self-titled debut album on May 17th through Diffusion Music.

Based around the talents of singer, guitarist and songwriter Terry Shaughnessy (who brings a deep seated love for classic MOD culture to the plate), the quartet’s timeless take on vintage British guitar rock has seen them draw comparisons to classic bands The Jam and The Kinks, resulting in support slots with the likes of Ocean Colour Scene.

The band’s music burns brightly with an intelligent passion fuelled rhetoric that displays their working class roots proudly on their sleeves and serves as a musically defiant call to arms to the nations counter-culture.

With these influences in mind, The Universal tip their collective hat with wide-eyed appreciation toward a glorious musical past yet add a uniquely modern edge to a guitar style that will never go out of fashion. Displaying a natural and stylistic swagger that is aspired to by the many but achieved by the few, The Universal are a band for the people and 2010 is the year the revolution is set to begin
- http://pushtofire.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/introducing-the-universal/

Liverpool band, The Universal are set to release their debut album 26 April 2010. The band are fronted by singer songwriter/guitarist, Terry Shaughnessy, well known on the mod and indie scene, having gigged prolifically as a solo artist over the last few years. Drawing on all manner influences from the last 40 years or so, the album is a must for those wanting a fresh slice of melodic guitar pop.

The album makes no apologies for its Weller and Britpop era influences, indeed the album features the talents of Paul Weller backing singer, Denise Johnson, most notably adding a “20th Century Boy” quality to tracks “Shine On” and “Revolution”. The band’s mod sound has also made them the obvious choice for recent support slots with Ocean Colour Scene.

For more information go to www.myspace.com/theuniversaluk
- http://www.fredperrysubculture.com/grapevine/?p=1141#more-1141

A Liverpool quartet with Mod leanings, The Universal are a proper rock band with roots in the Kinks/The Action era but as influences rather than any kind of template. Life is grim out there for many and the essential purity of expression of electric guitar rock is like a battery, standing outside whims and fashion and best of all a mystery to those who TRY to be ’street’.They don’t really get it and never will. You cannot imagine Simon Cowell or Mr Waterman ever listening to this kind of punchy music for pleasure, as there’s nothing for them to airbrush or sweeten up or mould and milk for profit.

Lead track of the two on this single is ‘Day In Day Out’ is the panned-stereo guitar assault that they look like they are capable of delivering. Vocalist/guitarist Terry Shaugnessy sounds edge-of-angry and the axework has a tinge of The Creation about it. I suspect the drummer is a Ruts fan, that band’s drummer Dave Ruffy is a longtime pal of your scribe and wrote the book on versatile postpunk rock stickwork.

Coupling cut ‘The Time has Come’ has a great stabbing tempo with shades of ‘I Can’t Explain’ chop-chords though the solo has soul-blues drive. If the lyrics are pretty generic for this kind of music, that doesn’t detract from the group’s overall passionate and precise impact. Good to hear an outfit who seem to care more about their sound than how they look and that momentum will give them strength in getting heard amidst the torrent of lame acts that infest the airwaves at present. Their album has arrived here so we’ll try to feature that in the near…
- http://www.fairhearing.co.uk/?p=724

As ZANI goes from strength to strength so my inbox struggles to cope with the influx of exciting new material from the anti x-factor brigade out there. New music, new ideas and forward thinking is what we are all about here at ZANI !!! It is such a pleasure for me to write amongst such legendary figures, as the printed press dies on its feet. I realise sometimes my "dig the new breed " posts go slightly leftfield for some of our more slightly traditional thinking readership. This week I have decided to rein it back in a bit so to speak as there is nothing wrong with referencing the past as long as it also looks forward as well. The first band I am going to feature this week fits into that category.

Hailing from Liverpool The Universal bring all the Mod traditions to the table but with a 21st century twist, yea sure the references to past masters The Kinks and The Jam abound throughout the debut long player from this brainchild of the very talented Terry Shaughnessy. Like their peers, the excellent Secret Faces, these guys manage to couple traditional British guitar rock with a current social commentary. The bands music burns brightly with an intelligent passion fuelled rhetoric that displays the bands working class roots proudly on their sleeves. Dropping on May 17th on Diffusion Music this should be a must for all forward thinking Mods out there.

http://www.myspace.com/theuniversaluk

© - Words – Mark Thorpe/ ZANI Ltd
- http://www.zani.co.uk/Articles.aspx?id=216