Were you there? Mad Dog bites Newbury

Mad Dog Mcrea, with support True Strays at Arlington Arts, on Friday, December 3. Review by BRIAN HARRINGTON

True Strays perform as a duo and as a full band. Tonight the duo, Joseph James and James Cameron provided an excellent set of Americana style music, most of it self-penned, which displayed their excellent musicianship. With plenty of slide steel resonator guitar, kick drum and double bass their songs are thoughtful and intriguing. Hailing from Bristol, they describe themselves as "country boys" they opened their set with Campesina (a Spanish word meaning 'country girl') explaining that it refers to a boy from Bristol forming a relationship with a girl from a coffee farm in Columbia - a true story, as unlikely as it may sound. They followed this with Let Your Heart Lead The Way and a great blues based number Like A Shadow before throwing in their cover of ZZ Top's Gimme All Your Lovin. Great stuff from a band truly on the rise. They will be touring as a full band in 2022.

Mad Dog Mcrea opened with a frantically-paced instrumental jig, which set the scene for their high-energy set perfectly, before embarking on a great rendition of Wraggle Taggle Gypsies.

They have amassed a hugely loyal fan base and have toured the festival circuit extensively. From the start people were dancing and singing along as frontman Michael Mathieson announced that the six-piece were happy to take all and any requests from the audience rather than follow a setlist. The response from their followers was immediate and enthusiastic.

Black Fly a song about the profusion of bugs in North Ontario (to which I can personally attest) was excellent as was their version of Beeswing, a beautiful song originally by Richard Thompson.

Pikey Killed My Goldfish, Duck Street and Happy Bus kept the party feel going before they ended with Are You Drinking Enough and, as an encore Damnation Alley. A great night of Celtic folk rock, blues and bluegrass.
Great fun.