When you’re a band that has sold millions of records, topped the US charts and been on the go for half a century you’d think most people would know you.
But, aside from the fans in the sold out Music Hall in Aberdeen last night, plenty of folk might claim to have never heard an Average White Band (AWB) tune. But they’d be mistaken.
The legendary Scottish funk ‘n soulsters are one of the biggest sampled artists of all time, with their melodies, err, borrowed by the likes of Beastie Boys, Mark Ronson, Public Enemy, and Arrested Development.
50 years on from the release of their classic self-titled album, AWB are on their farewell tour – A Funk Finale. The Royal Albert Hall reverberated to the band’s grooves last week, and original members, Perthshire’s Alan Gorrie and Lennoxtown born Onnie McIntyre are back in Scotland, before saying goodbye to the USA with a run of shows there.
Average White Band hit the Music Hall Stage
AWB made history by becoming the first British act to simultaneously top the American Singles, Albums, and R&B charts in 1974. Since reforming in 1989 they have kept a steady touring schedule and last night in Aberdeen they gave a reminder of the magic that can happen when funk and soul of the highest order is created.
The crew went a bit heavy on the dry ice, but once the band appeared through the haze, they soon showed their class. Alan Gorrie’s voice has held up pretty well, while his founding partner Onnie McIntyre’s soulful guitar playing was top notch. Brent Carter, former Tower Of Power vocalist was terrific too.
And then there’s the rhythm section. Rocky Bryant’s (Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper) drumming and Gorrie’s bass playing were world class. The engine room of the band, they created a musical pocket that glued everything together. And it was infectious.
Average White Band’s songs got people on their feet
The band split the evening into two sets, which was just as well. The fans (and musicians) aren’t getting any younger, and the interval gave the audience the chance to dash to the MH’s basement loos. The setlist leaned heavily on iconic albums like AWB and Soul Searching. Person To Person, Work 2 Do and the sax-driven A Love Of Your Own were tremendous. What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me, made famous by Chaka Khan was also a high point.
All seater gigs are commonplace nowadays, as audiences are getting a little creakier around the edges, but the sound in the Music Hall (one of the best live mixes I’ve heard there) lifted everyone onto their feet for large parts of the night. Those in the stalls and balcony all helped out on backing vocals during a funked up version of Walk On By too.
The depth and quality of AWB’s catalogue meant that the glorious Let’s Go Round Again and the million selling instrumental “Pick Up the Pieces” were saved for the encore, and then they were gone. We won’t see their like again, but what a musical legacy Average White Band has left behind.
Wonderful.
The setlist in full:
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