Storm Warning at The New Crawdaddy by Ashwyn Smyth

One of the many pleasures of being involved with the New Crawdaddy Blues Club is that I get to see so many really excellent and varied acts. I think that Paul Dean does a fantastic job and rarely does anyone say thank you so I am going to. Thank you Paul for booking great bands for our entertainment like the excellent Storm Warning who played their hearts out on Thursday last.

I cannot remember how many times the band has visited the Club but each time they come, they seem to be better than the last time. They are such a talented band with a great guitarist in Bob Moore who is never flashy, unless you think the lights on his guitar are flashy!, but wrings out some fabulous sounds from his guitar, a joy to listen to. Ian Salisbury on keyboards alternates between piano & Hammond and is just superb. Derek White on bass, again not flashy but playing some really exciting and stomping bass but also with the lightest of touch. Drummer Roger Willis, sitting behind his beautiful custom made kit, solid as a rock and laying down intricate rhythms but making it all seem so simple and up front, now shorn of his pony tail, the incomparable Son Maxwell, singer and harpist supreme whose singing and playing is a compliment to and complemented by the band.

We were treated, as ever, to a wonderfully varied set which featured much of the band’s own great originals as well as, amongst others, a Gerry Garcia song, much to the pleasure of at least one Grateful Dead fan in the audience. On the basis of last Thursday’s set, it is no wonder that the band are much in demand on the UK & European Festival circuit and also were invited to play on the Paul Jones Show. I am really looking forward to their new CD. This really is a great band and if you have not seen them you should. I leave it to a member of the audience to sum up: “what a band Storm Warning are. A truly first class blues act, both ***** & I really thought they were outstanding. We have always been Rory Gallagher fans and thought that their style of blues was very much like Rory’s. If Rory were alive today he would no doubt rate storm warning as a band of first class musicians keeping the blues well and truly alive. We went home with the CD in the car and haven’t stopped playing it.”
 

Storm Warning Get A Great Reception In France

Storm Warning returned  got a great reception in France. Click here to see pictures from the Caveau in Paris (Originally a dungeon where prisoners, a couple of hundred years ago, were left to die!). Thanks to Pete at Le Martin Pêcheur, Nargis and Stephane at Le Caveau des Oubliettes, Paris and to Philippe and Bala from the French Blues band Big Dez, for arranging the dates.   Michel FATON at GAP (France) broadcast CROSS'BLUES STATION. He says "1000 thanks for your CD "Breaking out"... Very good album, and very beautiful pic ...  Good luck for the band, the album... who... i think... merit an interesting critic in the special french press... bluesyfriendly yours..."   Thommy Pouce of Radio Coteaux says " a very very good cd in airplay & playlist since last week.  www.radiocoteaux.com

Storm Warning on Paul Jones Programme Storm Warning had three of their live session songs played on Paul Jones Radio 2 programme. Paul also gave a good plug to Son Maxwell's harmonica tutor books.

Blues Revue US Sampler

Storm Warning’s ‘The Woman? Or The Blues?’ was included on the US Blues Revue magazine Blues Sampler CD which was distributed throughout the US. The magazine in the following issue included a review of Breaking Out

 “England’s five-piece Storm Warning bring a contemporary feel to classic blues and blues-rock….Bob Moore’s guitar work is tasteful. Leader Son Maxwell sings like Billy Gibbons did 30 years ago.”

Review in Blues Bytes

Review of the album in from Blues Bytes online magazine www.bluenight.com/BluesBytes  

Counter Culture record shop in High Wycombe reviewed the cd. This is what they had to say;

Review From Burnley Blues Festival

Blues in Britain magazine reviewed Burnley Blues Festival and included was a review of Storm Warning's performance.

" Bullets, the outstanding track on the new CD and the live version today was even more dynamic with excellent harp work and vocals."

To read the review click here.

More Reviews

More great reviews for the band. To view these click on the names below;

Summer Festivals 2006- Huge Success

Storm Warning - The Great British R&B Festival, Colne

Blues Matters review from the Great R&B Festival in Colne;

“For all their rocking they’d actually remembered it was about the Blues! A cracking set and particular mention must be made of frontman Stuart Maxwell’s harmonica work which added another dimension to the band’s sound. This was a much needed band for the Festival’s Monday”

To see the full review from Blues Matters click here

Storm Warning at The Upton Blues Festival 2005

Storm Warning played the Upton Blues Festival on Saturday 16th July on the main stage. A good size crowd had assembled to see Storm Warning and seemed to be suitably impressed during the hour and a half set. The band sold some cds and heard some great comments from the audience. A nice free laid back festival by the river in Worcestershire and many pubs all close together and with live blues and good beer. Thanks to those who came to the festival to see us and thanks to Cliffe (Nobby) and all his team for booking Storm Warning and we hope to be back next year. See the Guestbook for a nice comment from John Trotman

Pictures above from Upton Blues Festival by kind permission of John Trotman

Storm Warning Friday  - Rocking the Blues at Tring Festival 2005

A swift change around on stage and we heard the opening thunder clap of Storm Warning which took us straight into the John Mayall composition "Pieces and Parts". "Dangerous Mood" followed and then the story about security checks on Eurostar - "Bullets" The tempo was building all the time and the whole band got to do some brilliant solos. Son Maxwell sings and plays harmonica, Bob Moore plays guitar, Ian Salisbury, keyboards, Derek White, Bass and Roger Willis on Drums. The set continued with a Charlie Patton style version of "Long Grey Mare", and a slow and soulful version "Whiskey Blues". The pace picked up again with a rocky blues instrumental and "New York City" had the audience up and dancing. Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me Talkin'" left us spellbound and rocking. Again the whole band took a short solo, and left the stage to rapturous applause.

Extract from May 2005 issue of Blues in Britain

The set supporting The Dave Kelly Band at Rocking the Blues at Tring festival, got Storm Warning a great reaction and gained more new friends.

Gary Fletcher of Dave Kelly's Band and The Blues Band said;

"Storm Warning' played a very tasty set and particularly liked the sound of the originals. Good singer/harp player and ace rhythm section to boot! "

STORM WARNING - 15th February 2005
 

A welcome return for Storm Warning who impressed on their first visit, although three of the band are well known at The Red Lion as Bob Moore - Guitar, Derek White - Bass and Ian Salisbury - Keyboards are members of regular band J Fordaway, joined by Stuart 'Son' Maxwell - Vocals/Harmonica and Roger Willis - Drums. They play two sets containing covers by John Mayall 'Pieces And Parts', Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac 'Long Grey Mare', Muddy Waters 'She Moves Me', and Sonny Boy Williamson 'Don't Start Me Talking' amongst others, mixed with some of their own material. The band play a good mix of slow and faster material which was well received by all those present. With some excellent harmonica from 'Son' which added to Ian's Keyboard playing gave some added depth to the material to match the guitar work from Bob. Both Derek and Roger kept the rhythm tight but not laboured and it is obvious that the band enjoy what they are doing and play the material with feeling. The bands sound is good without being loud, so that everything can be heard without anyone drowning out the rest of the band. This is a must see band and I'm sure they will be back soon. CDL www.redlionrocks.co.uk

Blue Bishops + Storm Warning

The Limelight Theatre, Aylesbury

I had seen these two bands in the previous few months in Oxford and High Wycombe - so you know this review will be a positive one or I wouldn't have ventured out to see them again! However, I hadn't been to The Limelight before. Following a full sell out trial back in October, the organisers decided to put a Blues event on every third Friday in the month. It's a lovely character building with a good auditorium, stage, pa and lighting. You get to see and hear the bands in their best setting. Book your tickets early though, I managed to get one of the last 10 for this gig, the others sold out within a few hours. The bar is well stocked, although the real ale - straight from the barrel - didn't quite match demand!

Storm Warning did a short set to kick off a lively evening. They started with a cover of John Mayall's - "Pieces and Parts" and before long we were rumbling through "Long Grey Mare" a la Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Vocals and Harp are by Stuart ‘Son’ Maxwell, guitarist Bob "Mad Dog" Moore, Ian Salisbury on keyboards, Roger Willis and Derek White in the engine room producing a tight and formidable rhythm section playing drums and bass respectively. The band tried out some new material on us that night as well as some dodgy Christmas jokes. "Bullets" came with a little tale about its inspiration - the Eurostar.

This is a great fast tempo number and a great addition to the repertoire.  Two tracks from their current EP were featured, "Love So Deep" a Walter Trout cover with a nice piano solo and "She Moves Me" the Muddy Waters classic. They wound up with "Don't Start Me Talkin' - Sonny Boy Williamson and off we went happily to the bar while the Blue Bishops prepared.

The Blue Bishops opened straight off the blocks with a great rendition of "Train Kept A Rollin'" and cruised straight into I'm A Mover - Free. We heard three of their own compositions off the current CD "Deep", which incidentally was selling like hot cakes after the gig. They did "Words Left Unsaid", "No Religious Man" and Slim Harpo's "Hipshake Boogie", and also "Place In Time" which isn't on the CD. Slower tracks were included, especially notable was Duster Bennet's "Jumping At Shadows". Martin Turner did a great Bass intro to "Take Me To The River", although I'm stuck with the vision of an animated fish singing this song! We heard marvellous renditions of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way" with a tremendous guitar solo from Ben Smith on a wonderful Cherry Red Gibson. Simon Burrett got his turn at a guitar solo with the closing Fleetwood Mac number "Stop Messin' Around". Vocals, Guitar and Harmonica are very ably handled by Geoff Grange and the band are backed up by Justin Hildreth on Drums. The full capacity crowd had them back for an encore when they let rip with "Let The Good Times Roll". They certainly did and the audience all went home with a big smile on their faces.

Blues in Britain Paul Stiles
www.oxfordblues.info

 Storm Warning - EP CD

To see more Storm Warning pictures visit The Gallery

To visit the Rocking the Blues website www.rockingtheblues.com