Easyworld Taylor-made For Success

Gig Review by Dawn / Photo by Di

Had it been any other evening of the tour, all eyes would have been focused firmly on flamboyant frontman Dav Ford, resplendent in his bright white cowboy hat, as Easyworld took to the stage.

Tonight, however, not a single jaw fails to hit the Leadmill floor as bass-playing beauty Jo Taylor strides out wearing a black PVC catsuit to steal the Sheffield show.

Thankfully, the band’s performance is equally stunning, thus ensuring that the fans are left as dumbstruck by the show as by the sultry Ms Taylor. Tonight’s set comprises old favourites and spellbinding new songs, all of which receive the same enthusiastic reception from the Steel City crowd; the inclusion of debut album gem A Stain To Never Fade is particularly well-received, not having featured in the band’s live shows for some considerable time.

As is now traditional, Bleach gets everyone bouncing and the irresistible energy continues into the wonderfully resounding riffs of Celebritykiller, already a crowd favourite thanks to its previous live outings. And, of course, no Easyworld gig is complete without Top 40 hit Junkies giving Dav and the ever-smiling Glenn the chance to demonstrate their talents on mandolin and melodica respectively. As if that wasn’t enough, previously unheard track A Lot of Miles From Home proves that Dav is quite adept at harmonica playing too.

Easyworld are revered for their impassioned live performances, none more so than tonight when childish heckling from an audience member interrupts Til The Day’s gentle piano introduction and spurs Dav on to sing with more feeling than ever. An intriguing cover of Elton John’s I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues goes some way to lighten the mood again, before Dav dons his cowboy hat once more for the fantastic forthcoming single 2nd Amendment, its keyboard chords and topical lyrics rendering it an instant hit with the fans.
Then, with an extra-sleazy rendition of You and Me (which includes a tongue-in-cheek nod to Electric Six’s Gay Bar) and a closing Goodnight, the trio bid the crowd farewell.

2002’s This Is Where I Stand showed great promise for a debut LP and yet, judging by tonight’s performance and songs from the eagerly-anticipated Kill The Last Romantic album, Easyworld’s best is still yet to come.