SHIT FLOATS

  Joe Bonamassa Live LP & Tour

  Pearl Jam New LP & Tour

  Feeder New LP & Tour

  “My country, right or wrong…”

  Heart Announce Live Tours

  Anais Mitchell HADESTOWN Returns

  The Photographer’s Selection

  My Favourite Records

  Gaza Nightmare Continues

  Gaza Nightmare Continues

  The Killers New LP & Tour

  Download 2024 First Acts

  Princess Goes COME OF AGE

  Springsteen 2024 Tour

  Philip ‘Seth’ Campbell Live

  This Troubled World

  Dark Side Of The Moon 50th

  The More I Hear The Less I Know

  Glen Hansard New LP/Tour

  Great Albums: Fresh New Life

  Hozier’s New Album

  Nicole Atkins Jim Sclavunos Live

  SBT (Sarabeth Tucek) Live

  I’m As Angry As Hell!

  Magnum - A Year in Ukraine

  Alessandra Sanguinetti Interview

  The Damn Truth Live

  Newton Faulkner Live

  The Handsome Family Live

  The State We’re In Pt II

  Eric Gales Live

  The Cavalry Never Arrived

  Chvrches Live

  Andrés Peña Flamenco Star Live

  Paul Draper Live

  A Fly-Free Zone

  Liverpool Jazz Festival

  The Charlatans Live

  UK Democracy Threatened

  Rag’n'Bone Man Live

  Sea Girls Live

  Martha Wainwright Live

  Politics is Failing

  Moby The Very Best Of Interview

  Lucy Kruger TRANSIT TAPES

  Joe Bonamassa Live!

  Rodrigo Y Gabriela Interview

  Amy Macdonald Rescheduled Gig

  Music & Brexit

  Happy New Year?

  On Barbra Streisand

  The State We’re In…

  Welcome Back! But To What?

  What Have We Done?

  A RISK TOO FAR

  Photojournalism Hero

  Samantha Fish Live

  Gill Landry Live in Chester

  Noah Gundersen Live

  David Gilmour’s Interview

  Snow Patrol Live in Manchester

  New Model Army Live

  Shakespears Sister Live

  Lamb Live in Manchester

  The Struts Live

  Sting & Shaggy Live

  Ana Popovic, Lynne Jackaman Live

  David Gray Live in Liverpool

  The Slow Readers Club Live

  Karine Polwart Trio Live

  Benjamin Folke Thomas Live

  Chilly Gonzales Live

  Gomez Live in Manchester

  John Lennon Interview

  Ray LaMontagne Live

  Satriani’s G3 Live

  Jim White Live in Manchester

  Tori Amos Live

  Bush & RavenEye Live

  Laura Marling Live

  Jimmy Eat World Live

  Roger Waters on Amused To Death


A Thousand Horses Live

1p-2

Club Academy Manchester, 1 December 2016

The Band Members

Michael Hobby – Lead Vocal
Bill Satcher – Lead Guitar
Zach Brown – Guitar and Vocal
Graham Deloach – Bass and Vocal

I first heard “Smoke” (A Thousand Horses debut single) on US country radio earlier this year, I loved it and immediately hit the Shazam button to find out more. It seems I was not alone and over the course of a couple of months “Smoke” steadily climbed the country airplay charts to hit the Number 1 slot just prior to the release of Southernality. No mean feat when you consider that Zac Brown Band were the last country band to do it with “Chicken Fried” in 2008

This was to be my introduction to this relatively unknown new Nashville, USA band and their music. However, word seems to have got out about this band and its debut album…Manchester University’s Club Academy venue was packed and on a very cold Manchester winter’s evening, the venue was humid and hot like a Summer’s Nashville night.

1p-6

As the band mounted the stage I noticed that there were a few ‘extra’ players on board made up of a couple of extra musicians and two female backing singers. A brief welcome from leadman Michael Hobby and off they flew with a humdinger of an intro called ‘Blaze Of Something’. This doesn’t appear on the bands latest album and is either penned for the next album or a historic and much loved remnant. Be that as it may I was left in no doubt as to the country rock nature of the band’s music and the crowd reaction was instantaneous.

Then came the first new song in ‘Travelin’ Man’ full of Southern Rock bravado with relentless and heavy waves of drums and guitar backed by a class vocal and backing harmonies. Hell, there’s even a tangible melody and a develish guitar solo to hold this muther together. More loud cheers and the band seems a little surprised by the warm reception from this very mixed aged crowd.

1p-3

Then another newie called ‘Heaven Is Close’ but this time slower, more emo and a prime example on how Hobby’s gruff vocal can deliver any mood or pace. It’s a cowboy rock beauty made even more special with pedal steel and female backing vocals making making their musical mark! ‘(This Ain’t No) Drunk Dial’ is also somewhat toned down but feels like a hook laden radio belter in the making.

Unusually, the band opted for an acoustic set of seven more songs which garbered even more audience acclaim. Included were  more great songs from the new album including the beautiful and heartbreaking ‘Back To Me’ and bittersweet tale in ‘Landslide’.

An encore was demanded and delivered in spades with the Stateside country rock hit ‘Smoke’ and rollicking ditty ‘First Time’. A Thousand Horses completed one of the best sets seen and heard by me in 2016. There was more enthusiasm, love of music and skill than you could poke a stick at, and I’ve got to hand it to those Manchester fans who have picked a rather special winner.

1p-4

Setlist

Blaze Of Something
Travelin’ Man
Heaven Is Close
(This Ain’t No) Drunk Dial
Trailer Thrashed
Tennessee Whiskey
Preachin’ To The Choir
Feelin’ Alright

Acoustic Set

Just For Tonight
Back To Me
Hard To Handle
Sunday Morning
Bridges
Landslide
Southernality

Encore

Smoke
First Time

Page: 1 2 3


Back


Liverpool 2009 - Gallery: Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
LATEST GALLERY IMAGES

A Tribute to Journalists & The Innocents - Gallery: Ukraine Remembered
Ukraine Remembered Gaza 2024 - Gallery: A Day In The Life
A Day In The Life
Shakenstir - Homepage Links Reviews Live Interviews Features News Contact Gallery Shakenstir - Homepage