I couldn’t sleep. And each time I try to toss and turn I awake because my little cat has lodged herself tight up against my leg, and any movement by me could so easily turn into ‘funeral for a friend.’ So what’s bothering me? The music industry is bothering me. The existence of brilliant but media-ignored British music talent is bothering me. The fact that White Buffalo aren’t one of the biggest UK bands bothers me. Last night’s concert in front of an unknowing but wildly enthusiastic teenage crowd excited me. And the band’s great songs and ‘go it alone’ dedication inspired me. How the fuck could I sleep?

So I give up the fight, brush teeth, make some coffee, light up, and sit at my computer trying to make sense of it all. White Buffalo is made up of three of the best rock musicians around at the moment. Scots lead man Phil Campbell was a solo artist with EMI a few years back. He produced an incredible album called FRESH NEW LIFE before EMI reconstructed (for the umpteenth time) and they parted company. Wild-eyed, Hawkeye-haired Hossi plays bass while dark and devilish Evan Jenkins plays the skins. The trio write their own songs and have stuck together through an equal measure of good times and bad. Their first album, WAITING TO GO HOME, made our top 5 albums of the year in 2001, one of the strongest album release years ever. Based in London, they regularly play some of the top venues including The Borderline, Marquee and The Kings Head. When they wander further away from home turf, as I witnessed in Manchester last year, they arrive as strangers and leave as friends.

The band’s audience has pretty much been 25+ but with potential to entice a much younger audience (as all great music does). Talking to the band’s manager, Dave, before the last night’s show he’d chosen the Chester venue because he’d been told that it pulls in a sizeable teenage audience. And sure enough, it did. As I arrived the young vibe was tangible with the ‘management’ having to work overtime to ensure that licensing laws weren’t broken.

It was Tuesday night when local bands are provided with a stage and audience to hone their skills, and garner more fans. Occasionally the venue tempts a headline band along, and it was great to see the previous stage tenants stick around to watch and learn from the experts. The venue’s PA and lighting systems are home made but effective. The place is really buzzing as White Buffalo finally mount the stage and Campbell declares that we are going to have a great time. We did.

With a new album come new songs and on the night the band were given the opportunity to ’suck and see’. Opener Undiscovered was a medium paced rocker with the band’s trademark strong melodic stamp. Campbell has one of the most expressive rock voices and made it count, while Hossi provided highly animated accompaniment with his guitar and backing vocal. The crowd reaction to the new song and its performance spoke volumes, as they cheered and clapped in immediate response. The moodier, darker and beautiful Tempted with its exciting crescendos and slower, contemplative The Trench (both from the band’s debut album) followed to more loud acclaim. A local hack then turned to me with a look of surprise and compared the band to Pearl Jam and observed how great Campbell’s voice was. He finished with “Fuck they’re tight!”

In the relatively short set, new songs of diverse pace then shone from the stage including the anthemic Chasing After The Rain, Not Invisible, All I Need, Innocent, Angel Eyes and the fabulous, heavy rock, riff-driven Timebomb. It became clear that the new album is a rockier affair although manager Dave advised me that there were three ‘mellow’ songs included. While Campbell and Hossi hogged the limelight for the evening, in the background, Evan Jenkins’ drum work was intuitive and remarkable. The kids loved the performance and reverently approached Campbell & co at the end of the show to offer their admiration and thanks.

It was an inspiring evening in more ways than one. White Buffalo is a band that has to fight their corner with limited resources but with boundless enthusiasm and skill. In the vital area of song writing, very few UK bands, regardless of hype, write better. In Campbell the band have a gravely voiced superstar whose tenacity has become something of a legend. In Hossi and Jenkins are skilled players whose loyalty and integrity are unmatched in my experience. Like the audiences who witness this band, and admire its onstage unity and vibrant musicality, it’s time for the UK music media and industry to seek out and respond. And the opportunity will come very soon with the release of the band’s second, self-made album in November. But perhaps the most telling aspect of the night’s performance was the response of the largely teenager audience. It was both inspiring and gratifying to see young people recognise great music and performance when they are exposed to it. In recognition of the audience’s age, the band’s album was offered at a discounted price for that one evening, and many copies were sold.

As the band loaded up their Transit for their foray into North Wales to complete this North West tour, I wished them well. No other band I know deserves success like White Buffalo, and in Chester on Tuesday night, they once again proved it.