Burning the Midnight Oil on Halloween at The Southgate

If you came to this monster mash last night you’d be excused for finding it hard to believe it was only a couple of years ago when I published about the formation of Devizes-based band Burn the Midnight Oil, as the high hopes I predicted for them were truly displayed for a Halloween party at The Southgate last night. As they’ve taken to using the explosive quote “utter dynamite” I once hailed about them, their progress verges on the cataclysm of the fireworks display at the end of time and space…..

The bus prematurely got me to this most comfy and hospitable tavern, historically renowned (I guess we can call it now) for its dedication to showcasing local live musical acts; needless to say I treated myself to a Rosie’s Pig; proper scrumpy priced well below the average fiver-plus pint. If I topped this up with a few extras as the evening progressed I’ll leave to your imagination, but you can usually judge by the quality of my photography skills!

A few mingled in the usual humble pub fashion, as, gradually, fancy dress clad revellers amassed in anticipation. Usually at this early stage you’ll witness band members tweaking and tuning last minute, but, professional to their core, every T was crossed and I dotted prior, and they had sneaked off for a bite to eat and likely planned their attack. This method builds excitement in the crowd, and, akin to a concert of international celebrities, Burn The Midnight Oil colourfully burst into the locally legendary alcove attired horrifically Halloween, and brewing with the confidence they’d create an electric atmosphere. Said confidence sure wasn’t cocky; they pulled everything out of the bag, and delivered a perfectly felicitous show.

Something of a homecoming, Burn The Midnight Oil are spreading their infectious vibe further afield, but as they do, they’ve established a loyal fanbase here, so the ambience was one of celebration, not just because of the spooky occasion meshing with their often dark themes, but more so because here’s a Devizes export going places, and we stand united in praising such an accomplishment.

Yay to the stipulation of ghostly themed covers, such as the obligatory Monster Mash, most apt for the band’s electric blues origins, Santana’s Black Magic Woman, plus perhaps most divinely suitable for Chrissy’s sublime sultry vocals, Dusty’s evocative Spooky, but really, Burn The Midnight Oil have reached the point where their originals are equally and knowingly appreciated locally.

Being a family affair of Devizes live music aficionados, banter and song dedications can be handsomely distributed through the crowd, and this rewards such gigs at The Southgate that communal experience you won’t get forking out for Taylor Swift at the 02 arena! For this occasion Chrissy handed out pumpkin pie and shot apéritifs during the interval, and judged fancy dressed participants.

Returning to their original outpourings, we were treated to a new song, a work in progress live debut, and presented with their recent tracks undoubtedly more positive in subject and commercially viable than their earlier, darker and often melancholic themes. With this, the most recent song Blood Sweat & Tears was presented early in the set, whereas one of their first tunes, Werewolf, despite it being appropriate for Halloween, was saved for the encore, of which, such was the applause, they honoured about three of them and still had to make excuses that time was called!

This implies progress made causes them to compare objectively the worth of their earlier output against the newer songs; assessment and self-analysis is a positive attribute for the creative process. The proof was in the pudding, this was an insanely brilliant performance with more depth than ever before, and an added guest guitarist they picked up on their journeys. It was presented with passion and the perfect balance of an upcoming band forming a professional backbone, while retaining the communal ambience of a local watering hole and audience they’re familiar and fond of. The sum of these parts is the kind of memorable night you’ll take home with you, with the added promise to yourself  to make a beeline for another Burn The Midnight Oil gig in your vicinity.

If you’ve any suspicion you’ve been shortchanged recently with Devizes’ live music scene, The Southgate sticks to the same guns it always fired, levelling up any deficit; if the roof is still intact after last night, Jon Amor Trio arrive this afternoon for their monthly residency, and you best believe the party continues in our very own jukejoint.

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