Monday 28 October 2019

Wishbone Ash and The Groundhogs, Phoenix, Exeter, 27th October, 2019


Guitar Duos and Difference

Enjoyed especially seeing the latest incarnation of The Groundhogs [having not before] with original member Ken Pustelnik on drums, and newbies Chris D’Avoine on vocal and guitar, Sol Latif on guitar and Latch Manghat on bass.

It’s not complicated: they play Groundhog music from the band’s heyday, loud and raw and vibrant, encoring on, no surprise here, Cherry Red. There were extended guitar jams between D’Avoine and Latif – the later more shredding and the former more psychedelic – and both were gloriously indulgent [I listened to two guys call it ‘guitar wank’ and wondered why the fuck they went to a Groundhog gig – I’d happily refer to it as guitar spunk, caring less for those indulging their umbrage at the puerile, like this guitar duo could care less for such haughty dismissal]. Pustelnik on drums was such a pulsing core, and Manghat added his own sustained thunder to the riffs and rhythms. Far out, as I shouted at one post-jam moment. 

[Listening to Hogwash album as I wrote the above. Wonderful]

I had to leave the gig early but saw Wishbone Ash play their first number The King Will Come, as polished as ever [that’s what 50 years of playing will do, even with new members] and while the guitar playing was a more refined rock – when compared with The Groundhogs – I wouldn’t knock it [I mean, why would you when it is so good] but just stress its difference.

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