This was the first time that I had ever been to the Night Owl in Birmingham. It is located in Clubsville, Birmingham, in a former industrial area of the city the sound of dance music radiates from none too salubrious looking establishments. Girls in knee high boots, shorts that seemed a little too short and fake tans were ten a penny. The area seemed a little more Ibiza than Birmingham. The Night Owl, when I finally located it, looked somewhat derelict from the outside, but once inside it was a different matter with the stage set to the right of the room, the bar to the left and an upstairs gallery. The reason for my attendance was not solely to see the superb Deltas, but also to see the Bitter Lemons host their own release party for their debut album.

I have seen the Deltas quite a bit over the past few years and have never ceased to be impressed. Now in their fifth decade the ban still boasts two original members in the form of Captain Pat Marvel on guitar and Stevie Bongo on vocals. Since Little John took a sabbatical from the band, his spot has been kept very warm by the superb slapper Kev Magee once of Number 9 and Demented Are Go fame. The most recent addition to the band is female drummer Roni Reeds who has fitted in like a glove. The band opens its set, as it usually does, with the positively explosive ‘Raging Sea’ which sees Captain Pat really strutting his stuff whilst Bongo seems really quite crazed. Then it’s a superb rendition f ‘As You Like It’ from the band’s debut LP Boogie Disease. From here we take a trip to the bands most recent album, 2015’s Good Times for spot of ‘Milk and Honey’ before performing ‘Empty Chair’ a tribute to Crazy Cavan Grogan that features on the band’s recent and expanded version of their LP from ‘Fleetville to Vegas.’ The band plays another three songs from the Good Times LP in the form of ‘Money Where Your Mouth Is’, ‘Kiss n’Tell’ and the rather wonderful ‘Good Time Guide’. Managing to fit in one song from the Sun Records recorded EP in the form of the superb ‘Bubble Up’. The set concludes with a trio of early tracks ‘Spellbound’, ‘Boogie Disease’ and ‘London Girls’, before a tremendous rendition of ‘Drinkin Party’ from the band’s Boogie Train EP. This has been a wonderful career-spanning performance from a band who ought to be too long in the tooth but, who instead seem absolutely at the top of their game.

Then after a turnaround of no more than 45 minutes, the Bitter Lemons take to the stage. The band consists of lead singer Hayley James and her husband, bassist and singer Richie James, drummer Michelle Dawes and guitarist par excellence Dave Browning. If I were to offer any criticism of this superb evening of music. it would be that tonight Mr. Browning’s guitar seemed a little under-powered, it just didn’t seem high enough in the mix. This was, to my mind at least, a great pity as Dave’s guitar playing is so good and is such an integral part of the band’s sound. But, this really is to nit pick and I didn’t hear anyone else voicing similar views, so it might well just be me. One could certainly not criticise the band’s set list which showcased their new album in exemplary fashion. Whether it was ‘Gaslighter’, ‘Give Me The Keys’, ‘Kill My Baby’, or the Richie-sung ‘Curds and Whey’ or ‘Toxic Waste’ the band has a wonderful knack of writing super melodies and crafting very catchy songs. They are a very good rock and roll band and I have enjoyed an excellent night out at the Night Owl. I urge you all to go and see the band if they are playing anywhere near you and to buy their album ‘Peel a Little Deeper’, available on CD and vinyl.

Nick Kemp

Get your copy of ‘Peel A Little Deeper’ here