A couple more Grace gig reviews taken from the internet. The last time I tried the links they didn't work so I have removed them (the links) and printed the reviews. I have left the author's credits as they were on the original sites.

Venue: Whitchurch Festival Date: Friday 6th August, 1999

Setlist: The Fool, Hanging Rock, The Candy Thief, Anorak Of Fire, One Bad Apple, Overdose, Run Away, Burglar.  Encore: Holy Man (part 2), Lunar.

I had, prior to the Whitchurch Festival, only come across Grace by way of an oldish tape of theirs, 'Pulling Strings and Shiny Things' which, I have always considered to be borderline folk/rock, with a certain  Celtish charm.  So I came to the gig prepared to hear a somewhat quaint and whimsical set - but I was in for a surprise, the music was harder-edged and rockier than I was expecting, but with a element of offbeat comedy included - more about that later ...

The set began with two songs from the aforementioned album, which gave us ample opportunity to appreciate the band's presentation.  Grace is fronted by two very differing personalities.  The first, the red jacketed lead singer who, when he's not singing, moves like a startled faun.  Then there's the ebullient flautist (who I believe is called Harry), who is dressed in what appears to be loose white pajamas, who struts about strumming at his flute as if were a guitar, bounces up to the mike to add his backing vocals and steps back to have another bop.

After the third song the "trainspotter" was introduced.  On to the stage came a strange being, dressed in an anorak and peering through binoculars, who announced, "This is my normal attire, for I am the 'Anorak Of Fire'".  He dances around the stage, in a manner reminiscent of Madness for this number - along with Harry, who swapped his flute for a saxophone at the beginning of this song.

The next number, 'One Bad Apple', is introduced as being "just a few weeks old", this was it's first outing.  It is a high energy song with a slightly sleazy feel, which put me in mind of Roxy Music - this is a great tune that we were still walking around humming, days later.  If this is a sample of their latest work, I look forward to their next album.

The next visual highlight came with the last song, 'Burglars', during which a real Bill the burglar type character, complete with striped jersey, mask and swag-bag, danced across the stage - again with Harry who appears to have a unlimited supply of energy.  This song has a seventies, London boy feel to it - a real bouncy number to end the set with.

There were obviously a number of Grace aficionados in the audience who knew what would be happening next; as most of the band returned to the stage, for the encore, someone was holding up a rubber chicken - the relevance of this didn't hit me straight away.  Then, a shirtless figure, wearing a chicken mask, walked up to centre stage and proceeded to flagellate himself with his own rubber chicken! - the sight was just a bizarre as it sounds!  When he removed the mask, we discover that this is the irrepressible Harry again.

So are Grace an old fogey folk-rock outfit? - a most emphatic NO!  They gave a feel-good show, containing some cracking songs along with a good helping of a particular brand of English weirdness.  I enjoyed their set and I'll be looking to catch up with them again, another day.

Marisa  20 August 1999

Riddles Music Bar - 19th December 1998

Well, it used to work for Status Quo. Grace's latest reunion gig was for Christmas to a packed house at Riddles Music Bar. Since the demise of the Wheatsheaf, finding good venues in Stoke is not easy. Riddles itself is not ideal for anything other than acoustic folk music, being a long narrow (less than 12 feet in places) alleyway of a hall with a bar running most of the length (one bonus anyway). The stage looked cramped for the lads as they displayed their new 6 man line up. I understand Anne, the owner, intends to convert an upstairs area though  more power to her elbow.

When Dave Edge and Mark Price decided to call it a day, the gig to support (in vain) the Wheatsheaf, which was released by Cyclops as the 2cd "Gathering in the Wheat", was assumed to be the band's swan-song.

Thank God for offspring. The new line-up features Adam Rushton, son of bassist Dave on lead guitar and a friend, Dave Markham on Keyboards. Dave has played with band members recently during their stint of doing Roxy Music covers (for which anyone who has heard "Emily" will know Mac Austin's voice is eerily suited). The band have a string of gigs lined up for the 1999 and several new songs written.

Despite the new additions on such prominent instruments and the inadequacies of the venue, Grace delivered a first class performance and something rather different from how they have sounded in the past. Many of the older numbers have been beefed up and given a more powerful rocky edge. If Adam and Dave were new to some of the material, it wasn't too obvious and the forceful stage presence of Harry (as crazy as ever) and Mac tends to concentrate the attention of the audience anyway. "The Fool" was perhaps the highlight of the night. With its obvious Genesis/Marillion derivations, it is a classic neo-progressive song that helps the band keep one foot firmly in CRS territory. Already a stompingly good composition, the band added still more punch to the finish which had their fans roaring for more.

The usual mummery with the chicken and the swag man helped the audience get the point and the band also played several new numbers, including one with a whistle bridge which could have come straight out of an apprentice boys march (don't play that one in the Bogside, lads). The new material sounded fresh and whilst typically Grace, again gave the impression that the new duo have shifted the pendulum of folk-rock slightly more to the right.

This was the first time I had seen Grace live despite being the band whose album, Pulling Strings and Shiny Things (gripe they didn't play Hanging Rock my favourite Grace song), probably did most to reawaken my interest in progressive rock when the Internet enabled me to find it again. I still find it strange that the band has never gained a more popular appeal. Their music is accessible, infectious and fun without being over-simplistic and should appeal to fans of prog, folk and more mainstream rock/pop. Mac Austin has one of the most distinctive and consistent voices you are likely to hear (pity he didn't go for the Genesis job- he would have knocked the spots off Ray Wilson) and Harry Davies stage presence would easily survive bigger venues.

Nice to see you back lads hope the new songs make it to another CD in the New Year (Malcolm  are you listening?).



Written by Richard Barnes for the January 1999 Classic Rock Society magazine 'Wondrous Stories'