Blue Nation live at The Cavern Freehouse, Raynes Park, 27 September 2024

Review by Tim Marcus with photos from Sam Conquest photography

We’re back at one of our favorite venues tonight, tucked away in a quiet corner of South West London; The Cavern Freehouse in Raynes Park, where we’re looking forward to seeing the debut performance here of Birmingham based, melodic blues rock trio, Blue Nation.

We first saw Blue Nation some two and a half years ago when they opened for Laurence Jones at Sutton’s Boom Boom Club in a show that he’d put on to celebrate his tenth anniversary as a professional performer. Whilst not having heard any of Blue Nation’s material before this show we’d heard good things about them from a small handful of people we knew who’d come across them before so made sure we were there in time to catch them. That evening they had no drummer (other than when Laurence himself took to the drum stool to play with them on their encore song!) so it was just a duo performance from Neil Murdoch on guitar and vocals and Luke Weston on bass and backing vocals. Their performance that evening though ensured that going forward, Blue Nation would always be a name that we’d be looking out for in the gig listings and subsequently we’ve since seen them on a further three occasions, all three of those however being truncated sets at festivals where we’ve always had the opportunity to chat with them after their performance, and believe me, you couldn’t wish to meet a nicer bunch of lads than these three. Tonight however is going to be the first time we’ll have seen them performing a full headline set at their own show, something we’re looking forward to very much indeed.

Their appearance here tonight is the fifth leg of a short tour to promote their latest album, “The Ordinary People”, the first four legs all having sold out. Tonight’s show however is free entry so I’m not sure that you can technically “sell out” a free entry show however the place is rammed and as proprietor Noel Nevin would put it, is “..feckin’ dead again!”

They take to the stage at around 9:15pm and I’m pleased to say that tonight, as has been the case throughout this tour, it’s the full band so Neil and Luke are joined on stage by drummer Nick Sharman (who incidentally used to be the band’s dep drummer for when regular drummer Oli Jefferson was unavailable however with Oli more often than not these days playing with Robert Plant’s latest band, Saving Grace, Nick and Oli have to all intent and purposes, now swapped roles!).

As I’ve said, this current tour is in promotion of the band’s latest album, “The Ordinary People” and the first song we hear from them tonight is the opening track to that album, “Hand Me Down”. However unlike some bands they don’t then continue to bombard us immediately with new songs, as the next three that follow all come from their previous album, “The Kaftan Society” and are tracks that those who follow Blue Nation are probably far more familiar with; “She’s a Storm”, Rich Girl” and “Gimme Some Time”. Aside from the music there’s always plenty of chat and banter with Blue Nation (albeit coming predominantly from stage right!). Before the next song Neil gives us a short anecdote about how pre gig, Luke had taken himself off next door to a Turkish eatery to get himself a coffee. Unfortunately for Luke however, so strong is his Brummie accent he had difficulty in making his request understood so had to return shortly afterwards with Neil and Nick in tow to “translate” for him!

“The Reason” and “Time is a Thief”, both from the new album follow before we’re entertained with some more on stage banter between Neil and Luke. One of the distinguishing features of a Blue Nation show, in fact probably THE most distinguishing feature aside from the music itself, is the camaraderie and rapport between Neil and Luke. They’ve been best mates for many many years and the interaction between them is a joy to watch: it’s as if they’re inside each other’s head, each knowing what the other is thinking and what they’re going to say next. Appropriately enough, the next song we hear is the delightful and melodic “Old Friends”, another of their more recent songs. The title track of the latest album follows, along with “Runs Straight Ahead”, also from the new album, while a short plug for the jug collection for the band (something that is somewhat of a tradition at the Cavern where the majority of shows there are free to enter) is crammed in ahead of “Gone” a track from their previous album.

We return to the new album for “I Feel Low” before Neil gives a brief update on the band’s current touring schedule. Whilst tonight is the penultimate night of Blue Nation’s own headline tour they’re soon off with Dom Martin whom they’ll be supporting on his UK tour throughout November and early December before they return home for the final leg of their The Ordinary People tour in Birmingham on 14 December, another date that is likely to sell out. We then get a run of three straight songs from the aforementioned album, “Once in my Life”, “Come Back Home” and “Strangers” before they play us “Melody”, the only track we hear tonight from their 2016 album, “Steady Your Soul” which morphs into a little of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. It’s back to “The Ordinary People” next for “Every Single Time” before Neil catches his two colleagues somewhat by surprise as he goes into an ad hoc version of “Sweet Home Alabama”. Looking slightly bemused, once they realise what’s going on, Luke and Nick join in – seamlessly! Before concluding the main part of the set with “Good Times” a track from “The Kaftan Society”, as happens with many bands now, Neil tells us that they’re not going to waste time and leave the stage, hiding three feet away only to come back on a few minutes later to play one more song, rather they’re just going to get on with it.

So to the “encore” performance” which tonight consists of three songs. Those that are familiar with Blue Nation will be well aware that the boys are very big on promoting and looking to increase awareness of men’s mental health. Luke gives out some rather alarming statistics including the fact that the biggest cause of death in the UK in men under the age of 50 is suicide; something that is very disturbing when you start to think about it. The first song of the encore we hear is “Echoes”, a song that Neil penned for the band about 18 months or so ago after the loss of one of their very close friends. It’s probably my favourite of all of Blue Nation’s songs; a simple and melodic song that’s delivered with heart and feeling and frequently brings a tear to the eye, both on stage and off it. After that we get a treat, another song from “The Kaftan Society” album, the very melodic “Cold Night”, a song Neil tells us they haven’t played anywhere else on this tour. Finally the night is concluded with another upbeat and rocking favourite, one that the audience are encouraged to join in with,“Down by the River”.

It’s been another great night at the Cavern and just highlights for me how Blue Nation’s star has risen so rapidly over the past 18-24 months. Their music is magical and matched equally by the charismatic charm and mutual love and admiration that Neil, Luke and Nick show for one another. I urge you to catch them at a small venue like this while you still can. More and more well established artists have now caught on to them and are inviting them on extended tours and you will notice too that their name is starting to appear more and more regularly on festival billings. Blue Nation are a band that are on the up and up and clearly enjoying every moment of it.