Billy Walton Band at the Tuesday Night Music club ,Coulsdon.

Review written by Nigel Foster Photos By Ken Jackson

I knew when I booked my ticket for what was another ‘sold out’ gig at the club that everyone was in for a treat and a night of great music. Those new to Billy Walton and his band that were amongst the ‘usual suspects that start forming a queue around 90 minutes before doors immediately knew the same would go for them when Billy appeared outside with an acoustic guitar, Vaughn Stavropoulos joined him with his Sax in hand and Toni Teschner and Rudy Kreutzer. Billy began an impromptu and riotous version of take Me Home Country Roads accompanied by Vaughn on the Sax and Toni and Rudy on the backing vocals and handclaps. Of course we joined in and Richard had a party on his hands. Totally brilliant. A definite first for the club and I would think a first for virtually every venue in the UK. Richard I hope there are no complaints to the local council about the noise as I imagine your license doesn’t cover pavement gigs!

If you check out Billy’s CV what will jump out is the 6 years he spent as a member of Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes and that just didn’t happen it happened because Billy has talent as a singer, songwriter and guitarist but equally so, he is imbued with that New Jersey spirit that fuels the area’s music. That music template Billy has transferred to this band and it is raw roots based rock ‘n’ roll shot through with the blues and for around 2 hours last night that is exactly what this fabulous quintet gave us, it was uncompromising, authentic, still very melodic, much of it improvised and bloody fantastic.

Billy has always been an entertaining full on performer intent on giving everything to the gig and his audience and with this band he has 4 willing co-conspirators. For Vaughn and Rudy this was their first time in the UK and even for Billy this was his debut at the club. It was clear that the band quickly picked up on the vibe that fills the room at every gig here at this special place and it put even more gas in the tank and smiles on their faces. The band rode the wave of support and sheer enthusiasm for live music and we rode the wave created by the band’s exhilarating performance and their infectious music.

There was no fuss or show about the opening to the gig, the five just strolled on to the stage and once in position flicked the switch and hit us head on with the power and vibrancy of the twin salvo of rockers that included Hell Or High Water. William Paris and Rudy struck up an instant metronomic beat in the engine room and Vaughn and Toni stretched it further with their keys stabs and acoustic rhythm guitar. Billy had a great platform and he was never gonna waste it and he fired off a salvo of razor sharp riffs and dug deep for the rasped vocal. Ties That Bind followed and slowed the pace but only a bit and it allowed Toni to step forward and provide some rich melodic vocals. The blues emerged on the pulsating rocker Worried Blues. The rhythm section dropped a metronomic groove and held it.

Vaughn stepped forward and flooded out a swinging Sax solo and Billy picked up the slide, slid it onto his finger and raced it up and down the frets of his Strat sending down those sharp metallic sounds. The cacophonous sounds needed a deep and dirty vocal and that is just what Billy gave it and Toni’s voice added an extra layer. Fool For Your Crazy is the band’s new single from the brand new album Line ‘Em Up and here live it had immediate impact and had a radio friendly hook to it accentuated when Billy crunched the Wah Wah pedal and pulled hard on the whammy bar.

The title track of the new album was showcased as the first set drew to a close and that also hit the mark showing itself as a proper

New Jersey rocker with its snatched riff over the pulsing groove with Vaughn’s rapid fire keys filling any spaces and Toni and William lifted Billy’s vocal. As Billy shed his Strat and announced a short break loud and sustained cheers greeted the band. During the break William was kept busy selling plenty of merch which is always great to see because it is so vital to grass roots artists. The second set picked up exactly where the first had started with the quintet immediately locking tight together and hitting the accelerator hard. Pulsing bass and barrelling drums, Toni’s strident rhythm guitar bleeding into Vaughn’s punchy Sax runs and Billy’s scything Wah Wah driven solo piercing the air.

The power of the music called for a guttural vocal and that is what Billy fave it. For the atmospheric Long Way Down Billy called Vaughn into the spotlight with him and what unfolded was simply gorgeous as the young man reached inside himself to produce an emotion fuelled haunting Sax solo, the notes floating up to the ceiling. Billy matched those sounds with a soul drenched vocal and all the while the trio at the back kept a low gear rhythm going. Get Down immediately upped the ante with the band hitting an immediate throbbing groove structured on Rudy’s vibrant drum pattern and William’s filthy bass lines. Vaughn and Toni were tight on the rhythm but Billy cut it all open as he raced from a taut riff to a violent squally Wah Wah driven run, his hands racing up and down the frets. He and Toni had to dig deep to lay on the vocals.

We then had an absolutely hilarious interlude where Billy spoke of his love of the UK and the comedy of Benny Hill and with that he led and the band followed with a 100 mile an hour version of that unforgettable end of show theme tune. Another first for the club I think! Billy then turned to Toni and invited her to take the lead vocals on the vibrant Knife In My Back and as the band’s musical sound ebbed and flowed Toni unleashed a real bark at the moon vocal that drove the band on. You could see Toni was pouring herself into the song, she was lost in the music. I didn’t catch the next song title but what I and all caught was Billy’s exhibition in six string wizardry but this was not flashy showing off it was a master of his craft pushing his own limits and the limits of the Strat. As the notes faded Billy said he was back as he had been spaced out.

That description fits perfectly because he too was lost in his music. Closing a gig as thrilling as this seemed impossible but not to these guys as they launched into the dirty and dangerous vibe of Mountain that opened on a head knock incessant kick drum bass beat from Rudy stretched out by William’s pulsating bass pumps with the keys and rhythm guitar bolstering the sonics further. This was the cue for Billy to really cut loose and unleash a manic screaming note laden solo before jumping back into the bone crunching riffs with the voices seemingly dragged from the gutter they were so filthy. This was outlaw territory rock ‘n’ roll and the perfect way to end such a thrilling gig. For the deserved encore Billy spoke emotionally of his time with Southside Johnny, who due to ill health has called time on his music career.

There is clearly love and respect for the legend. That New Jersey bond is unbreakable. Billy asked us to help him and the band show the love by joining them on a soulful version of the Asbury Jukes I Don’t Want To Go Home. Of course we did as asked and formed an Asbury Jukes choir. A second sustained ovation followed and Billy passionately spoke of the vital role a place like The Tuesday Night Music Club has in sustaining the independent live music scene and how important fans are in supporting it all. Everyone in the room echoes that. 2026 so far has been something of a vintage year for the club with a number of gigs slated as ‘gig of the year.’ After this riot of music, entertainment and fun I think we have another contender. Richard, Ros, the staff, Simon Taylor on sound and Billy Walton Band thank you on behalf of each and every one of us.