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Hokum Clones were of course the main event. Their homecoming gig was eagerly anticipated. Opening with Leadbelly's 'Rock Island Line', the acoustic blues duo were also recently featured on Made In The Northwest. They performed a sometimes-excellent set, which was cut short due to technical difficulties (a snapped string). Nevertheless their performance was ecstatically received and was probably their best sounding gig in ages. The set could be only criticised for how brief it was.
They performed their next single 'Breakin' From The Jailhouse Blues', which is released through Rough Trade records on 28th April.
review by Stuart Todd
Article in Dazed and Confused
NME Article 31st May 2003
Review manchester.co.uk
soundsxp single review
Two Scousers playing deep-south acoustic blues circa 1929: why-oh-why would you want to listen to a combination that sounds like such a recipe for disaster? Hopefully, the reason would be precisely because it is two Scousers playing deep-south acoustic blues. For although on paper it might not look like the most appealing of partnerships, on vinyl it works very well indeed.
�Breakin� From A Jailhouse Blues� and �You Ain�t Foolin Me� are filled with tickling banjo-like guitars and dressed with gravelly vocals straight from the cotton-picking fields of Kentucky. This double A-side release from the Liverpool based two-piece is a true breath of fresh air. During the current slew of axe-wielding Aussies and smelly-haired New Yorkers saturating the new music scene, The Hokum Clones are the only group who can claim to spoon out such quirky, bluegrass rhythms. Both tracks on this limited edition 7� are crafted takes on good-time country blues. Danny Roberts� and Rob Stevenson�s scratched, 1930�s stylings are playful jaunts more at home in the Robert Johnson/Howlin� Wolf songbook than sprouting from the banks of the Mersey in 2003. But it�s a case of one step backward, two steps forward: the Clones� wry reinterpretation of their heroes give them a fresh, individual sound that sounds anything but derivative.
Having already supported The Coral and Richard Ashcroft, and now opening for The Polyphonic Spree, The Hokum Clones show the recent batch of blues-obsessed bands not only how it�s done, but more interestingly, how it was done. If you think [insert generic garage rock band here] are rootsy, check this out.
www.drownedinsound.com
Having recently been featured on 'This Is Music' for Granada Television, acoustic duo Hokum Clones opened with a strong roots based set. They've built up a solid reputation on the live music circuit in the past year and their links with The Coral and The Zutons have earned them the attention of NME and Deltasonic.
The Clones open with Leadbelly's 'Rock Island Line'. They mainly play traditional blues tunes such as 'Stagger Lee', which has also been performed by tonight's headliners in the past. Rob Stevenson's distinctively gruff vocals and Danny Roberts' authentic blues guitar style provide more than appropriate support.
Best Cuts: 'Rock Island Line', 'Stagger Lee' and 'Baby Don't'
review by Stuart Todd
www.gigwise.com