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Mike Tramp / Jon Davie – Bannermans Bar , Edinburgh (16th March 2017)

Gary March 22, 2017 Gig Reviews No Comments

Here we are back at Bannermans in Edinburgh for the return of Mike Tramp, touring on the back of his fantastic new album Maybe Tomorrow.

First off we have a support to get through in the fantastic form of fellow Aberdonian Jon Davie. The man is still doing his solo acoustic gigs while his full electric band, GutterGodz, is on hiatus while sorting out ongoing drummer issues.

We get Jon’s usual fun filled banter in-between tracks which include one of my favourite GutterGodz songs, “Girls”. As an acoustic version, it’s great but electric… it’s amazing. Hopefully it will not be long until the band are back on the go. We also get a cover of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” which was just tremendous. Metallica take note!

The chat was funny and we even had a nice bit of conversation between Jon and a lady member of the audience who was his impromptu rhythm section with clapping. If you get a chance, catch him live as he is fantastic and very funny as well as musically entertaining.

The main man, Mike Tramp, is up now and he gets a big roar from a packed Bannermans as he and his Band of Brothers take the stage. They start off with “Better Off” from 1998’s Capricorn before we get the excellent “Trust in Yourself” from Museum.

Tramp has quite the catalogue to pick from as we get the first tonight from White Lion – “Tell Me” from the Pride album. A couple from Nomad next with “High like a Mountain” and “Wait Till Forever”. We then head back to White Lion and a bit of Big Game now with “Little Fighter” before we get the first from his new album with “Why Even Worry at All”.

As well as White Lion we also touch on Mike’s other past band, Freak of Nature, with an amazing reworking of “What Am I” from their first album. We get a fantastic version of “Lady of the Valley” next before a stunning title track version of “Cobblestone Street”. “Give It All You Got” from Nomad leads us into the Mane Attraction and a great version of “Broken Heart”, before we hear a stunning reworking of “When the Children Cry” from Pride.

We head into the end now with the first, and possibly my favourite, track off the new album “Coming Home”. Simply stunning. The final track of the night is a tremendous cover of rock classic “Radar Love” by Golden Earring.

The band and Mike tonight are in absolutely incredible form and you can hear it in his chatting between tracks. He talks about the various bands he has been in and the state of modern technology as he shows off the vinyl version of the new album. This was the best I have seen the man since I saw Freak of Nature in Edinburgh in ’93 and Glasgow in ’94. The band are obviously loving it with all the smiling and Mike is enjoying himself and very comfortable with where he is and loving every minute.

I would go see him when you get the chance. You will be singing along all night and leaving with a huge smile on your face. Get the new album and crank it up, sit there listen and feel the love that is Mike Tramp – totally in the zone.

Photos by Gary Cooper