McAlmont and Butler

The Ambassador, Dublin, September 2002

They won't thank me for saying it but Mc Almont and Butler are the Daltrey and Townshend of the soul lite set. Mc Almont's got the pipes, and how. While Butler is a guitar hero, pure and simple. Looking at them together on stage on the second date of their 2002 reunion tour, it's hard not to think about what a long strange trip it's been for the two of them. Mid 90s, the world was theirs for the taking - Butler had flounced out of Suede and hooked up with the sinfully talented McAlmont, "Yes", a staggering piece of pure pop, had done good business in the singles charts, and their debut album, while slightly rushed, was full of beefy soul tunes, vengeful ballads, and "How about you?", one of the best songs ever written about being drunk and in love.

Muso students will know that the first instalment of Mc Almont and Butler ended in tears and it was not on account of musical differences either. Thankfully, indifferent solo careers forced the mutual realisation that these two people - polar opposites in every way - need each other to make it work. What a contrast they make in performance - Mc Almont swaggeringly commands centre stage and has all the moves, hand jives and shimmies, nonchantly teasing the crowd and the band. He strikes up a rapport with his audience immediately and sings his heart out. Mc Almont's sweet soul music is perfectly complemented by Butler, who's stage left, decked out in an appalling brown pinstripe jacket, jeans and Cuban heels. Butler lives the rock dream with a vengeance and churns out the most savage guitar lines imaginable. "Different strokes", a track from the new album, is a stand out, a Tamla style statement of intent which could net them a hit single. The old material stands up particularly well, with great versions of "Tonight" and "What's the excuse this time", though to a degree it puts the new songs slightly in the shade.

The deadly duo give us a good hour's worth of new and old but it's during the encore that they really get going. We get a short acoustic set with the two men sitting cross legged right at the front of the stage, ripping out a searing version of "Don't call it soul" and when the twosome are rejoined by the rest of the band they do for "Back for good" what Joe Cocker did for "a little help from a my friends", transforming a great pop song into a gut wrenching call and response soul shouter. An exultant version of "Yes" closes the deal, Mc Almont and Butler make their bows and milk the applause.

Catch this band live. You won't regret it.

Anthony Morrissey