ShareFar From Saints performing at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Thursday 23rd November 2023.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
The Far From Saints gig at the Royal Concert Hall on Thursday night was a captivating showcase of the talent and potential of this band which features Kelly Jones of Stereophonics fame, and Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker from The Wind And The Wave who supported Jones on his 2019 solo tour.
Their self titled album is a far cry from the loud rocking music expected from Jones. What they delivered was gentle, subtle, soft country rock which actually suited the gravelly voiced Welshman perfectly, and combined with those of Lynn, they worked wonderfully together, with great harmonies and powerful solos.
Opening with the perfect toe tapping Screaming Hallelujah, they followed up with Faded Black Tattoo. An early striking moment was Take It Through The Night as Lynn’s versatile vocals moved from the gritty to the velvety smooth before Jones’ masterful guitar solo had the crowd holding their breath.
Another song from the album, Let’s Turn This Back Around was another highlight with perfectly balanced vocals which brought out the country element of the song. Other songs from the album included No Fool Like An old Fool, Own It, We Won’t Get Out Alive, Gonna Find What’s Killing Me and main set closer, The Ride, which were all tracks sung with emotion, with power and passion.
As with most bands with one album behind them, they littered the set with covers, the most notable being Stevie Nicks’ Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around and The Allman Brothers Band’s Midnight Rider. Baker led a jaunty shuffle through Cheap Trick’s I Want You To Want Me and in the encore Lynn delivered a very acceptable cover of Cher’s Bang Bang ( My Baby Shot Me Down) before the evening finished with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers American Girl, which was an impeccable finale to an unforgettable evening.
Far from Saints might be Kelly’s latest project, but they left the crowd enthralled and eagerly awaiting the release of their follow up album.