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LEAF HOUND
Unicorn, Camden 8 January 2011

Photos by Noel Buckley

For the second year running, classic rockers Leaf Hound began the year in some style with an intimate, not to mention free, gig in the rear of this Camden pub that was heaving to the gills.

From the original lineup that released the 1970 album Growers of Mushroom that later became a cult classic that sold for serious money, only singer Pete French remains. But the good news is that, unlike some of his contemporaries, his warm, bluesy voice is undimmed by the passage of the years, and on this occasion he seemed in particularly exuberant form, regularly adding extra ad libs to his vocal delivery. My only complaint was that from the back of a thickly packed crowd, I could not hear his rather muffled between song intros over the noise.

They opened with 105 degrees and Overtime from 2007's Unleashed comeback (oddly still described by Pete as 'new' songs, and other than Drowned My Life in Fear (or 'Drowned My Wife in Beer' as he quipped) with its Sabbath-esque riff, the first half of the set was dominated by that album, with Luke Rayner reeling off his typical fluent, soulful solos during the likes of Man with the Moon in Him and Too Many Rock n Roll Times.

As the set wore on, the excellent band were given more scope to stretch out and show their chops, notably on Sad Road to the Sea with bassist Ed Pearson and Luke trading instrumental passages in a manner reminiscent of early Led Zeppelin, the massive riffage of Freelance Fiend which brought the biggest cheer of the night to date, and their guitar heavy reworking of Atomic Rooster's Breakthrough.

Growers of Mushroom, the song that above all others has made them legendary figures among stoner rock fans, was a psychedelic freak out propelled forward by Jimmy Rowland's drumming which contributed to the song's dramatic atmosphere.

As a bonus, they squeezed in an encore of Stagnant Pool, with another classic riff, which like many of the debut album songs has to be played less frequently these days.

Anyone who appreciates the great early pioneers of heavy rock -Zeppelin, Purple, Sabbath and Free - would be delighted by Leaf Hound. Yet while it was nice to see the band in this intimate atmosphere, they belong on a bigger stage so spread the word.
 

Review by Andy Nathan

Photos by Noel Buckley

Ten for 10 (feature)