This current incarnation of The Moochers is a 5-piece band comprising:
Mat Walklate: vocals, harp. Andy Pyatt: guitar.
Steve Brown: keyboards.Bo Kirton: bass guitar.
Chris Walton: drums.
The Moochers started up in 1994 when the songwriting team of Mat Walklate (vocal, harp) and Andy Pyatt (guitar) met up in Manchester UK. The new CD Play The Game is our third album and the first to contain all our own material.
Our previous albums have received excellent reviews all over the world and the band has tourd extensively in the UK, Ireland and Europe.
We think that Play The Game is the best thing we've ever done and so, it seems do the people we've sent it to so far! The album came out in October 2005 and already it's had loads of airplay and positive reviews.
Andy is a truly great guitar player-inventive, soulful, intelligent and true to the blues. Together with Mat's rich voice, expressive harp and superb lyrics The Moochers have created fourteen brand new songs that carry the true spirit of the blues forward into the 21st century!
There's a full range of different feels and grooves on the album, a full range of emotions expressed and an irresistible beat provided by Bo Kirton on bass and Chris Wharton on drums.
If you like original, contemporary blues with a firm grounding in the blues tradition and real heart and soul then The Moochers are a band you need to hear!
Translated from Norwegian. They solely do their own material, which is of a good standard. On "Never Get far" they sound like Dire Straits on a good day and they also have a good few other tunes on this album which has an "English sound". This is a good album with its own personality.
Andy Pyatt's guitar playing is of the highest standard and nowhere better than on the title cut "Play The Game". The gently simple "Smiling Face" shows a different side to Mat's vocal ability. It's easy to overlook Mat's versatility on the harmonica that gets partly obscured by the standard of the song writing. His songs have something to say, yet not at the expense of having a good time and enjoying the high musical standard and inter-play of a tight, (and often augmented) quartet.
(Translated from French) Good singing, big, hot sound, straightforward rhythm, this quartet assumes modernity and does not believe in changing their personality in sacrifice to "academic" exercises. The balance is strong, from start to finish, the themes are interesting.
(Translated from German). The first three or four tones sound like Jimi Hednrix. But listening to the track "Listen to Me" that's wrong. It's an excellent uptempo blues song with some funky horn section, guitar, solo in wah-wah sound and nice backing vocals. That's a pleasure. The next song "House of Cards" causes my attention even more. Pumping bass, groovy drums, guitar, sharp as a knife and Walklate plays a superb blues harp. Really funky grooves on "Look Down". Pyatt delivers a fine guitar solo. Horn section on "Technology" too, giving the song the wanted pressure. Andy Pyatt again with brilliant solo guitar. "Rockin' On", groovy 41/2 minutes, Walklate again plays a brilliant harp solo.
All of the fourteen songs - all originals, by the way - clock in between two and a half and five minutes, so there is little room or (apparently) inclination for ego-tripping solos. Everything is tight, focused and restrained; guitarist Andy Pyatt particularly impresses. In short, enjoyable and admirable! Norman Darwen.
"House of Cards has great guitar work. This is a well written and well executed number, and has my vote as the best on the album. "Goin' Away", "Hide And Seek", "Lubrication" are excellent, bluesy, full of good lyrics. Track 12 "Take It Easy" comes very close to being my choice from the album, and is a very close second to "House Of Cards" - these 2 tracks alone make this CD worth having in any blues collection.
The Moochers have created a ball bouncing, bail spinning sound; solid air pinching brass, backing a crisp, funky, fuzzy, hip-swivelling ferocious guitar; closely following behind barking, harking vocals and rasping harmonica. Stop reading this, go out and get it! Mucho, mucho Impressto! Brian Harman.
Funky beat, neat brass and wah all join on the opening Listen To Me to make this a worthy intro to a CD of all original compositions. Mat Walklate plays neat harp and Andy Pyatt counters with fine guitar while Bo Kirton (bass) and Chris Wharton provide the ample rhythm section. This is good material, easy on the ears, compulsive to the feet and you'll find your head bobbing too and not be able to stop I promise you.
I'm glad to announce that some tunes of your cd/cds will be on air at "La Hora del Blues" radio show during the whole month. If you can see the exact timing, please visit www.lahoradelblues.com/playlist.htm
I also want to inform you that now you can read the review of your cd/cds at www.lahoradelblues.com/criticas.htm They will be there for three months and please, if you like it, feel free to use it for your promo, press kits, leaflets....
Once again thank you for all you patience and interest on "La Hora del Blues"
"La Hora del Blues" every Friday from 16.40 to 17,40 and from 20,45 to 21,45 at 96.6 Barcelona FM. Now live simulcast on the web at http://www.geocities.com/radiopica/emision.m3u For further information go to my home page
My warmest regards and keep on swingin' !!! Vicente Zumel - "La Hora del Blues"
www.lahoradelblues.com
http://www.webcasteralliance.com/modules/advisoryboard/