Steve Mason: Hebden Bridge Trades Club – live review

Steve Mason
Hebden Bridge Trades Club
Saturday 17 December 2022

Steve Mason had tended in the past to fly a little bit under the commercial radar, but this set of classic bangers and new tunes showcased what a great songwriter he is.

From his days with the Beta Band Steve Mason has always been one of our best tunesmiths, and tonight he delivered some of his classic tunes, plus introducing some new material from his forthcoming fifth album, Brothers & Sisters.

Wandering on in a florescent yellow Gilet, Mason got straight to work picking up his acoustic for a scintillating solo version of Alive, and straight into an equally glorious take on Planet Sizes from his Meet The Humans album. This was a stripped-down affair with added keyboards from Darren Morris, who really lifted one of Mason’s early tracks, A Lot of Love, and some backing tracks for a bit of colour. Nearing fifty this earthy Scot with a rich, lived-in voice had not lost his fire describing the new record as a massive ‘Fuck you’ to Brexit. And a giant ‘Fuck you’ to anyone that is terrified of immigration because there is nothing that immigration has brought to this country that isn’t to be applauded.’

Before another new track, Let It Go, one of a raucous middle-aged audience had called Santa the C word for some unaccountable reason, and a visibly relaxed Mason suggested he “wash his mouth out” as his four-year-old would disagree. Strapping on his electric this new number featured a classic Mason chorus, but it had a real edge to it as he bashed the bongos – which is always a criminally underused instrument. Mason went a bit Bez on another uplifting new number On My Soul stalking the stage and rousing the crowd, and it had a hint of Stone Roses, but was sung by someone who could actually hold a tune.  The pace changed on the moody Fox On the Rooftop, inspired by the tale of a young girl whose mother found one of our red-coated friends curled up at the bottom of her bed one night.

Like all great gigs, Mason was clearly feeding off the audience as he exhorted them to clap along on Walking Away, but reminded them not to get too carried away as “it’s not a crystal meth party.”

Another newbie The People Say was a proper anthem as Morris’s keyboards added a Screamadelica era Primals feel as Mason sang “I heard the people ask where is the beautiful fight today?” – which was certainly a pertinent question as our nation collapsed around us. The duo prepared to close the set with Beta band favourite, Squares, another exuberant fan shouted out “you’re pretty good you, Steve”. Mason wryly noting “25 years in the business…man and boy”. There was something really moving as a middle-aged man danced vigorously next to the speakers to another Beta Band oldie Inner Meets Me. For some reason, a few idiots started a chant before the new single No More, but Mason pointed out “it’s not Butlins”.  You could see why 6 Music had playlisted this track as plenty of people were singing along wishing for no more strikes or corruption as Mason again bashed away at the bongos. This hardcore crowd were delighted when Mason reached right back to his King Biscuit Time days, I Walk The Earth finished a well-judged set that suggested the new record might be his best yet, as well as a clarion call to rise up in our troubled times.

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Words by Paul Clarke, you can see his author profile here