Morrison and Walker

Live at The Unicorn Marden, Saturday 28th April 2012

Morrison & Walker arrived as an unknown quantity to the Unicorn but left as firm favourites among the young and not-so-young alike.

They were unlike any of the regular bands that play at the Pub, a heavily blues orientated duo with a guitarist that could make his instrument talk and a charismatic drummer whose facial expressions were as fascinating as his mesmeric drumming.

Steve Morrison was the guitarist with the magic hands and a voice seemingly made for the blues, whilst Mark Walker brought a unique style of drumming mixed with percussion and an association with Rolf Harris that is pure contradiction! There were several songs among the set that were completely new to me and a few covers that were done in a manner in which it took me half the song to realise that I did actually know it, such as Canned Heat’s On The Road Again and Elvis’ Blue Suede Shoes.

There was an amazing beginning to a piece that I have since found to be called Train in G Minor in which, with a whistle and some kind of cylindrical object, Mark Walker recreated the sound of a train picking up speed.

After a thorough enjoyable first half to the session the duo returned refreshed to bring down the house in the second session. I’m not a music aficionado, cannot play a note on any instrument, but their timing was exceptional, the way they finished each piece with a pause and a final chord on the guitar and a crash of a drum was brilliant.

After the first song of the second part, Steve Morrison wished one of the barmen, Steve, a happy birthday and the duo went on to give a rendition of Happy Birthday the like of which I ever never heard before and doubt if it will ever be bettered. It was with bemusement that I said to friends, “Just how do you make a piece like that out of Happy Birthday”.

We were taken on a hoe-down with a “cotton pickin’” song that ended at breathtaking pace that delighted not just the audience but the duo themselves who embraced at the end as if to confirm that they had really nailed the song. There was a humorous song about the internet and a song about a shooting opening with Mark punching his drum to create an eerily authentic gunshot sound.

This is my first attempt at reviewing music and I feel a lot more comfortable with football, so I’ve forgotten far too many of the play list, perhaps a piece of paper and a pen is in order next time! Who will not be forgotten, however, are Morrison & Walker, in my humble opinion by far the best act that I’ve seen at the Unicorn and this was made obvious by the Unicorn’s clientele that they were well appreciated.