The Rogues at The Normanby, Middlesbrough

We went along to see The Rogues at The Normanby on Friday 18th April. This was the first time they had played at the Normanby and as usual it was a full house. We knew we were onto a winner the minute we walked in and saw the guys - and the set list - this was going to be a classic rock night.

We grabbed the guys before they went on and found out a bit about The Rogues and where they hail from. The band was born from a series of open mic sessions held in Libertys, Middlesbrough a couple of years ago. When I asked Brian how they got together he told me he had gone along to the bar and got roped in to singing Black Dog as the guy running the show didn't know the words! Once he was up they wouldn't let him back down and eventually he and Steve hooked up with a couple of others to form the band. With the line-up now complete they are set, and rocking Teesside!
Their influences are with many of the greats, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Free, Ozzy Osbourne, Hendrix, Slash' and this shone through in their set.

The first set opened with a belting rendition of Communication Breakdown, no easing in gently for these lads - they got stuck in and this set the pace for the rest of the night. Zepplin, Hendrix, Ozzy ... all played with an energy and enthusiasm to die for. The Rogues put on a tight, well rounded performance which you only get when you have a group of seasoned performers that know what they are doing. Steve made his guitar positively sing,

Paul and his bass were solid and entertaining, Tim never stopped grinning and was energetic and dynamic and Bri suprised us all when he whipped out his harmonica and played along with the rest of the band. These guys know their stuff and love what they are doing!

Their first performance at the Normanby went down well and we are sure to be able to catch The Rogues at this venue again in the future, they are playing many of the local venues over the coming months, Doc Browns, The Station, Redcar and The Tap and Spile, Guisbrough to name a few. Check out their website for where they are playing and if you enjoy your classic rock then make sure you catch this act.

Review by AT for North East Live   

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