HIS LORDSHIP – Brudenell Social Club 21/5/24

What is it about a three piece that just seems so right? I have always loved them, Cream, The Police, The Jam,  Husker Du, Therapy? or of course Rush. All vastly different but absolute class. I think it has something to do with the fact that with less instruments (and indeed less people), each player has space in the song to show what they can do, there is an opportunity for each band member to be able to place their own stamp in to each song. This is definitely the case with His Lordship. Regal trumpets blast out of the PA and on walk this three piece, matching suits back up a group who very much come across as a gang that will not leave this stage until every drop of perspiration is left there, by both band and audience.

All my talk of them being a three piece belies the fact that for a long time they were a two piece, but goodness me it would be hard for two musicians to have such a pedigree. James Walborne (guitar/vocals) and Danish drummer Kristoffer Sonne were brought together by working with Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders and with her being the catalyst in bringing these two together….well she has done us all a massive favour! For this tour (and hopefully from now on?) Dave Page can’t help but  remind me of another bass playing/suit wearing legend, Bruce Foxton of The Jam and throws some cracking shapes all the way through. His Lordship (again like The Jam) are not afraid to let us know how it is with Jackie Works For The NHS, a love letter to possibly the greatest thing about Britain. Soon the crowd join in a Fuck The Tories chant which I feel it would be rude not to join in wholeheartedly.

Cracking tune after cracking tune from their recently released debut has this crowd in ecstasy, Buzzkill followed by Pixelated Polly are all songs with stories written about the darker sides of the tracks and then just as I am thinking that His Lordship wouldn’t be able to surprise me any more, Sonne steps from behind the kit (his place taken by Page and the band suddenly have me thinking of another three piece who will not follow the rules, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion!!! Walborne talks about his fallen ex bandmate in The Pogues, Shane Magowan as the band launch in to a song inspired by him which is an instrumental which I think is perfect for one of the great lyric writers that we lost last year.

This West Yorkshire crowd is treated to a couple of brand new songs (I think one was called Weirdo In The Park, although they may have been talking about this diminutive Ulsterman who is writing this review as I am sure he was looking right at me as he introduced it) and are followed by two of my favourite tracks from the album, Joyboy and the cautionary tale of major mind loss in the Dutch capital, I Am In Amsterdam which tells the story of a magic mushroom trip which eh, goes slightly wrong…or indeed right, depending on your point of view. Oh and the drummer plays an air horn which is something you do not see every day! After a brief respite, the band come back for a much deserved encore which I believe was a Nick Drake song but His Lordship could have played a cover of the theme from Coronation Street and I would have been impressed and I am already anxious as to when I will get to see this band in their element again!