Riding high on the back of their recent ambiguously-titled album Agonies & Ecstasies, and playing several bus-stops down the down the (leafy) road; Camberwell’s wholly rootsy The New Immigrants certainly provide a righteous en masse entertainment of unbridled homecoming loyalty.
Their overall live experience at Herne Hill’s premier gig venue on Saturday night was undeniably a barnstorming one, and supported a good cause too: a special community event to save the local Dorchester Court & Cressingham Gardens housing campaigns.
Like Sly’s Family Stone and The Doors decades ago, ‘democratic’ is the key term for this 13-piece (!) There are nary any controlling egos, side people and bit players. In the immortal words of the late Errol Brown, ‘Every1’s A Winner!’
With such an assertion in mind, it seems appropriate to mention the whole line-up: Justin Sbresni – acoustic & 12 string guitars, vocals, songwriter; Ian Olney and Chris Merry on electric guitars; Jim McAllister – bass, backing vocals; Will Kitcatt – drums; Alex Knight – keyboards; Darren Cooper – trumpet; Claudia Nashef – alto sax; Hydee Ayeni – tenor sax; Shannon Beecher, Katie Shade and Kimberley Bennett – all on backing vocals plus Peter Gordeno of Depeche Mode (that is correct!) on keyboards.
With touchstones ranging from the overt: obviously the Mode connection to the subtle: bluesman Skip James and The Cure circa Head On The Door. The New Immigrants’ rollercoaster of a set is kicked off with ‘Salmon Of Knowledge.’ Justin takes centre-stage playing an acoustic 12-string, its fishing theme is redolent of the ebullience of the late-teenage John Martyn.
Their showstopper ‘The Devil Is On My Case’ provides a veritable John Entwistle-style anchor for Jim – looking very purposeful in Lou Reed shades. The song ends with a beautifully incongruous collision of 60’s Spy Themed-graced/70’s Prog-laced white noise. Peter unquestionably shines during ‘Volcano’ from the album, a master craftsman of the ‘Roland’. The trebly biting guitars are reminiscent of John Perry of The Only Ones, and the backing vocals give the song an uplifting sense of poignancy.
The pun-like ‘Quay To Your Heart’ is mid-period Clash-sounding, very fitting considering the gig’s locale. The song allows Justin to display his talent as a classically raw acoustic player and connects with Jim in a very Tony Iommi/Geezer Butler dual-like fashion.
A tantalising Latin Manassas-like vibe fluctuates throughout the set, and that is reinforced by a sign depicting the refrain “Te Quero Hermano” being waved Joey Ramone-style by Katie during The Immigrants’ signature song ‘Heavens Of Water.’ ‘Conquistadors’ brings to mind the latter part of Neil Young’s Zuma album but ending with a Clarence Clemons-style sax solo.
Played prior to the set’s reverential finale. ‘Burn The Hate’ is redemptive enough to evoke the earthiness of The Golden Gate Quartet’s ‘Wade In The Water’ and prime Johnny Cash. A cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ suitably follows and then ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ – wryly bringing to mind this writer’s first pre-adolescent contemporaneous vinyl purchase, Chart Hits ‘81.
They end on a dancehall high, a cover of Van Morrison’s ‘Gloria’ more reminiscent of the imagined Doors’ version at The Whisky a Go Go circa mid-1966 than the various commercial recorded versions.
Despite being nearly twice the size of the original Madness and Specials’ line-ups, seeing The New Immigrants was a very personable experience. A landmark event for a worthy cause doubled: serving both the audience and the local community.
Picture by John Lion
