Doubtless timed to coincide that that other reunion of battle-scarred veter ans just along the coast in Normandy, a re-formed Spooky Tooth played for 1, 500 eager Germans in a Hamburg beer garden on Saturday June 5th. The weather was soggy, the band (Gary Wright on vocals/keys, Mike Harrison also o n vocals/keys and Mike Kellie on drums, with newbies Michael Becker (bass, v ocals) and Joey Albrecht (guitar, vocals) had only rehearsed for three days but this was a snapshot of former and current greatness, with renditions of Spooky Tooth classics at least matching the recorded versions for intensity and at times (Better By You...) surpassing them. They cherry-picked 15 tunes from the Tooth canon (and a couple from Gary Wright's solo career, doubtles s as a qui pro quo for his participation in I Am The Walrus, from the only non-Wright Spooky Tooth album The Last Puff).

All the Spooky Tooth hallmarks were in evidence, even down to the rather sn ippy trans-Atlantic tension between Gary Wright (US, chirpy chappy, red jump -suit, waves keyboard around a lot and name-drops) and the rather more dour Mike Harrison (UK, irritable, black-clad, clearly disapproves of Wright's cr owd-pleasing antics: "Here's a song that Gary had a big hit with, calle d Dream Weaver - I'm going off for a cuppa tea, see you later...."). Bu t their former reputation was always founded upon (a) supremely crafte d songs and arrangements (OK, skip the cosmic lyrics), (b) the interplay bet ween the vocalists, rather like a rocked-up Righteous Brothers and (3), whic h I hadn't twigged until this show, upon the marvellous, idiosyncratic drumm ing of Mike Kellie, all of which elements were present in spades.

Bassist******* had clearly studied recently-deceased Greg Ridley's contribu tion and Luther Grosvenor wasn't noticeable by his absence, although his rep lacement tended towards the widdly-widdly at solo time, which was NOT part o f the Spooky blueprint... But doubtless this will be ironed out: as Mike Har rison noted, "It was a bit rough but it'll get better!". (Anyway, who needs original bassists in reunions? Answers on a letter bomb to Reginal d and Roginald Mole).

Technical cock-ups abounded, and musical cock-ups were not entirely absent, but the band rose above them by dint of sheer skill and quality material. I 'm all for a spot of creative tension, as some may know, and Spooky Tooth ar e the personification of the proposition. The reformed but Wright-less Tooth recording of Cross Purpose (2001) is a triumph of democracy over common sen se - full of redundant filler, even the lead vocals get handed round amongst various members. But if Harrison and Wright manage to remain in the same ro om long enough this time, who knows what may happen. They should at least tr undle the show around the world and show everybody who the emasculated Forei gner nicked it all from. I waited thirty years to see them, and it was worth it!

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Set list

The Wrong Time
Sunshine Help Me
Lost In My Dream
That Was Only Yesterday
Wildfire
Feeling Bad
I've Got Enough Heartache
Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree
Tobacco Road
Waiting For The Wind
I Am The Walrus
Dream Weaver
Evil Woman

Encore - Better By You, Better Than Me
Encore - Love Is Alive

pic by MG
Spooky Tooth June 5 2004
l-r Wright, Becker, Harrison

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THE JOY OF MORE HOGWASH
UK release 2 1 June 2004
US release August 3 via Navarre
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