Lauren & the Heatwaves

 Lauren & the Heatwaves, Cosham, Aug 6

When I arrived in Portsmouth in 1982 there was a local reggae band called Charlie Messiah & the Disciples and then state-of-the-art Psychobillies, Emptifish. I never managed to be in the right place at the right time to see either of them but saw Red Letter Day a few years later whose punk-pop was well done.

Since then I haven't been too concerned. Not, that was, until finding out about Lauren & the Heatwaves. These days the Southsea Bandstand shares summer Sunday afternoons with Cosham's King George Playing Field and I can't imagine there's a better act in the area to come on as the headline for the last in the series.

Any band that has already done Stoned Love, Be My Baby and Band of Gold in their first half dozen is clearly doing the right thing and more or less playing the highlights of my record collection - at least before I so tragically sold off the vinyl. And they do it so utterly convincingly. With not all of the original artists still with us, you won't always hear these 60's masterpieces done so well. A four-piece band in the open air can't be expected to reproduce the sound of the Motown Hit Factory but one doesn't stop to worry about that. Lauren Stanley has a great voice for Ronnie Spector, Diana Ross, even Dusty, Aretha and Etta James; the band are close-knit, well-balanced and, possibly my very favourite, often overlooked, bit of soul records, the backing vocals are especially great on the likes of Get Ready and S.O.S (Stop Her on Sight).

 

Sam Cooke was paid a fine tribute by getting two songs on the twenty-song set list and soulful slower tempo items like Bring It On Home, Aretha's Don't Play That Song and Etta James's Something's Got a Hold on Me highlighted the potential there is for Lauren and her friends to be a 'deep soul' group if ever they decide to do more than provide a good time. 

I tend to pass up opportunities to dance in public these days. I'm aware there's quite a gap between how good it feels and what it looks like but it didn't put others off. The best songs came early because, understandably, a party wants to end on a big, dancing finish rather than the sociological issues that once came with being a Love Child or the way in which Be My Baby was the greatest pop production until you read the full story of Phil Spector and understand what it means.

Do You Love Me, Shout, Sweet Soul Music and Twistin' the Night Away depended on the band more than the singers, with the obvious exception of the gutsy rendition of Shout - and one should only attempt that if you know you can do it, but the meaningfulness of soul mattered less by then.   

Whenever I'm with them I'll be thoroughly impressed. This music means a helluva lot to me and it is quite moving to see it done so well. I'd been looking forward to it for some time and sometimes things can be disappointments if you look forward to them too much. Not with Lauren & the Heatwaves it wasn't. They stood and delivered.