Lachie Hayes hails from Southland New Zealand and has his own idiosyncratic take on Americana.
When he arrives on the stage at Big Fan tonight, he looks a bit pale and ashen as he sits down with his acoustic guitar. Tells us he’s been trying to sleep backstage, and he has been ill on arriving in Auckland today.
Coming from Tokanui in the Deep South, maybe it’s an Auckland thing. I don’t want this to be a GG Allin breakdown, he quips.
Starts the show with a brace of solo numbers, the first being It Hurts Me Too, one of Elmore James signature songs written by Hudson Whittaker.
Hayes gives it a gentle Folk Blues spin. His heritage is farming, and he had an immersion in the Country and Folk sounds of the lower South Island.
His parents had a local band of their own, Run the Cutter, which Hayes also participated in from time to time.
Draws his songwriting influences from the likes of classic artists like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, with a special mention to the Singing Brakeman Jimmie Rodgers.
He covers his Free from The Chain Gang, preserving the Blues and Jazz accents that was present in the original.
His songs reflect a thorough immersion in the older styles of Roots Country and Americana, and the cross-pollination that occurred with the Border Radio (50,000 watts out of Mexico) as latterly immortalised by the Blasters.
The first home for this music was at Sam Phillips Sun Studios in Memphis.
A short break whilst the rest of his band assemble. On come Michael Crook guitar, Liam Fairbairn bass and Antonio Mercuri drums.
Volume is turned up, and they launch with King of the Night Out on the Tiles. There is a little bit of the Stones Honky Tonk Women it the rhythmic swing and it’s essentially a jaunty Rockabilly number.
One of a half dozen songs from his debut album Subsatellite. He had the good fortune to be matched with Delaney Davidson as producer, who helped substantially in bringing out the quirky nuances to Haye’s singular style.
Easy To Fall for You and Hayes gets a chance to do his best Paul Butterfield harmonica break down.
This River addresses darker elements. Keeps me awake at night/ chills me to my bones. Remembers the friends he has lost to it.
Title track Subsatellite is perfect Country R’n’B with nice honky-tonk overtones. It does swing hard.
Lonesome Hearted Lovers reminds me of the romantic style of thirties Western music (Sons of Pioneers) and there is also a link to Springsteen’s Highway Patrolman.
Flash Like a Welder is one highlight of the show, with Folk Rock merging into Country Rock which would fit in quite nicely into a latter-day Byrd’s show. Lyrical nods to wild mountain thyme and these arms of mine. This is where Hayes reveals a great soul tenor.
He may be under the weather, but he has enough energy to end with blast.
S.O.B is rowdy and dark in equal measure. Going ‘round the bend/ Darkness spewing from my brain.
The rhythm section bass and drums have been solid all night and kick it up a few notches for the closing song Shoot ‘Em Once, a song off the first EP which is the closest to an out-and-out Rocker.
Lachie Hayes may have been under the weather but that did not stop him ending the night blazing away.
Rev. Orange Peel