29 March 2024

The New Mastersounds and The Lucky Strokes | The Fillmore | San Francisco | 4.20.24

ARTICLE CONTRIBUTED BY GABRIEL DAVID BARKIN | PUBLISHED ON APRIL 21, 2024

EDDIE ROBERTS, THE NEW MASTEROUNDS

The New Mastersounds (NMS) came to The Fillmore on Saturday night as part of a tour in support of their new album “Old School.” The quartet from Leeds (that’s a city in the UK, folks) played a two-hour set that kicked funky butts throughout the nearly sold-out venue.

Now celebrating 25 years since their founding, NMS is anything but “new.” Drummer Simon Allen acknowledged this when mentioned the new album: “They’re all new songs, but they sound like our old songs.” And that’s a good thing; NMS has been cooking up the same recipe for a quarter of a century, and what ain’t broke don’t need fixin’.

PETE SHAND, THE NEW MASTEROUNDS

When guitarist Eddie Roberts asked the crowd to raise their hands if they saw NMS on their first NorCal swing in 2005, dozens of hands shot up (mine among them). Many of us longtime fans in these parts got hooked on NMS at the High Sierra Music Festival almost two decades ago, and the love hasn’t faded.

JOE TATTON, THE NEW MASTEROUNDS

An opening set by the Lucky Strokes was more than just a tasty appetizer. It would be unfair to call the Lucky Strokes Eddie’s “side project” – they do an equally fabulous job of ass-kicking. Southern rock crooner Shelby Kemp echoes shades of Molly Hatchet and Lynard Skynard on the mic, and he shreds on slide guitar leads. It’s a blast to watch him and Roberts “duel.” The Galbraith sisters (Ashley and Taylor) provide a heavy rock undercurrent with their Led Zeppelin-ish bass and drums. Roberts’ crony Chris Spies is on stage for the tour on keys.