MCHALES PERMANENT BREW Pre Festival Warmup

"…pretty much the perfect rock & roll band" Tony Barnes, Keep Music LIVE

Currently storming Blues Festivals around the UK, and with a new album to offer, McHale's Permanent Brew are a band on the up. NOW! is the time to make their acquaintance and join them on the journey. Formed in 2017, brought together by their shared love of guitar-based blues rock, they draw inspiration from the classic bands and recordings of the '60s & '70s and inject this with their own energy and spirit. As the band evolved, they released their debut, self-titled album and developing a sound that makes for an electrifying live set. Hard work and determination have seen McHale's build a following in their native North West, including sharing the stage with legends such as Dr Feelgood, 60's psychedelic pioneers Atomic Rooster and Status Quo offshoot, Triple J.

Their live reputation is now taking them around the country, headlining where they were once supporting, so keep a look out for them near YOU! The release of their second album 'Lessons From The Darkest Storms' will inevitably increase their profile and push them to the forefront of the UK Blues/Rock scene.

McHale's Permanent Brew are:
Vocals/Guitar: Paul McHale
Guitar/Vocals: Frank McHale
Bass: Stephen Houghton
Keyboards: Simon Lomax
Drums: Chris Orrell

What they say:
"…special, very, very special indeed … from the moment they went on stage and ripped the place apart"

Live Review : McHale's Permanent Brew

The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool 21/03/24

Blues rock, just like any musical sub-genre is a many headed beast, one where bands are often pigeonholed together into a single category for ease, often having little in common other than a shared musical DNA. And so it is with McHale's Permanent Brew.

McHale's Permanent Brew, are no strangers to the Waterloo, having graced its staged numerous times over the last few years, garnering an enthusiastic and passionate following along the way, so it's no surprise that there is such a large crowd assembled anticipating their set. As the lights go down the stage is bathed in a suitably atmospheric wash of blue and red lighting, Frank McHale standing alone soloing away, as the rest of the band enter one by one. It's quite the instrumental intro, drenched in keyboard fills and lovely guitar parts, building to a crescendo, before kicking into the next song proper.

Very much in the classic vein of what you would expect a blues rock band to sound like, it's all sinuous, pounding bass lines and wide shimmering waves of keyboards forming the perfect foundation for the guitars and vocals. There's an infectious groove to what they do that demands you move, with many bearded heads (mine included) nodding away, almost without even realising they're doing it. With only forty minutes, they keep the chat to a minimum and let the music do the talking. With some gorgeous slide guitar, soulful vocals and even time to throw in a new song (whose name I failed to catch) they make the most of the time they do have, and it's easy to see why they are so evidently revered by so many.