China White: “Yeah Fool” E.P. launch and Live show.
Antwerp Mansion
29th March 2013
The other night Warrington’s finest funkateers China White launched their new Yeah Fool EP alongside the much anticipated debut performance of Manchester’s much beloved Kermit (Ruthless Rap Assassins, Black Grape) with his new collective Blind Arcade.
Right from the off the evening has a wonderful warehouse flashback feel. No one can find the venue but when they approach a graffiti covered tatty wooden gate down a back alley, gig goers know that this is not going to be an ordinary evening.
Antwerp Mansion is a grandiose dilapidated mansion house tucked behind curry mile in Rusholme. A steady reassuring bass boom draws you to the door and it really is like entering a film set. Someone mentions that it reminds them of Tarantino’s dusk till dawn……….
The main room is filling up nicely and the crowd get straight down to dancing to Madchester era Happy Mondays, New Order and Primal Scream – it’s a good vibe.
The nucleus of China White is musician / producer Antony Egerton and lyricist / vocalist Liam Croker. They have been making music together for five years and have gone through various personnel change ups and collaborations but through pure hard graft and paying their dues they have evolved into an impressive cohesive unit. This includes Sam Tushingham on drums, Jamie McGregor on guitar and celebrated percussionist Inder Goldfinger (Ian Brown) who adds heavyweight credentials and a quality seal of approval to the line up. They look and sound like a band.
The Warrington massive are here in large numbers and as soon as the first track kicks in it easy to see why. Set opener ‘Sex, drugs and Poetry’ is a grinding groove of a track with an exotic sprinkle of Eastern promise and gritty lyrics and frontman Liam has the swagger to engage the crowd straight away. These people are here to dance and this band are providing the goods to keep them happy.
The title track from the ‘Yeah Fool’ EP is a pure funky dance groove with an ascending catchy chorus that will echo in your head for days, and make you dance until your legs ache. This could be their breakthrough track with mixes on the EP from the likes of dance darling Rob Tissera , Alabama 3 and The Laboratory Project’s Tony Rigg.
‘Pedestrian Falls’ feels reminiscent of Paul Oakenfold’s work with the Happy Mondays but the electro vibe and Anthony’s soaring synth mixed with Inder’s distinctive drums give it an edge and identity that is pure China White.
A slower dub baseline changes up the pace of the set as they launch into ‘Our Dylan’ on which the band collaborated and recorded with Rowetta – she is here in sample. It’s a soulful tribute to frontman Liam’s son but the gear change in tempo is still driving and bouncy enough to keep the crowd’s interest.
‘Time for love’ showcases Jamie’s talents. A sweet disco guitar lick reminiscent of the Doobie brothers at their finest accompanied by raw lyrics from Liam and another hooky chorus ramps up the pace once again.
The dancefloor is full and the appreciative audience is jumping and fist pumping and whooping it’s way through the next tracks ‘Magdelene’ and ‘Love Stained’.
For the last track of the night, the boys are joined on stage by Manchester music royalty Kermit (Ruthless Rap Assassins, Black Grape) for a glorious rendition of their Danny Saber produced collaboration ‘Everybody, Everyone’. It has a filthy bass line which captivates everyone immediately and would make Bootsy Collins proud. Liam’s vocals blend seamlessly into Kermit’s characterful cameo rap and out again and the crowd go nuts.
It has been a spectacular, engaging and well paced set with a real celebratory feel to it.
Comparisons with the Mondays are easy to make and understandable but to have China White down as yet another band following the Madchester blue print would do them a serious injustice. They have the swagger and the talk singing and are very Northern but these boys have thrown talent, soul, funk acid house and high production values into the melting pot and this gives them the edge.
They deserve to be the next big thing.
‘Yeah Fool / Keep On Livin’ remix E.P. is out now, released through’ Slack Neck Productions’ and is available to buy via the widget on the right.
Contact at info@chinawhitemusic.net to receive a free remix.
China White’s website is here. They’re on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud & Youtube.
All words by Jacky Carroll all photographs © Karin Albinsson. More writing by Jacky on Louder Than War can be found in her author archive.
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