I would love to say I was a punk rocker but I wasn’t. The seismic shifts in the musical landscape that punk created weren’t strong enough to ripple through to my hometown of Greenock until late 1978, by which time the genre was arguably over.

I do remember, however, being captivated by it as an impressionable 13-year-old. Watching The Rezillos play their hit single Top Of The Pops ON Top Of The Pops was a memory that stuck with me, especially when I discovered they were from my home country!

I hadn’t thought about that for a long time. Until tonight, when I was standing in Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh watching Fay Fife ( Rezillos/Revillos) and her band The Countess Of Fife deliver a live performance that, in many ways, was just as memorable as that TV performance all those years ago. 

First things first. The band LOOKED great. If Country Punk is a look, then this band has it in spades. More importantly, they sounded wonderful. From the tight rhythm section of Willy Molleson on drums and Al Gare on double bass, to the genius of Brian McFee on electric guitar, plus Kirsten Adamson on acoustic guitar/vocals, it gave Fife the perfect platform to stamp her personality over a sixteen song setlist that crackled throughout.

The majority of that setlist was drawn from their debut album, Star of the Sea, which seems to offer something different on each listen, and live, the tunes did not disappoint, taking on a whole new dimension with more bite to the rockier songs, more soul and pathos to the alt-country slower ones.

The first three songs of the set perfectly showcased this. Second Fiddle hit the ground running, Fife obviously enjoying herself, and the band nudging it along at a fair lick. Trapped might be the best cut on the album. Live, it went to another place entirely. It has a soulful, laconic Americana feel, with lyrics that appear to have real personal meaning to Fife, and a vocal style Bonnie Rait or Lucinda Williams would kill for. It was that good.

If one song fully captured the band at their peak, it was Wandering Star. Mid-tempo rhythm, fast enough to have your feet tapping, slow enough to let you take in the full majesty of the music, with an anthemic chorus of vocal harmonies from Fife, Molleson and Adamson. Reminded me in places of Del Amitri and the Kevin McDermott Orchestra, which is never a bad thing.

Kirsten Adamson (daughter of the late Stuart) is a successful musician in her own right and on stage she was the perfect foil for Fife. It was clear to see that emotional connection between the pair. Their co-written song, Big Sister Little Sis captured a sense of togetherness perfectly, with a rocking skiffle backbeat to their co-vocal.

Not a band that tends to play a lot of gigs, the musicians did appear to enjoy the occasion with a real sense of togetherness on stage that made the performance that extra bit special.

Other highlights included the dark and gothic Humans Are A Bad Breed while And Let This Night Be Over favoured a beautifully understated, passionate vocal accompanied by a wonderful tremolo guitar outro from McFee.

The main set finished with Angel In My Pocket , a track that Fife said SHOULD have been on the debut album and WILL be included in the album’s re-release later this year. A more than welcome addition to an already fine record.

At some gigs, I’m never totally sure whether an encore is a good thing. The band were so good and the crowd so appreciative, it was essential. A welcome cover of The Revillos classic Mindbending Cutie Doll was a brilliant way to finish the gig, rocking out as only an insurgent country punk band can.

The Countess Of Fife are a band like no other. They sound different, they look different, and, in Al Gare, they have a bass player who was wearing the finest ‘going out’ shirt you will see this year. They are playing a handful of UK gigs over the next couple of months. Give your eyes and ears a treat and get to one of them if you can.

Brian Davidson
@weepeople1