Coney Hatch: Live at the El Mocambo (2021)

Let’s get that feelin’ in the air
(Let’s get that feelin’ in the air)
Break all the rules if you dare
(Break all the rules if you dare)
Let’s get that feelin’ in the air
We got the night the night belongs to us
(Night belongs to us)
We got the night the night belongs to us
(Night belongs to us)

The night did belong to us. Coney Hatch back on Oct 3. 2020 did a livestream broadcast from the legendary El Mocambo club and wanted to make that nights socially distanced concert a memorable one for everyone who have been on that 39 year old musical ride with the Hatchers!

I have been a Coney Hatch fan since the self titled debut from Ontario’s finest first hit the record racks here in Thunder Bay back in 1982.

Once this vinyl album was up for preorder it was a quick click and checkout at the online Coney Hatch merchandise store.

Carl Dixon, Andy Curran, Dave ‘Thumper’ Ketchum and Sean Kelly have released the ultimate live album that one could hope for as I have been waiting for any official live Hatch material since 1985!

Better late than never and boy did these guys deliver on all fronts. The mix expertly done by Vic Florenica gives the 15 songs a sonic punch in the gut by keeping the album live. In other words no studio polish added here.

As the band takes the stage to intro music to Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” and launch into set opener “We Got The Night” they are not fooling around as if this song doesn’t get your blood flowing nothing will.

After the break neck pace of the first song is done, it’s one solid track after another. The band this night last fall were on fire. “Stand Up” makes you take notice as Sean Kelly gives the tracks on the Mocambo a spark and the I can honestly that Sean pays tribute to original Coney guitarist Steve Shelski by playing the solo’s as they were originally heard on the albums but Sean adds his own flair and style to each track.

For myself this is album that I have personally been waiting for. All four Coney albums are represented even three tracks from 2013’s “Four” release. ( “Blown Away”, “Boy’s Club” and “Marseilles”) are all represented. Drummer Dave ‘Thumper’ Ketchum steadies the ship with the beat throughout the albums fifteen tracks as Thumper drives the band forward on opener “We Got The Night” right through to set closer “No Sleep Tonight”.

One of Coney’s great strengths (amongst the songs of course) is within the band as there are two lead vocalists which is an added plus to the overall sound of the band.

On one side, Vocalist/ Bassist Andy Curran delivers the rockers as songs like “Wrong Side of Town” (featuring some stellar guitar licks from Sean Kelly) “Some Like It Hot” and the iconic “Monkey Bars” prove (the outro solo at the end of the Monkey Bars by Sean is another highlight).

On the other side, Vocalist/Rhythm Guitarist Carl Dixon also deliver’s the goods as well on the rock side (“Devil’s Deck”, “Don’t Say Make Me”) but maybe perhaps with a little more of a commercial slant that songs like “Hey Operator”, “First Time For Everything” and the brilliantly lyrically written “She’s Gone” prove.

This concept works as a total positive in the dynamics of the Hatch. Let’s call it the best of both worlds.

The packaging is done up in a total bootleg style as Andy told myself and Mikey Ladano that each album is hand stamped with the logo and the first 100 copies of the double vinyl are autographed by each member of the band.

Check out the vinyl itself pictured below. No songs listed in a true bootleg vibe. I really think this is a cool move as the boy’s are basically telling us all to let the music do the talking. The only info is the insert of band pic with the songs listed.

Simple but totally effective.

The Rolling Stones, The Cars, April Wine, Elvis Costello, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Cheap Trick are a few of the artists/bands that have graced the the stage of the El Mo that have put out live albums.

You can now add Coney Hatch to that list.

On a personal note I want to thank Andy, Sean, Carl and Thumper for the music as Coney Hatch has and still continue to this day have played a huge part in shaping my musical journey down that sonic highway that began way back in ’82.

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