Four Good Men Bring Their Retro Sound to JJ

Jammin' Java, Vienna, Virginia, Nov. 28

Recommended beverage to go with this show:

In the absence of McEwan’s, any wee heavy ale will do

Photo: Keyboardist Mick MacNeill and I hang after the show.

A bunch of Scottish musician friends recently got together to form a band called Four Good Men. Not only will their sound transport you back to the ’80s, but these guys were in some of those earlier bands that helped create this sound. Four Good Men are: Keyboardist Mick MacNeill and bassist Derek Forbes, both founding members of Simple Minds; guitarist Bruce Watson from the band Big Country, and vocalist Ian Donaldson of H20, who’d hit it big in Europe.

To start their set, a woman took the stage playing bagpipes, which set the Celtic mood, and soon the first two good men appeared, one in a kilt and the other in a white and red silk suit. Then, the others took the stage and there were….five men. Later, I asked Donaldson who didn’t make the good man category and he said that would be Smiley, the drummer, who came on board last. He said, “Fook it, we’d already chosen the name and we didn’t want to change it.” Smiley is another veteran musician, having toured with the late great Joe Strummer of the Clash as well as Robbie Williams.

While Four Good Men would lean on some of their best-loved old hits, including Simple Minds songs “Alive and Kicking” and “Don’t You Forget About Me” and Big Country’s “In a Big Country,” the new songs sounded as though they could’ve been tracks on those earlier hit albums. Donaldson’s voice is deep and velvety, reminiscent of OMD, another UK new wave band from that earlier era. Four Good Men’s new songs recreated that infectious 80s new wave sound and their musicianship and camaraderie resonated throughout the room.

Four Good Men singer Ian Donaldson hangs with me after the show.

Although currently unsigned, the band was promoting a mostly original cd of four live tracks recorded in the UK and four demos, the only cover being a fantastic live version of Simple Minds’ “Someone, Somewhere in the Summertime.” Despite Jammin’ Java’s publicity efforts, the crowd was sparse but that didn’t stop the band from playing their hearts out.

Opening the show, the local band Soft Complex provided the perfect complement to the headliner. A tight band with a lead singer who crooned like Morrissey, they fit right in with the new wave, alternative genre.

ClubD would like to thank the ever-humble Ian and Mick for graciously hanging out with fans after the show. They are, indeed, the nicest blokes, though I wouldn’t expect any less from the Scottish.

Thanks to Christina for the above pix!