Max Bianco found fame and notoriety as one of the front men of Hartlepool-based industrial-folk rockers, The Jar Family. The band gained many fans and plaudits from festival appearances and support slots on major UK tours with the likes of Alabama 3, The Charlatans and Steve Craddock of Ocean Colour Scene. Whilst seemingly on the verge of hitting the next level of recognition, the journey appears to have stalled for The Jar Family, with Max Bianco embarking on a solo career and the other band members also going their separate ways.
The end of The Jar Family doesn’t mean you’ll never get to see some of those songs performed again, however, as Max Bianco will incorporate some of his former band’s favourites into his solo stage show at The Studio in Hartlepool on Saturday 17th November. Not to say that Max’s show will be The Jar Family version 2, he tells me: “Some old stuff will be thrown in there, but they will be a little different from the old ones. My new band are younger than The Jar Family. We are all the same age and can be on the same page in that way.”
“The stuff I’m doing now is raunchier and there’s more attitude about it”
Joining Max for this gig will be Hartlepool songwriter Michael Gallagher and his band; his recent single ‘Real Love’ is available on Spotify and Apple Music and is well worth a listen. The Endeavours will open the night and they have a reputation for creating awe-inspiring live performances with their original rock/blues-influenced sound. Max’s show will kick off with him performing solo with guitar and harmonica and then he will be joined by his full band to seal off the night with songs both old and new.
Talking about his new performances, Max noted: “The stuff I’m doing now is raunchier and there’s more attitude about it.” It certainly will be interesting to see if Max can transfer the infectious energy of his previous incarnation into this new venture.
Max’s recently released singles ‘North East Bay’ and ‘H-Town Blues’ give a flavour of what to expect – they’re Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen-infused with funk, indie and pop aspects.
Max Bianco, Michael Gallagher and The Endeavours play The Studio, Hartlepool on Saturday 17th November. Tickets, priced from £6.00 (plus booking fee) are available from the venue and from seetickets.com – and for an extra £5.00 you can secure a place at an exclusive after-gig party at a secret location.
