PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
After a two year absence Sky Valley Mistress made it back to the underbelly of Edinburgh’s music scene with a return to Bannermans Bar as part of their current short tour. PlanetMosh took the opportunity to catch up with the band for a few minutes before stage time to find out how things have been going recently.
With Bannermans Bar providing a furnished flat upstairs for bands to stay overnight we decanted there for what was expected to be peace and quiet. However, with Kayley (vocals), Maxwell (drums), Duke (guitar) and Russell (bass) the peace was soon shattered as we were off immediately into talking about the forthcoming new album recently recorded at the Rancho De La Luna studios in Los Angeles. With bands of the stature of Queens Of The Stone Age recording at the Rancho studios, Sky Valley Mistress had admitted to feeling slightly under pressure but made sure the hours were put in prior to flying out to ensure the 10 days of recording time were used as efficiently as possible.
With no title, as yet, and no confirmed released date, other than it will see the light of day in 2017, the bands enthusiasm for their new album was clear to see. The trip to Los Angeles has made a lasting impression and has focussed the determination of the foursome to do what they can to make the new album a success. We look forward to hearing the fruits of their labour in the new year.
Onto the gig, and due to a slight booking misunderstanding Sky Valley Mistress found themselves with two support acts. Local based bands The Motion Poets and Dog Moon Howl provided enough alternative rock to keep the Bannermans crowd interested and set the evening up nicely for Sky Valley Mistress.
With over 300 gigs under their belt, any hint of nerves were nowhere to be seen as a very confident Kayley took to centre stage just before 11pm to kick off a set that included a good selection of new album material and some older tracks. As Kayley admitted earlier to feeling a bit under the weather, you would not have noticed as the vocal delivery had both power and feeling in equal measure as song after song swung from full on blues rock to slower tracks with a sludge psychedelic feel.
Maxwell on drums was a bundle of enthusiasm and attacked the drums as if it was his last ever gig. His love of those drums was made clear to your PlanetMosh reporter in no uncertain terms earlier in the evening as he reminisced over his teenage drumming experiences. Duke on guitar and Russell on bass were the quieter two in the band but proceeded to do all their talking on stage. Duke can certainly find his way around the guitar and switched from the blues to sludge styles effortlessly. Russell on bass may be the youngest of the group but having been to Bannermans Bar two years previously at the tender age of 16 he showed a maturity that many more experienced bands would be envious of.
Highlight tracks from the gig included Dirty Blonde Blues and the new tracks Skull & Pistons and Lost In Shock which provided a sneak glimpse of what we expect to hear next year. The sooner that new album arrives the better. The cover of Sabbath’s Paranoid went down very well with the appreciative Bannermans faithful. Sky Valley Mistress left us just before midnight to prepare for the short hop across the central belt to Glasgow’s Nice & Sleazy the next day.
If you have the opportunity to catch Sky Valley Mistress in action make sure you take it. They may well be the “best thing you’ve never heard.”
Set List:
Skull & Pistons
Fly
Punk
She Is So
Paranoid
It Wont Stop
Lost In Shock
Dirty Blonde Blues
Electric Church
