Snake Oil & Harmony (Gig Review)

Danny Vaughn & Dan Reed

The Diamond

Sutton-in-Ashfield

24.03.15

When I heard that Danny Vaughn (Tyketto) and Dan Reed (Dan Reed Network) were teaming up to do collaboration tour I made it a priority to get tickets to at least one of the shows. The tour kicked off at the Diamond Sutton-in-Ashfield which is just up the road from me and the first one hundred to book tickets received a complimentary glass of bubbly and access to a rather sumptuous buffet, so the Diamond it is then.

I’m coming at this gig primarily as a Tyketto and Danny Vaughn fan, I’ve only heard of Dan Reed due to his success with his band Dan Reed Network and that was around a quarter of a century ago. However I just know this is going to be something special, it’s Danny and Dan on stage treating us to an acoustic rendition of both of their back catalogues as well as a few covers thrown in.

Danny Vaughn

The duo met for the first time at download festival last year, an astonishing fact when you consider their paths must have crossed many times over the years. Danny Vaughn tells us he’s not looking at the colourfully named Snake Oil & Harmony tour as just another tour but more of a ‘life experience’ and listening to the banter between the pair I can understand what Danny means.

Two very different Americans are sitting on the diamond stage tonight however the thing they have most in common is their love for playing acoustic (unplugged) music.

Danny treats us to many Tyketto songs, ‘Wings’ ‘The End of the Summer Days’ ‘Standing Alone’ and ‘Forever Young’ being the pick of the crop while Dan plays some songs from his brand new album ‘Transmission’ and some old classics like the brilliant ‘Rainbow Child’.

As the tour progresses I’m sure their collaboration will only grow stronger, by their own admission they hadn’t done a lot of rehearsal prior to the tour, so it’s very much a Vaughn song followed by a Reed song as the two hour set unfolded.

I’ve never been to an acoustic gig before where the crowd (and there’s plenty here) have respectfully remained silent during the songs, a testimony to the quality of the performers here tonight.

                                                          Dan Reed

A couple of very different characters are seated before us, Danny regales us with show biz tales and amusing anecdotes including the ‘hair’ dilemma (he has an abundance of it while Dan shaved all his off a long time ago) whereas Dan comes across more melancholy, political, theological and sociological topics occupy his dialogue and song lyrics, however he is still a very amusing fellow. We are all absorbed by Dan’s Buddhist monk story, keeping it short basically after leaving the music industry behind for many years Dan Reed ended up in northern India with a bunch of Buddhist monks who asked him to teach them the Queen song ‘We Will rock you’ this made him realise he needed music back in his life (it was way funnier when he told it I promise).

The mammoth two hour set is rounded off with two covers, Dan sings the Dio song ‘Holy Diver’ after both men have eulogised about their respective experiences of the great man. Finally the show finishes with Danny singing the Eagles song ‘Take it Easy’ Dan Reed confesses to not having learnt it yet to which Danny replied ‘I get an extra 5% then’ this kind of repartee between the duo makes for an exalted double act I’m certain will live on beyond the eleven dates of the Snake Oil & Harmony tour. In the short term maybe more live shows will be added later in the year or next year, in the long term, who knows perhaps a writing collaboration and an album. I realise this may sound a bit far fetched at this stage but on the strength of their first live show together I think anything is possible.

Danny & Dan @ The Diamond

After the show both guys came out to meet and greet us signing anything and everything both were more than happy to chat and pose for photos in a relaxed and informal manner. This attitude and the vast talent they both posses made for a superlative night, Danny & Dan we salute you.

I highly recommend you get your selves along to one of the shows on this tour before its too late… GD Manofmetal.  

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