Sweden’s Electric Boys caused quite a stir when they first burst onto the scene in the late ’80s with their Psychedelic tinged blend of Funk and Hard Rock with their single All Lips and Hips gaining heavy rotation on MTV.
The Electric Boys, alongside Dan Reed Network, Living Colour and Stevie Salas, not forgetting Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More brought a dash of colour and vibrant energy to the Hard Rock world towards the end of the ’80s and early ’90s as Hair Metal fizzled out and Grunge was waiting in the wings. For one brief moment the Funk groove and heavy riff reigned supreme.
After three albums, the Electric Boys called it a day and lead singer and guitarist Conny Bloom and bassist Andy Christell decamped to Glam Punks, Hanoi Rocks for a while before the original band reconvened after an absence of 15 years.
Two years ago they celebrated the 25th anniversary of their groove heavy debut album Funk-o-Metal Carpet Ride with an extensive tour hooking up with Dan Reed Network for some UK shows and what a dream pairing that was.
Tonight it’s time to celebrate the silver anniversary of the follow up Groovus Maximus, an album cut from the same Funk soaked cloth as the illustrious debut. Not only does the title perfectly sum up its musical contents but it was performed in its full hip shaking, foot jiving glory.
Rather than performing it in the original running order, Electric Boys toyed around with it bringing the closing instrumental March of The Spirits right to the front as the show opener. It actually made real sense and set the scene for the title track to kick down the doors.
Strangely enough, the reordering of the track listing worked a treat with the pacing of the album working perfectly on stage with the sleazy Aerosmith groove of Fire In The House and Tear It Up nestling alongside the Beatles Psychedelia of Mary In The Mystery World and the big ballad Dying To Be Loved but it was the cheeky Bad Motherfunker towards the end that took top prize with its huge Funky groove and even bigger gang vocal fired chorus. An absolutely perfect song best blasted out loud and proud.
A three-song encore including the super Funky, Electrified and brand new song, the bizarrely titled, Dishes ended with All Lips and Hips hitting a mighty ten on the grooveometer.
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