Powerful songs and inspiring ballads of Canadian bluesrock band
This afternoon bluesrock band No Sinner performs on stage in the upper hall of the Paradiso in Amsterdam. This Canadian, Vancouver based band is formed around singer and known actress Colleen Rennison. After an earlier EP in 2012 the band recently released their official debut album Boo Hoo Hoo. Their music is a nice combination of firm bluesrock, stimulating jumpblues and rousing ballads. All with a remarkable soulful sound, mostly due to the grating voice of singer Rennison.
No Sinner commences with the gorgeous ballad If Anything followed by the sharp-toned Love Is A Madness on which Rennison flaunts her great voice. Her raw tone of voice can be compared to singers like Beth Hart, Dana Fuchs and Janis Joplin. Certainly when Rennison really shouts out loud. Although relatively unknown over here No Sinner built a reputation in Canada and the United States. The band already played at The Commodore Ballroom and The Biltmore Cabaret in their hometown Vancouver, and performed recently at the big South By South West Festival in Austin, Texas.
Besides tracks from the new album and a couple of other songs the band plays various cool covers of other bands and artists. Like a nice and flaming version of Nat Adderley and Oscar Brown Jr.’s Work Song (most known in Nina Simone’s version) in which Rennison screams out loud, the rhythm section really rocks and the great guitarist Eric Campbell plays an awesome solo. The same thing occurs in the cool version of AC/DC’s Ride On. This indicates the band is certainly rooted and inspired by heavy rock as well.
But the band also masters a quantity of soul as it shows in the sucking and soulful ballad Devil ‘s On My Back, also a track on the new album. Towards the end of the set No Sinner plays the lyrical, pumping and naughty Mandy-Lyn on which Campbell elatedly makes his guitar weep and Rennison once again hits out hard. Besides Rennison and Campbell the band consists of good drummer Ian Browne and strong bassist Brandon Clarke.
Promising
After an hour of intense playing Rennison out of necessity tells the audience the end song will be next, because shortly after the show a subsequent act will take place. No Sinner finishes in stylish fashion with the title track Boo Hoo Hoo, a catchy jumpblues with nice drumming of band leader Ian Browne and the racing bass of Brandon Clarke. By the way, Clarke did not collaborate on the album but he’s definitely a welcome member during this current European tour.
Unfortunately the beautiful gospel ballad Rise Up is missing on today’s set list. A song in which the qualities of singer Rennison and No Sinner as a band blossom to the fullest. But also without this great song the band offers abundant joy and made a big impression anyhow. Despite the shortness of this gig I’m certain we will hear more from them.
Actress
It wouldn’t surprise me if No Sinner will return to this Amsterdam venue soon. To play in a sold out Paradiso’s big hall that is. And blow the audience out of its mind. This Canadian bluesrock band not only has the balls, but also the potential to develop into a band of stature. All the more reason to check this promising band out and listen to their music.
Besides being a great singer Rennison is also a well known actress, who started acting at a very young age. In 1994 her acting career began with the movie Max. Later on she acted in television series as The Outer Limits, Highlander, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Millennium and The Sentinel and movies like Da Vinci’s City Hall, Unforgettable (with Ray Liotta and Linda Fiorentino), Rob Reiner’s The Story Of Us – with Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer – and the Sally Field directed movie Beautiful, with Kathleen Turner.
Recently Colleen Rennison was nominated for her role in the film Down River, winner of the Most Popular Canadian Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2013.
Prior to the show I had a talk with the versatile and muli-talented Colleen Rennison in the dressing room of the Paradiso. Read the interview
