COVENTRY Music Museum Curator Pete Chambers writes for the Observer
FEW local bands can boast a lifespan of over two decades and few can claim the bragging rights of being a constant crowd puller through all that time.
The Session can, though and much more. Indeed, I don’t think I have ever heard anyone express anything less than positive words about this band.
With superb songs, outstanding musicianship and powerhouse vocals, it’s time to look at the history of this great band just as tickets become available to a special gig at the HMV Empire on September 16 this year.
Though rumour has it tickets are becoming scarce already.
Founded by brother and sister Dean MacDonald and Sheryl McClean and with almost all the original members still active within the group, the band have gone on to release six original studio albums in that time.
They have also played over 550 shows from the early days in 2002 at the Dog and Trumpet, the Jailhouse and the Hope and Anchor to the main stage of Godiva twice in the last four festivals.
2002 onwards had the band gigging all over the UK from Liverpool to London but the band always had a preference for local gigs where they have always had a great following and where they have their best memories.
They have shared stages with some of the biggest acts in The Charlatans and The Levellers to name just two.
I asked frontman Dean MacDonald where it all started.
He said: “The Session started at 93 Berkeley Road South in Earlsdon in January 200 – the house was inherited by one of the band and it became party central – much to the annoyance of the Earlsdon residents.
“It was headquarters for The Session where jamming sessions would go on into the early hours.
“All of the songs for the first album were written there.
“The house was actually reported to the police for noise at one point, so it was decided we needed to take this thing out on the road as it was not suitable as a gigging venue.
“We decided to call ourselves The Session due to these sessions and by June of that year, they almost held a residency at the Dog and Trumpet, playing their first 12 gigs at the same venue, all their mates would come and word started to spread.”
So I asked Deam about some of the stand-out gigs he remembered?
Dean added: “The band have played all over the country and have had so many great moments with festivals and shows with too many to mention but the early 2003 North London shows at the Archway tavern (Muswell Hillbillies The Kinks Artwork) were always a blast and the Warwick Uni main stage in 2004/2005 were always great gigs .
“The most bizarre was a spiritualist festival near Oxford in 2003, we have some great funny stories about that day.”
I asked him next about the current line-up of the band?
Dean said: “The current line-up has Mark Boorman on lead guitar and the band are still looking forward and not back, recording brand new music in 2023.
“A few surprises are promised throughout the evening and a great mix of support bands will be on parade.”
Limited free tickets can be found on the HMV Empire official website or at https://bit.ly/hmvEmpireTheSession21Years
