Eric Martin with David James Smith at The Carlisle in Hastings
Eric Martin has been a part of the musical backing track of my life for as long as I can remember. Back in the mid-80s, his song ‘Lyin’ In A Bed Of Fire’ appeared on ‘Beyond Metal Zone,’ a compilation album that formed the backbone of my listening for years to come. It featured artists like Robin Trower, Waysted, and Savatage—there was even a Metallica track on there! Eric’s song, however, was in no way a metal track, but it certainly held up to multiple listens, and it wasn’t long before I had his self-titled album in my ever-growing record collection.
A few years later, I was thrilled when an album was released featuring Eric on vocals alongside two more of my musical heroes: Paul Gilbert from Racer X and Billy Sheehan from David Lee Roth’s band. While Mr. Big seemed to be about showcasing the awesome talents of Paul and Billy, Eric’s soulful vocals were a major part of their sound.
Now, almost 40 years later, after seeing Mr. Big many times in arenas and festivals across the country (including a show on their recent farewell tour), imagine my excitement when I discovered that Eric Martin would be playing at The Carlisle in Hastings. I’ve mentioned The Carlisle a few times before, as it never fails to amaze me how good the acts are that ‘See Ya There Promotions’ manage to recruit for the small coastal venue. I’m starting to think that maybe word has gotten around about the lasagna the bands are fed when they play there—Eric Martin isn’t the first artist who has mentioned The Carlisle’s lasagna!
Opening for Eric on this bright and sunny Sunday evening in Hastings was David James Smith. With nothing more than a beautiful Gibson acoustic guitar, David sat on a stool in the centre of the stage and played. David James Smith is the guitarist and singer for the band Austin Gold. As he sat on the stool on The Carlisle stage, he looked every bit the rock star with his worn guitar, tinted sunglasses, and long hair. But he’s not just a pretty face (yep, he is that too—some people have it all!). He’s got a great voice and really knows how to use it, taking us through acoustic versions of ten Austin Gold songs—a sampler, if you like, of all three of their albums (four if you include their 2019 self-titled 6-track EP). David is a great performer and expertly engages the small crowd as he showcases his songs, and it became clear along the way that he’s got some pretty mean guitar skills too.
By the end of the set, the crowd was singing along to what turned out to be some particularly well-written and catchy songs by Austin Gold. I think it’s fair to say that as an ambassador for the band, David James Smith did a stellar job. I, for one, will be looking forward to seeing him perform with the full band when they next play at The Carlisle—if not before!
‘Unleashed & Unplugged’ is the title Eric Martin has given to this UK tour, travelling from Edinburgh down to the southern coast of England. His partner along the way is Demon string slinger Dave Cotterill, and tonight he was also joined by another Brit, Saul Watson on bass. Eric demonstrated not only his great musical talent throughout the evening but also his wicked sense of humour, as he spent the evening teasing Saul and a few select members of the audience front row, much to the entertainment (and I’m sure relief) of the rest of the room.
Opening with Willie Nelson’s ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You,’ the acoustic duo served up some great playing topped off with on-point vocals from both Eric and Demon Dave. I’m not entirely certain that Dave Cotterill was always aware he was on acoustic guitar tonight; he was constantly hitting the overdrive and shredding his way up and down the neck of his Takamine, covering many of the Paul Gilbert parts in style. There were a few cool covers in the set, including Elvis Costello’s ‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding’ and, of course, Cat Stevens’ ‘Wild World.’ But it was the Mr. Big songs that people were really here for, and the crowd wasn’t disappointed.
Throughout the night, we were given great versions of ‘Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song),’ ‘Just Take My Heart,’ ‘Alive and Kickin’,’ and of course, ‘To Be With You.’ With such a large catalogue of tunes to choose from, it was great to hear older songs like ‘Superfantastic’ and ‘Electrified.’ However, I would have loved to have heard a version of ‘Lyin’ In A Bed Of Fire’ or even some tracks from the newer albums, but with literally hundreds of songs to choose from, I guess we can’t have it all.
It was a real treat to witness the clearly stadium-sized talents of these three musicians in such an intimate venue—Eric and co certainly appeared to be enjoying themselves. I know I did!
For more information about the bands and their up-and-coming gigs visit:
Eric Martin | @EricMartinOfficial | ericmartin.com
David Cotterill | @DemonBandOfficial | www.demon.band
David James Smith | @AustinGoldBand | austingold.co.uk
