Scarborough Evening News photographer Kevin Allen had an interesting backstory – he had been a jockey as well as some adventures in eastern Europe around the time of the war in the Balkans – but he was also in a band during the pub rock scene in the 1970s. It turned out that his band, Blast Furnace and the Heatwaves, were on the verge of chart success and then the lawyers stepped in because, if you can believe this, people might confuse a pub rock band with a disco band called Heatwave. Fast forward a few years and, in the words of the Blues Brothers, Kevin got the band back together and what a cracking gig it was too.

Gig review: Blast Furnace and the Heatwaves at Yorkshire Coast College, Westwood campus. Review by Ian Duncan.

IT sounds like a film script – band gets together in the late 1970s, band breaks up for a variety of reasons including a bizarre lawsuit, and 30 years later band decides to reform for a one-off gig.

Blast Furnace and the Heatwaves were on the verge of something big back in the day before Rod Temperton, a Hull-born songwriter, landed them with a legal writ claiming fans might confuse his disco band, Heatwave, with this motley bunch of punk blues renegades.

And it was all too much. With a record ready to ship, but unable to sell it because of legal reasons, the band disintegrated in a cloud of squabbles and disagreements.

There had been various rumours kicking around that they might get back together for gigs in London and I was surprised when I heard they were speaking again and a reunion gig was announced. But hardly surprising as bassist Kevin Allen has been a Scarborough-based photographer during his post-band career.

Support came in the form of the Louie Swift Collective featuring Kevin’s son Jordan on guitar and an impressive 13-year-old drummer, Miles Santini, who could give many of those twice his age a run for their money.

They played a variety of covers including Bohemian Like You and Hey Joe. Their youthful enthusiasm certainly showed a lot of promise.

The gig coincided with the 59th birthday of Blast Furnace frontman Charles Shaar Murray, a former NME writer – and a return trip to these shores for guitarist Andy Eastwood, who lives in Australia.

Kicking off with the single South of the River, they quickly slotted back into that blues punk vibe, with its chugging guitars and wailing harmonica, like Dr Feelgood being prescribed steroids.

As well as rattling through a selection of their own tunes they played a few covers including Nutbush City Limit and Fleetwood Mac’s Need Your Love So Bad.

Dripping with sweat, they genuinely seemed to be having a good time on stage and after an impromptu encore, a second outing for South of the River, it was all over.

A real blast from the past – but let’s hope they don’t leave it another 30 years before the next gig.

From the Scarborough Evening News on Wednesday, June 30, 2010.