Cambridge’s top hard rock band The Treatment released their sixth studio album Wake Up the Neighbourhood on Friday, 10 May, and to mark the occasion the talented five-piece played a special album launch show at Mash in the city centre on Saturday, 11 May.
Those of us who were there early enough were treated to a surprise acoustic set from the band, something singer Tom Rampton admitted they don’t do very often.
Seated and looking relaxed, Tom, drummer Dhani Mansworth, guitarists Tagore and Tao Grey and bass player Andy Milburn ran through spirited acoustic versions of some of The Treatment’s “less-commonly-played” material, which included the heartfelt I Can’t Wait No Longer, track six on the new record.
Tom, whose voice truly soared in this stripped-down format (not that it doesn’t normally), noted that it was the first time a song off the new album which hasn’t already been released as a single had been performed.
He thanked the appreciative audience - quite a few of whom I’m guessing are ‘regulars’ at Treatment gigs - for their constant support, which he continued to do throughout the evening, and assured us that the band would be back on stage later.
Before then, there was well-received support from relatively new band Mansworth, whose Facebook page describes their enjoyable sound as “70s/80s rock on steroids”.
The group, which includes three members of The Treatment in its line-up - as well as singer Rob Angelico and guitarist Laurie Mansworth, The Treatment’s manager and formerly a member of short-lived 80s collective Airrace - turned in an energetic performance which featured some great rock tunes, my favourites of which were probably Stone in My Shoe and Ruled By Your Love.
Coming back out to a huge reception, The Treatment kicked off their main set with Let’s Wake Up This Town, the new LP’s thunderous opening number, which certainly got the crowd pumped.
It was followed by track two on the album, the catchy Back to the 1970s, an irresistible slice of retro rock which namechecks some of the band’s rock heroes from said golden age.
Just when I thought they might be running through the new album in its entirety - not a bad thing as it’s another outstanding collection of songs - the boys changed tack with Let It Begin, a solid track from their 2016 album, Generation Me.
I was thinking that if the band played any songs from their also excellent previous album, 2021’s Waiting for Good Luck, it would be lead single Rat Race, so imagine my surprise - and delight - that they opted instead to do what I believe to be the highlight of that record, the infectious ‘down and dirty’ groove that is Eyes on Me. What a tune that is!
“You’re at about 80 per cent, we need to get to at least 110 per cent!” said a fired-up Rampton, addressing the crowd. He would make a good motivational speaker, or aerobics instructor.
This was my second time seeing the band (the first was at the Junction two years ago) and it was as high-energy as I remember it being then - storming tracks like Bite Back and Hang Them High are pure euphoria and simply demand audience participation.
Further tracks from the new album, When Thunder And Lightning Strikes \- the latest single - and This Fire Still Burns were included, but no room for Man on the Highwire, unfortunately.
Still, I’m certainly not complaining - especially as the band played Let’s Get Dirty, a fantastic song that I’d spent the previous week listening to almost non-stop in anticipation of the gig. I wasn’t sure if they’d do it, but I’m sure glad they did!
The triumphant evening came to an end with the double-header of fist-pumping sing-along Get the Party On and the frenetic Shake the Mountain, during which the quintet were joined on stage by a couple of their enthusiastic - and maybe slightly drunk - friends.
“See you in the bar afterwards and we’ll see you again soon,” promised Tom, acknowledging the close relationship that the band seem to share with their Cambridge fans.
[Read more: *[*Cambridge’s premier hard rock band The Treatment to release new album*](https://premium.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/whats-on/cambridge-s-premier-hard-rock-band-the-treatment-to-release-9361915/), Cambridge band The Treatment set to release fifth album, ‘Waiting for Good Luck’]*
This amazing band deserve to be filling much larger venues and to be honest I can’t understand why they aren’t…
And if anyone were to ask me what are my three favourite things about Cambridge, I would say the old buildings, the charity shops and The Treatment.
For more on the band, visit facebook.com/TheTreatmentOfficial/. For more on Mansworth, go to facebook.com/p/Mansworth-100082819030219/.
