The Stacey Brothers' Big Band Steely Dan Project: The Royal Scammers at Ronnie Scott’s, London – 20/01/2024

 

The Royal Scammers are a Steely Dan tribute band formed of Jeremy and Paul Stacey, and their 14-piece big band. I only came across these wonderful musicians a few weeks ago when I saw they were playing a six-night run at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, and managed to snag a last-minute ticket for the final night. As a massive Steely Dan fan who hasn’t seen the band since their last UK show in 2019, and with no upcoming dates on the horizon, I figured a highly regarded tribute band playing at London’s most prestigious jazz club was the next best thing.

 

Shortly after arriving at Ronnie Scott’s and being led to a front row table (where I was so close to the stage, I was practically touching the keyboard), the Royal Scammers arrived on stage and kicked off the set with a fabulously glossy rendition of ‘Peg’. While the unique vocal tone of Donald Fagen is unmatched, The Royal Scammers lead vocalist Andy Caine showcased a powerful vocal that fully delivered on the far-reaching range required for the Steely Dan catalogue. 

 

Likewise, the backing vocalists were also excellent, and expertly nailed the intricate backing vocals on ‘Peg’s’ chorus. Though a notable mention must go to Bryan Chambers, whose vocal so strikingly emulated that of Michael McDonald’s featured vocals on the studio version of ‘Peg’, that if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought it was McDonald himself on stage. 

 

The gift of so closely emulating the studio albums, while also adding their own signature sound ran true across all the band members in every song; Paul Stacey’s guitar playing in ‘Babylon Sisters’, particularly in the verses, was mesmerising and truly made this rendition on a par with, if not better than any live version I’ve heard, while Jeremy Stacey's drum solo in ‘Aja’ was equally impressive and truly captured the spirit of Steely Dan’s later work. 

 

The setlist itself was solid, delivering many well-loved titles from across the Steely Dan catalogue, while also providing rarities that one may not expect to hear at an actual Steely Dan concert. The furiously upbeat, piano-littered funk of ‘I Got the News’ was one such example of a surprise inclusion that thrived among a strong setlist of fan favourites. However, with ‘Gaucho’ being my all-time favourite Steely Dan song, the Royal Scammers’ rendition was a natural set highlight for me and was about as close to perfection as hearing the real band – though in retroscpect, this observation is true of the entire evening’s performance.

 

Ronnie Scott’s was the perfect venue for this performance, with great acoustics and an intimacy that really heightened the fantastic musicianship of the entire band. The venue enforces a strict no talking/no photos policy during performances, and I cannot put into words how refreshing it was to be in a venue where the audience is fully engaged in the music, to the point you can hear a pin drop even between songs. The Royal Scammers apparently play a residency here every year; based on this incredible performance, I’ll be back.

 

Setlist 

Peg

Babylon Sisters

I Got the News

Deacon Blues

Kid Charlemagne

Josie

Dirty Work

Haitian Divorce

Green Earrings

Rikki Don't Lose That number

Reelin’ In the Years

Gaucho

Time Out of Mind 

 

Aja 

My Old School