It’s busy in the Slade Rooms tonight. As busy as RTM has ever seen it, with the exception of Sabaton last year.
It is, as Rival Sons singer Jay Buchanan later notes, the fourth show on their UK tour “and the fourth sold out show” – whilst we beg to differ on the “sold out” point this evening, it is clear that Rival Sons star is in the ascendancy right now.
All of which means that second band on - Stourbridge hard rockers Liberty Lies - are playing to a far bigger crowd than they are used to. They are not helped by two things, first of all a dreadful sound that drenches the whole thing in feedback, and the second is the lack of a stand out song. Set closer “The Wire” is decent stab, but its not quite there. They do have talent, but unless they find a killer punch they are always destined to be on the pub circuit.
The sound issues apparently dogged openers fast rising Midlands mob My Great Affliction too. RTM aren’t there in time to watch them, but the problems, which Buchanan apologises for, have disappeared by the time Rival Sons hit the stage.
The LA four piece have recently been on these shores supporting Judas Priest (“they only gave us 25 minutes – by the time you get it up, you gotta put it away” says the frontman) in truth, that is a rather unlikely pairing anyway. There is no heavy metal in the Sons groove, they are a blues rock band – and a rather fine one at that.
Their second full length album “Pressure and Time” (which must rank of the more melodic to come out on Earache Records) has attracted rave reviews. However, you always suspected these songs were made to be played live and “Burn Down Los Angeles” and “All Over The Road” sound so much better in packed club than on an Ipod.
Towards the end of the 75 minute set the band really cuts lose. “Soul” from their "Rival Sons EP" earlier in the year takes on a life of its own thanks to some fine guitar work from Scott Holliday and the tight rhythms of bass man Robin Everett and drummer Mike Miley.
A gig like this, though, was always going to end in a jam session and what starts off as album track “Save Me” becomes a medley of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well” and blues standard “Baby Please Don’t Go.” Good choices considering that everything about this band screams retro – and sometimes that’s not a bad thing.
Rival Sons are not here to change the world, or "save rock n roll" but they are the natural heirs to the Black Crowes crown. And what is wrong with that?
No comments:
Post a Comment