RIVAL SONS, Graveltones, Ulysses @Birmingham Institute 11/4/13

First of all you have to take your hat off to Rival Sons. In an age where it is increasingly hard for new bands to get heard, what they have achieved in the last couple of years in the UK is pretty remarkable.

When RTM first saw them in 2011 they were at a packed Slade Rooms. Then in autumn last year they were at a packed Wulfrun Hall and now just six months later they are at The Institute main room and guess what, that’s all but sold out too. The group are living, breathing proof that if you tour constantly, engage with fans on social media and have good songs, then you can still play rock n roll.

Both support bands for this evening are on this month’s Classic Rock “Bands to Watch” CD. Bath’s Ulysses we have seen before, when they opened for Rival Sons at the aforementioned Wulfrun gig. Unashamedly 1960s sounding, they remind RTM of The Kinks. “April Showers” is chirpy, while closing song “Taxi Driver” (the song on the CR CD) is catchy and immediate and sees the band all playing Kettle Drums before bidding us adieu.

London two piece Graveltones are next up, an odd affair, as two piece groups tend to be, they make a real racket. Sort of heavy blues, let’s be totally honest, whatever they do they are going to get compared to the White Stripes. If that is comparison that will upset them they are doing nothing to dissuade it. “I Want Your Love,” their song on the cover mounted CD is a good one, as is “Money”, but they finish off, rather strangely with a drum solo.

Which brings us to Rival Sons. Guitarist Scott Holliday emerges wearing a very loud suit, while singer Jay Buchanan has the look of a younger Steven Tyler. The band are greeted like heroes. Opener “You Want To” is rather a cameo of what happens for the rest of the night. The song is a good one, but the band – as befits a group with a retro outlook – they extend it into a huge jam, likewise the following track “Get What’s Coming” follows the same path. It does, to be totally honest, get just a little wearing.

“Gypsy Heart” is better, borrowing as it does, from The Black Crowes “Remedy” while “All The Way” with its attempts at light-heartedness doesn’t quite work. That is absolutely not the case for “Until The Sun Comes” the stand out moment of last year’s “Head Down” album, a fine song, full of Stonesy stomp, you wish all their songs were as short and sharp as this.

“Jordan” is a little bit too mystical for our tastes, while epic closer “Sacred Tounge” and “Face Of Light” starts off acoustically and builds to a conclusion.

The encore of “Burn Down Los Angeles” a brilliant track from the superb “Pressure And Time” album and “Soul” which is equally good, showcase just why this band is so popular, and why – despite RTM’s misgivings about the third album and the jamming nature of their delivery – they keep filling halls up and down the country.

Personally not all of this gig was to our tastes, that said, we are in a minority as the band continues to go from strength to strength.

RIVAL SONS, Ulysses, Pint Sized Hero @Slade Rooms 29/9/12

Pint Sized Hero are chuffed to bits to be here. The grins on their faces tell you as much.

The Kent band are adopting a “cottage industry” approach to Rock n Roll, releasing their “Get Your Kicks” album themselves, so bagging the opening slot on this tour is a pretty big – and important deal.

Their songs have just the right amount of retro to pull it off. “Barberella” and the albums title track get things moving pretty well, while the new song they air before they end (so new it doesn’t have a name yet) hinted at a future with some heavier riffs.

Bath’s Ulysses are far too cool to show happiness, but they too have a real 1970s vibe to their tunes. To RTM they sounded like The Kinks playing hard Rock songs with The White Stripes. Not bad at all, but a touch more stage presence wouldn’t go amiss.

Rival Sons have become a reasonably big deal. Album number three, “Head Down” has gone into the British Charts at 19, and is top of the Rock section. Moreover, last November RTM saw them play The Slade Rooms. This show is at the bigger Wulfrun around the corner – we predicted they would rise fast and for once it seems, we were right.

They have done so on the back of embracing the old and the new. They have released good records, gone on tour with everybody they can and done the old school things to build a fanbase. However, they have also embraced social media to get their message out there. Perhaps as a result of this there are a lot more young people here than you might normally get for what is essentially a retro act.

If 2011’s “Pressure and Time” was a stunning affair – and the band begin with the title track from it tonight – the just released “Head Down” is more of a grower.  “Wild Animal” sounds heavier than on record, while “You Want To” grooves along. “All The Way” with its supposedly jokey lyrics doesn’t quite work.

“…Down’s” first single “Keep On Swinging” goes down a storm when tossed out mid-set, while anyone who doesn’t enjoy “Burn Down Los Angeles” from “…Time” is, frankly, an idiot and there is a dip back to the first CD with “Memphis Son.”

The main set was, from start to finish, a triumph. But things do go slightly array in the encore. Manifest pts 1 and 2 are jammed on a little bit too long, and closing number, the brilliant on record “Soul” goes the same way.

These quibbles aside, the Sons deserve their success and posses real talent. Guitar man Scott Holliday can knock out a mean riff and singer Jay Buchanan evokes –probably intentionally – memories of Robert Plant and Chris Robinson.

Rival Sons are already very, very good. If they cut down slightly on the jamming they could be exceptional. 

RIVAL SONS, Liberty Lies @Slade Rooms Wolverhampton 07/11/11

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?