RECKLESS LOVE
+ Brijitte West & The Desperate Hopefuls
+ Jettblack
May 24th 2010
It has begun. The official return of the glam rock
music scene has been battering its way through the industry kicking off with
the success of Californian comedy rockers Steel Panther, who in less than a
year have gone from regular Monday night entertainment on the Sunset Strip to
selling out Brixton Academy and making DVDs and TV shows. Hot on their heels
though is Finnish quartet Reckless Love, performing for their first time ever
in the UK to a sold out show at the Barfly and proving without a doubt that
they are going to be the next big thing.
Opening the night was British rock group Jettblack,
who gave a gutsy hard up performance that won the crowd over halfway through
their second song. Sounding like the bastard child of AC/DC and Skid Row but
with their own definitive sound, Jettblack are going to be ones to look out for
in the future. Their energetic stage performances and friendly crowd interaction,
not to mention ripping guitar riffs and a powerful set of lungs, managed to get
the crowd ready for night of sweaty rock ‘n’ roll – probably helped by the fact
that 200 people were squeezed into a room the size of a small domestic garage.
Brijitte West & The Desperate Hopefuls, however,
didn’t manage to get as good a reception for their set. The punk rockers,
fronted by New Yorker Brijitte, were greeted by polite claps and a couple of
forced cheers as they painfully ploughed through their set. Although in
fairness it was difficult to surpass Jettblack’s momentous set and to also open
for such an anticipated performance from the headlining band, which is really
what everybody was there to see.
And they didn’t disappoint. As the foursome dived
onstage and opened with ‘Feel My Heat’ the
crowd erupted into cheers and whistles, horns held high in the air. Considering
their self titled debut album has only been available on British shores for a
couple of months, the crowd sings almost every single word and there is no
hiding the fact that Reckless Love are chuffed to bits and loving every single
moment. The grins on their faces say it all. Front man Olli Herman jogs from
side to side in his pink trainers, tight spandex and KISS covered denim jacket,
teasing the crowd with his stage moves. The hip rolling, thrusting and t-shirt
ripping get a pleasing welcome from the female fans. Bassist Jalle Verne and
drummer Hessu Maxx help tighten the formation and each add a little of their
own to the performance, and the screaming guitar riffs courtesy of Pepe
electrify the audience and give songs such as ‘Love Machine’ and ‘Wild
Touch’ a sleazy rhythm to accompany the hidden profanities. Even the ballad
‘Sex’ is given a new lease of life
and manages to get a good arm wave from ninety-percent of the audience. Popular
songs of the night were hit singles ‘Beautiful
Bomb’ and ‘One More Time’.
Having only one album under their belt the band manages
to perform the entire record, and also include B-side ‘Get Electric’ from the single ‘Romance’.
With the sexual energy pulsating from every corner of the room and the heat
continuing to rise, Reckless Love give a performance that is sure to
encapsulate everything good about the old and spice it up with a little bit of
new. Albeit slightly cheesy in some areas, it just adds to authenticity of the
80s glam metal vibe. And it’s easy to see where these guys pull their
inspiration from. The album cover alone pays tribute to some of rocks finest
musicians – Van Halen, KISS, Poison – and their music is no different. Sounding
like elements from Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Def Leppard, along with Olli’s Michael
Monroe and David Lee Roth stage style performances, it leaves you with no doubt that these are just four young guys
with a huge appetite for music. And fortunately for them,
www.myspace.com/recklessloverocks
Posted @ 13:54:19 on 24 May 2010 back to top
FASTER PUSSYCAT
+ Enuff Z’Nuff
+Dirty Passion
+ Suicide Tuesday
Faster Pussycat are another hair band from the glam
phenomenon of the 1980s, and although going through several lineup changes like
many others from that era, instead of remaining full of their original energy
and brilliantly executing early prime time songs, it seems that time and age
has been rather unkind to Faster Pussycat, who’s performance is severely
lacking in, well, everything.
Dirty Passion, a young rock band from
Enuff Z’Nuff are the winners of the night, even
outshining the main act. Chip Z’nuff strolls to his position onstage looking
like he borrowed his wardrobe from Willy Wonka, but the rose tinted glasses
give him a wonderful psychedelic hippy look as he rips into his opening riffs.
Donnie Vie is just as amazing, his voice sounding like a prerecorded and edited
CD, tone perfect, pitch perfect, and rockstar scream perfect. Their performance
is energetic and rock ‘n’ roll, Vie singing to the crowd who adore him as smoke
entrails curl up into the rafters. Everybody in the room is buzzing from their
performance, and so reluctant for their departure that Vie promises two more
songs, and delivers to the excited uproar of the crowd.
After such a wonderful set by Enuff Z’Nuff, Faster
Pussycat come on and kill the evening. What should have been a fantastic
performance by another glam band was sorely lacking everything that would have
made it so. Taime Downe appears onstage looking like a Marilyn Manson
incarnation, but boring and overweight. A far cry from the Taime of the
eighties. He also leaves the pre-show tension building for far too long, and
after what seems a lifetime finally decides to slink on stage smouldering away
on his cigarette. It appears he’s trying to be cool but has lost it to a point
of no return and fails miserably. The other band members are also rather dull
in their performance, aside from Michael Thomas, who despite the small stage
does his best to perform like a maniac on speed. But even his energy saves to
fail the evening. And it’s only made worse when they begin ‘Bathroom Wall’, a fantastic song from
their first album, ruined by being turned into a warped techno remix which
sounds completely unlike the original song and completely unlike the original
Faster Pussycat. The only decent performances were ‘Cathouse’ and ‘Slip of the
Tongue’ which were left untouched and remained in their original form.
Their remix of songs sound like they come from 2001’s ‘Between The Valley of the Ultra Pussy’ which
is an album employing original songs with a techno twist, an abysmal album that
shames the original Faster Pussycat records. Taime Downe has also, sadly, lost
his vocal ability, so not only is it like looking at a completely different
person but is also like listening to a completely different person.
There are no recommendations to pay to see a Faster
Pussycat show. If you’re a big fan of their early sound you will be lucky to
get two of these at a show, and will leave feeling disappointed and deflated. I
would like to believe that this night was just a bad night, but many people
have said the same thing. The original Faster Pussycat has been truly left
behind, and hopefully the experience of a recent show won’t put you off
listening to their earlier stuff, which is still, on recorded CD at least,
brilliant.
www.myspace.com/fasterpussycat
Posted @ 14:43:07 on 11 February 2010 back to top
MARILYN MANSON
+ Esoterica
December 17th 2009
If you thought a Marilyn Manson concert consisted of a
black sea of spiked platform wearing Goths who crushed together to worship in
anti-Christ activities to hard hitting death metal, then you’d be wrong.
Although throughout his fifteen year career he has managed to spark plenty of
controversy in American society and enrage teenage parents, Marilyn Manson is
just as professional and talented as any other musician and knows how to please
his crowd.
The evening started with metal band Esoterica, who
sound like they’ve been blended from the best bits of Tool and Three Days
Grace. Although not much to look at onstage they have a very haunting sound,
and vocalist Tobias gives most the enthusiasm in a series of what looks like
short epileptic fits on stage. His voice however is mesmerising and it’s hard
not to enjoy their performance, regardless of the stiff, robotic feat of the
other band members.
When the time comes to be greeted by Marilyn Manson,
screaming out the lyrics to ‘Cruci-Fiction
In Space’ as his opening song, it’ll take you about five minutes before you
actually get to see him. The stage is just a screen of smoke, and the only
evidence that Manson and his band are actually on stage at that moment are the
red lasers beaming out into the faces of the crowd that come from Manson’s
gloved hand. When the smoke clears you see Manson striding across the stage in
big, black leather boots, trademark war paint and slick black hair – just
before the smoke machine delivers another choking cloud of mist.
After a slow start the show really kicks into gear
when he belts out ‘Disposable Teens’
– and the smoke clears. The song gets everyone jumping around and singing along
and charges a new burst of energy from the people who have been stood on their
feet patiently through the set of the support group. With lasers, flashing
lights, minimal smoke and loud, ear shattering drum beats and guitar licks, it
is now clear that Manson is definitely in the building.
Following a couple of performances from his new 2009
album ‘The High End of Low’ Manson
makes the wise choice of picking some of his best known, and best loved, songs.
Classic Manson tunes such as ‘The
Beautiful People’, ‘The Dope Show’, ‘Rock Is Dead’ and ‘The Love Song’ are the songs that make the night, with each word
being sung back to the stage in perfect formation. It’s also Manson’s between
song chat that gives some of the entertainment, showing that he has actually
got quite a sense of humour, as well as his use of props and lighting equipment
(and several obscure outfit changes) that give songs like ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ a jagged edge to it’s
performance.
As confetti is sprayed down onto the crowd from above
and the show comes to an end, the crowd of relatively ordinary people – if such
a word can be defined – is satisfied with what they’ve seen. Although Manson
isn’t the showoff showman, jumping off and on stage, climbing onto the drum
riser or high kicking and running his way around like a freed monkey, it’s his
sultry, mysterious presence that gives him that striking stage presence. And he
leaves just as mysteriously as he arrived.
Posted @ 14:41:15 on 17 December 2009 back to top
PRETTY BOY FLOYD
+ Silverjet
December 5th 2009
Pretty Boy Floyd. Another band from the hey day of
glam metal in the 1980s, who although extremely popular in their early career
are now barely known by anyone, hence their spot in Rock City Basement and not
the main hall. But regardless of the small fan base, Pretty Boy Floyd still
perform – and still party – like it’s 1985.
The night was opened by a raucous set from support
group Silverjet, who heated up the packed basement room with their sweaty,
heavy rock ‘n’ roll tunes and pulled in an early crowd to set the ball rolling.
A rock group hailing from Sheffield they throw the best of classic rock into
one mixer and the result is fine sounding, fine tuned and real gritty. Some of
the best tracks were ‘Out To Dry’ and
‘By The Way’, their heavy guitar
vibrating off the walls and building the energy in time for the main act.
Pretty Boy Floyd swagger in like they own the place,
singer Steve Summers jumping straight onto the mike looking like a sleazy Los
Angeles cowboy and announces he is in the mood to party. Accompanied by crates
of beer and a large bottle of Smirnoff vodka, the band erupt into their set
with ‘Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz’
and the crowd willingly takes it in. Between swigs of vodka, Summers bounds up
to the crowd and spends ninety-six percent of the show stood on the barrier
leaning into the crowd, the front row getting smothered into his chest and
arms. His interaction with the people is close and personal, pulling people
towards him to sing into the microphone, and getting face to face with the
ladies as he serenades them with popular ballads such as ‘I Wanna Be With You’.
The night was also a celebration of 20 years of their
debut album ‘Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz’
and as a result the band were throwing freebies into the crowd all night.
The drunker they got, the more the prizes diverted away from t-shirts and CDs
to bottles of beer and a swig from Summers’ vodka.
Entertainment wise the band were one of the best.
Never having lost it from their early days, despite lineup changes, they were
as good as they’d ever been. Kristy Majors kept it cool and as he ripped out
the licks, and offered some of the chat with Summers during songs. Criss 6 and
Troy Farrell kept the back beats going and although they were more subdued than
the other two, let’s face it, no one stands out when you have the flamboyant
and foul mouth Steve Summers at front stage, who keeps demanding to know he’s
at a rock show by trying to get the girls to flash their boobs. At one point a
small handheld video camera is used to film the crowd and Majors announces it’s
for a tour DVD. Whether we will get to see footage from their European tour of
drunken debauchery it is hard to say, but no doubt it will make for great
entertainment if their antics at
Pretty Boy Floyd are good for two reasons. One,
because they still think it’s 1985 and party like it is, and who doesn’t love
that? And two, because their performance is on top form and they know exactly
which songs to play to please the crowd, resulting in a feel good time for both
the band, and the fans.
www.myspace.com/prettyboyfloydband
Posted @ 14:40:08 on 05 December 2009 back to top
ALICE COOPER
+ Manraze
December 4th 2009
For four decades Alice Cooper (real name Vincent
Furnier) has shocked and stunned crowds all over the globe with his shock rock
stage shows and sadistic lyrics. His performances have never wavered, and
stunts he was pulling thirty years ago he still pulls off with precise
believability giving one of the most entertaining rock shows on earth.
Opening for the master of musical horror is band
Manraze, with Def Leppard’s Phil Collen on vocals and guitar. Their music is a
combination of classic rock and gritty, edgy performances that are without a
doubt a big success. Although nothing much to look at stage wise (we have to
remember they are just here as a supporting act) their music definitely has the
likeability factor. Their sound is slightly more hard rock than Cooper, but
they manage to give a energetic start to what is yet to becoming one of the
most entertaining nights of music.
Time for Alice Cooper, and the show is nothing short
of a spectacular theatre production. Unlike most rock performers, Cooper’s
entire set is streamed into a sequence of music that tells a story. This time
around he based it upon a serial killer who keeps coming back to life several
times over regardless of his execution, and who names himself ‘The Spider’, a
theme adapted from his 2008 album ‘Along
Came A Spider’. Cooper adorns all manner of dazzling costumes, both weird
and wonderful, giving the story behind his songs a more visual meaning. He uses
props and actors to add depth to the narrative and help perform his classic
Although not the most lively stage mover these days,
Cooper’s presence as he stalks about his territory is undeniably captivating.
The character he presents to his audience is just a real as the floor beneath
your feet. And what Cooper lacks in performance madness is all made up for with
his often surreal alternative performances of madmen in straight jackets and
convicts swinging from the gallows.
And Alice Cooper show is a must, not only for Cooper
fans but also for rock music fans. A pioneer of the shock rock stage shows
Alice Cooper is definitely worth the ticket price… and a trip to the
sanitarium.
www.myspace.com/officialalicecooper
Posted @ 14:38:59 on 04 December 2009 back to top
W.A.S.P.
+ The Glitterati
November 28th 2009
Hailing from a storm of dirty lyrics, saw blades and
fireworks, W.A.S.P., along with their shock rock themed image and performances,
were bred out of the same
Opening band The Glitterati have been on the circuit
for several years. However, since releasing material in 2005 they disappeared
somewhere into the oblivion, only to resurrect on the W.A.S.P. tour with a new
album in the works. Most of their small set consisted of their new material,
but they added in ‘Heartbreaker’ as
their last song to those of who knew their stuff. Their performance was
generally very good and it was great to see a band that had had potential
coming back once again to prove their worth.
But, The Glitterati still had nothing on W.A.S.P. who stroll
onto the stage with a montage of past footage playing behind them, the screams
of the old school and new school fans filling the room. Blackie Lawless comes
forward with a gothic array of black studded clothing and two huge saw blades
on his wrists that he sets spinning during different parts in the show. His
voice still has the sharpness of youth as he screams out the lyrics to fan
favourites like ‘L.O.V.E Machine’, ‘Wild
Child’ and ‘Hellion’, a real
treat seeing as his vocals sound somewhat diminished on their 2009 album
‘Babylon’. During the encore ‘Blind In
W.A.S.P, who’s anagram name is still shrouded in
mystery (We Are Sexual Perverts, We Are Satan’s Preachers, among other
possibilities) still have the hard hitting, powerful music they endorsed back
when they first blossomed onto the music scene. Although not quite as wild as
they use to be, their stage presence still empowering and energetic, and there
is not a disappointed person in the room.
If you are a classic rock fan, and enjoy acts such as Alice
Cooper and Twisted Sister, then a W.A.S.P show is definitely one to see.
Posted @ 14:36:34 on 28 November 2009 back to top
STEEL PANTHER
+ DJ Shuff
October 29th 2009
Steel Panther are quickly becoming one of the greatest
bands to explode onto the music scene in years. Their raunchy, foul mouthed,
glittery personas fill the stage with erotically charged discussion about girls
vaginas and snorting the white china on their days off. And their
representation of the late great 1980s hair metal and glam rock era is
admirable, as they get every clique down to a tee and play up to the crowd
through the whole night. The Panthers are well and truly on their way to
becoming huge rockstars – and considering they were but a mere cover band
playing the Sunset Strip at the same place same time each week like a theatre
act, they’ve obviously done something right, as their debut album ‘Feel The Steel’, released in June 2009, has topped the music comedy charts and
sold out nearly every single UK show.
The crowd is warmed up for a thrilling night of heavy
metal by DJ Shuff, who sifts through all the classics by fabulous bands such as
Ratt, Poison, Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, just to recall five of the
many well loved archetypal rock bands who’s music manage to get the crowd
dancing and singing for a solid hour. Then the Panthers attack with a force
that can’t beat by even some of the admirals of rock ‘n’ roll. Singer Michael
Starr is the driving force behind the wheel of the Steel Panther phenomenon and
jumps and leaps his way across the stage in a David Lee Roth manner, howling
and belting out the hysterical and possibly illegal lyrics of their small
collection of hits. The crowd is enthusiastic to sing along and fill in the
gaps offered by the audacious frontman, who seems impressed with the nation’s
word for word copy and expresses so to lead guitarist Satchel, who is also a
demon in his own right. The man plays his guitar just as well, if not in some
cases better, than some of the great guitar legends. He gives songs such as ‘Party All Day’, mega hit ‘Death To All But Metal’ and ‘Eyes Of A Panther’ a lashing from his
strings generating some of the best guitar solos you will hear from a modern
rock band. His eight minute solo is also a musical amazement, playing riffs
from well known songs like ‘Iron Man’,
‘Smoke On The Water’ and… The Sound of Music? Well, the crowd loves it
despite The Sound of Music lacking vital heavy metal ingredients. With the aid
of Starr he also helps fellow bandmate Lexxi Foxxx perform his dazzling hair
solo, something only seen in cheesy hair metal ballad music videos. But the
Foxxx is by no means a cheap cop out – he’s the perfection rendition. And
drummer Stix Zadinia isn’t left out of the banter either, as when the acoustic
ballad ‘Girl From
It’s a shame however to see a return of the same old
jokes they play at every show. While on the whole they generally do give some
great laughs there is only so many times you can hear the same joke and carry
on pretending to laugh. If they want to keep up their fast paced success a few
new one liners are in order to keep the audience listening. But while the
rehearsed humour isn’t all that funny anymore, the improvised stuff is usually
the best. At times it gets quite shocking but doesn’t step over edge, but you
have to be quick to get some of the wittier stuff.
If you’ve not seen a Steel Panther show you are sorely
missing out. They each have their individual alter egos that keep the comedy
and music thriving and energetic the entire night, and Starr and Satchel have a
tendency to adopt their characters in every way possible – even by flirting
with many girls on the front line and displaying filthy motions to them between
songs. And the audience lap it up passionately. Apart from the tedious repetition
of some of their jokes, Steel Panther will actually be one of the best live
concerts you ever attend. Especially if you’re an 80s music enthusiast.
www.myspace.com/steelpantherkicksass
Posted @ 16:11:48 on 29 October 2009 back to top
PAPA ROACH
+
+ Heavens Basement
October 7th 2009
My first experience with Papa Roach was in April this year, and having been a fan throughout my teenage years it was a real treat to finally see them. Not only because theyre one of the best live bands around but also because they still manage to uphold the quality of the classic nu-metal songs from their early years Last Resort, Dead Cell, and Between Angels And Insects just to name a few.
The night was introduced to the Nottingham crowd by a fantastic set from up and coming group Heavens Basement, who give hope that ear shattering rock n roll is not dead. After getting the crowd rallied around it was the turn of
But the night was really owned by the headliner, as it should be. Just like the times before, the boys enter onto the stage under dim lighting and the fantastic intro Days Of War from their new album. Come rain or shine, flu and cold, it seems that frontman Jacoby Shaddix is like a robot on steroids who never falters or misses a beat. He continuously projects out this energy that is able to penetrate the crowd and get the craziest reception from the hundreds of bouncing heads in the darkness. His professionalism is admirable, and he always manages to make you feel like youre the only one in the room.
As always Tobin Esperance remains calm and collected onstage, giving off a mysterious aura that hypnotises. You find yourself fixated as he strums out the bassline to songs such as Into The Light, another new hit from 2009s Metamorphosis. The few times Ive seen them, Jerry is always different sometimes he is remains reserved and at other times hes as crazy as Shaddix. This gig saw him come out of his shell a little and really interact with the front rows and get out at centre front stage to perform his electrifying guitar solos. Tony Palermo sits behind the drums watching out on the chaos and its like hes always been there. Who even remembers Dave Buckner these days?
Papa Roach also keep their performances new and exciting by twisting the setlist every couple of shows. This time around saw the debut performances of March Out Of The Darkness and State of Emergency, and a very long awaited return of Harder Than A Coffin Nail which was performed as a slow ballad. They also did the exceedingly anticipated Blood Brothers that got all the old schoolers excited, including myself as its one of my favourites and one Ive always wanted to see live.
The show was truly phenomenal. Ive yet to be displeased at a Papa Roach concert. The energy is always moving, the performances always exceptional, and provides a great night of music and entertainment. Its a shame that magazines like Kerrang! only ever report on the latest, newest in groups, and never seem to give older, great bands like Papa Roach the credit and admiration they deserve, because they are truly one of the most professional and entertaining bands still alive and kicking who can sell millions of records and sell out every show every tour. I strongly suggest that if youre a Papa Roach fan they are one band you must see before you die. Theyll leave you yearning for more.
Posted @ 16:06:32 on 07 October 2009 back to top
STEEL PANTHER
+ DJ Shuff
September 16th 2009
Shepherd’s Bush O2 Empire, London
There once was a time when spandex, tight leather, big hair and heavy
metal could be seen on almost every street corner and every rock bar from
With only one album under their leather belts, fans didn’t have to
wonder which songs would make the bill and which ones would fall to the whey
side. The Panthers performed every song bar one – ‘Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’’ was sadly left off the setlist. But no one
seemed to care. As the introduction was given by some hillbilly looking
Londoner for “Steel F*cking Panther”, the crowd was like a cage of cougars at
feeding time. As the lights went up, the flamboyant rockers ran to centre stage
and began ripping out the beginning of ‘Eyes
of A Panther’, accompanied by hair flicks from the lustrous Lexxi Foxxx on
bass. After a couple more tracks, with the crowd singing every word perfectly
to hilarious tunes such as ‘Asian
Hooker’, ‘Fat Girl’ and ‘The
Shocker’, the atmosphere was buzzing with hundreds of metal heads hungry
for more. They played their popular singles that went down a storm; ‘Community Property’, which was released
in the
The quartet also performed some slower, but no less hysterical, songs
from their debut ‘Feel The Steel’. ‘Girl From
Other than the hysterical lyrics, and great cover versions of classics
by Van Halen and Motley Crue that almost sound like the real thing, the band
also indulge in lively onstage banter, which has them talking about the Golden
Gods of the heyday, stereotypical talk of drugs and drink, and as many sexual
innuendoes and gestures as they can fit in between each sentence. The
improvised interaction with the crowd is a scream, especially when a dozen
girls get pulled up to wiggle their ass and flash their tits on stage. It’s
like going back to 1985. Their comedy performance puts the fun back into music
and makes the experience a whole lot more entertaining.
Steel Panther are not just a regular heavy metal band – they’re comical
geniuses with balls big enough to sing about what everyone else is too afraid
to. The way they combine comedy with music makes it not just a music concert,
but a theatrical show that, in words the Panthers would use themselves, get
vaginas wet and cocks rock hard.
If you lived through the
www.myspace.com/steelpantherkicksass
For Steel Panther images from the Birmingham show 13.09.09 please visit
www.myspace.com/photographyrockitup
Posted @ 09:47:18 on 16 September 2009 back to top
BUCKCHERRY
+ Dear Superstar
+ Heaven’s Basement
+ The Crave
August 1st 2009
Buckcherry are a prime example of a rock band that has experienced the
rise and fall process that each and every great band seems to go through at
some point in their career. The
The band also seem aware of how the success of ‘15’ got them back to headlining tours and playing festivals across
the world, as the majority of the set consisted of songs from that record,
including the massive hit ‘Crazy Bitch’, which
never seems to fail whipping the crowd into excitement. However, as Todd
himself expressed as he strutted across the stage, “do you know how many
fucking times we’ve heard this line from girls?” Although the song is clearly a
crowd favorite, it seems that even the band are getting sick and tired of the
over use of a song that woman seem to think will get them laid.
Putting that aside, the show turned out to be very enjoyable. Todd seems
a quiet, shy singer though, as although he talks to you and occasionally gives
you “the eyes” as he’s singing a line or two, he barely comes into close quarters
with the audience. Which is just him looking out for his general safety, I
suppose. Keith Nelson is an incredible guitarist. I’ve listened to their
records and thought the guitar work was pretty mean, but when you witness it
live it’s a whole other ball game. The sound was amazing, like it’d been ripped
directly from the album and placed in the monitors. After having heard this
with my own ears, my personal opinion is that Nelson is a very underrated
guitarist who deserves a lot more credit for his live performances, as he was
definitely at the top of his game that night. Other band members obviously contributed
to the music that night, but Nelson was the stand out. Another point of notice
is Todd’s voice. He has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard on a
male musician, and it was noticeable when belting out ballads such as ‘Sorry’ and ‘Everything’. It’s true he has a very unique sound and there is no
one who even sounds remotely similar vocally. This is one the things that gives
Buckcherry a distinctive and familiar sound, that is different from the same
old same old pop rockers that are appearing on the music scene these days.
Though their energy was quite mellow throughout most of the show this didn’t
deter their performance in the slightest, and they effortlessly put on a
concert that left the crowd beaming with satisfaction, the vibrations from music
exploding through the amps still ringing in 2000 pairs of ears. The only fault
to pick it that there wasn’t enough songs from their first album, ‘Buckcherry’, on the bill. Apart from ‘Lit Up’ the record was pretty much left
untouched, leaving out a lot of classic songs that old school and die hard fans
would have appreciated hearing. It was also a surprise to see that their newest
singles ‘Too Drunk’ and ‘Don’t Go Away’ from their latest
release didn’t appear either, which was an odd choice. But as it was, they
chose to stick with the more widely held choice - half the ‘15’ record.
For me personally, Buckcherry was one of the most anticipated gigs of
the year as they come in amongst the top of my favorite bands of all time. It
was hard to grasp the fact I was actually watching them perform live after
following them for such a long time. After the show I managed to meet all five
guys and they were nothing but lovely and considerate, complete sweethearts.
Another band that is appreciative of their fans, the people who place them on
their rockstar pedestals and purchase their merch. For me as a fan, there is
nothing better than meeting someone you idolise and realising they appreciate
you as much as you do them. It definitely leaves you with a lot of
understanding and a whole lotta love.
If you like Buckcherry, or your favorite Buckcherry record is ‘15’, it’d be worth the ticket price to
see them live.
www.myspace.com/thecraveband
www.myspace.com/heavensbasementofficial
Posted @ 08:43:59 on 21 August 2009 back to top
PAPA ROACH
+ Buckcherry
+ Dear Superstar
June 17th 2009
I’ve been a fan of Papa Roach all my teenage life. My first taste of the nu-metal-turned-hard-rock band was when I was the tender age of 13, and a school friend of mine had their debut album ‘Infest’ playing in her CD walkman. Like most people I’d heard their hit ‘Last Resort’ but didn’t really know much about the band as a whole. All I knew is that I thought the album sounded pretty damn cool and I thought I was pretty damn cool listening to it.
Fast forward six years and four more albums later, Papa Roach head back across the pond to the
The concert eventually rolled around just like they all inevitably do, and the day before I had landed back in the
The band opened the show with the intro ‘Days of War’ from their new album, and the crowd let rip into a frenzy of screams of excitement. You could literally feel the heat rising and the electricity buzzing over the pit as hundreds of people tried to crush their way to the barrier. Whilst the guys played into the intro, Tobin Esperance on bass, Jerry Horton on guitar, and new drummer Tony Palermo pounding out the beat on the killer drum set up, the adrenalin continued to rise, and when frontman Jacoby Shaddix bounded forward onto centre stage the energy erupted and continued to pulsate through the entire set.
The guys played a mixture of songs from both their nu-metal days and their rock years. Thrashing out classics such as ‘Last Resort’, ‘Broken Home’, ‘Dead Cell’ and ‘Between Angels & Insects’ kept the old school fans happy, and for the newbies they played hits such as ‘Lifeline’ and ‘Into The Light’ from their new record, including their latest single ‘Hollywood Whore’, a song written about the fickle lives of Hollywood celebrities. They also included all the inbetweeners, receiving a great reception with favourite songs from the ‘Getting Away With Murder’ and ‘The Paramour Sessions’ albums.
For the two hours they graced the stage their performance was practically faultless. Out of the many bands I’ve seen they are one of the only ones that succeed in giving out raw, ballsy energy and manage to keep it up through the entire show. Jacoby Shaddix interacts with the crowd like he’s your best friend, elevating the experience onto a more personal level. For his first tour with Papa Roach, Tony Palermo successfully executed the old and the new and proved himself a true Roach. Jerry ripped out those guitar licks like a pro, and Tobin kept the bass line smooth and groovy. Looking up at the stage you could see that the band were thriving in the experience of the show, and they got back everything they gave out to the crowd. It’s easy to say they put on a professional performance that both the band and the die hard Roaches enjoyed, as the fans sang each and every word perfectly and the front row hung off every word vibrating from the speakers.
Papa Roach are also one of those bands that are able to write material that appeals to all ages and attract people from different backgrounds. There were young and old alike raising the roof off
After the show myself and a few friends were fortunate enough to get to meet Jacoby, who came around the front of the venue an hour after lights down. It’s so great to see someone who is appreciative of the people that got him to where he is today and who wants to give back as much love as he’s given by thousands of people across the globe. He was polite, considerate, patient, and a true gentleman, as well as being a big bundle of fun who managed to get the fifty odd people crowding around him in stitches.
For my first Papa Roach gig I can’t say I was disappointed. The guys put on a professional and energetic show that entertained from beginning to end, and the crowd soaked up every moment of it. If I had to write a list of bands that defined rock ‘n’ roll, Papa Roach would definitely arrive somewhere in the top ten. If you’re a fan, go and see them on their next tour. You won’t be disappointed.
Posted @ 08:37:03 on 17 June 2009 back to top
