Review by Richard Henry for MPM
So, I have one massive issue with tonight, I don’t have a catsuit, so I feel inappropriately dressed, hey ho, what can you do! How has it been 20 years since Permission to Land came out, I remember working in HMV when it was released and getting to listen to it back then, so I must admit I was excited to hear it again tonight, but first up, we have…
Bad Nerves
These guys are a 5-piece hailing from Essex, first impressions where if you took a lot of the 70s and 80s sort of punk, ala The Clash crossed with Ramones and similar bands and then throw in a mix of almost Bloc Party vibes in some of the guitar parts, you have musically a lot of what these guys are about, great onstage, I really enjoyed the show and the interaction with the crowd, they seemed to get a good response from the Belfast crowd, a lot of the songs are pretty short, and hailing from the self-titled album from 2020, really good watch and for a band I knew nothing about they were really entertaining and I will definitely be checking these guys out, highly recommended!
The Darkness
Black Shuck – Well it’s the only way to kick off this gig, the first song from the debut album, looking back on it now, that pure AC/DC, the band power onstage and you really get a heavier vibe, then there is Justins trademark falsetto vocals, but that chorus is again just massive DC, the place is sold out and the crowd are singing away, well trying, few dodgy renditions around me for those attempting the higher notes!
Get Your Hands Off My Woman – Yeah right into the next one off the album, nice driving bassline from Frankie on the start of this one, damn those vocals are way up there, another driving track, now there is a very fetching catsuit up there on Justin, letting the crowd have a go at some of the lyrics on this, now I have seen frontmen getting the crowd to clap, but have you ever seen someone, handstand on the drum riser and then open and close their legs in time to get the crowd to clap along, nope me neither but there you go!
Growing on Me – It’s a 1.2.3 punch from the album, now you knew this was a single because the sound levels just went up for this one, everyone singing along and punching the air, again a few brave souls were attempting to sing that vocal on the chorus, some nice guitar switches where Justin sings half a song without the guitar and then gets in on for the solo!
Best of Me – This was a B side to “Get Your Hands Off” back in 2003, now that’s almost like a Status Quo boogie, and it just pummels along with some of the crowd deciding that they would have a bit of a pogo, really nice dual guitar line between Justin and brother Dan after that first chorus, a bit less falsetto on this one as well, loving the guitar work, now as a guitarist Justin is a hell of a player, great solo on this and as he noodles between songs you can tell he is a tasty player!
Making Out – Okay so we skipped the numerical order and went to the last track on the album, now c’mon guys, been listening to Thunderstruck much, that pull off guitar lick, then bang into the song and it’s just a driving rocker, the crowd singing back to the guys the chorus refrain the Frankie and Dan are singing, again a really nice solo, ballsy and bluesy in equal measures and both brothers getting a chance to lay it down, again I just forgot how AC/DC some of the songs on this album are until I have heard them again tonight!
Givin Up – Yeah now track 6 on the album, see previous band reference, same here, it’s a really sort of up-tempo fu sounding riff, and the vocals just climb up and down over the verse, I actually don’t remember this song as well, however the crowd do and everyone is singing the oh oh oh part, before I remembered the not giving a fuck part of the chorus, again a really nice solo over the static chords, all sort of shapes are being pulled with those solos, both sides of the stage interacted with tonight!
Love is Only a Feeling – Originally track 5 on the album, John Bonham groove at the start of this one, I mean this was a huge song back in the day, bringing it down slightly with this one, pacing the set nicely as well, and I mean this is a massive singalong in the building, you can hear the volume in the crowd lift on certain songs and this is one of them, massive age range in here as well, I had a couple late 50s to a couple in their 20s, really cool to see that I always think at gigs, big reverb drenched solo from Justin on this one, short and to the point and back into that massive chorus again!
Curse of the Tollund Man – Another B Side this one from “Love is Only a Feeling”, now I am not saying it all went a bit Spinal Tap here, but, it did, first off we were going to have a blues jam but Justin read the room wrong, as legend that is Softie the tech, came up to add additional guitar while Justin played the Mellotron, very spaghetti western style guitar then some very spooky chords on the guitar and some very disturbing lyrics as well, lots of dismemberment and garroting going on, too disturbing to mention, in fact you probably shouldn’t listen to this one!
Stuck in a Rut – Back to the album and track 7, again it’s just a mid-tempo heads down driving rocker, I mean the thing that really separates this is Justins vocal, I love the gang vocal parts from Frankie and Dan, some nice drumming on this one from Rufus on this, lots of little flams and stops, again that’s a really stank face bluesy solo on that one, then when it breaks into that second riff and the little guitar breaks, it’s just such great fun, that vocal though, that’s seriously high!
How Dare You Call This Love – Another B Side, this time it was to “Growing on Me”, opening with a cleanish arpeggiated guitar part, then it picks up into the pre-chorus and into the chorus, now this one I didn’t remember at all, very Thin Lizzy sort of guitar run after the first chorus, really gritty solo on this one as well, Justin wrangling that rather lovely Fano guitar, yeah I was ogling all the instruments tonight, great track to be fair, almost like Queen in parts as well come ot think on it?
Street Spirit/Holding my Own –Hitting Hot Cakes album first with Street Spirit and now is the time to put your horns in the air and praise the gods of metal, I mean it’s not exactly what you think about a Radiohead song, to be fair it’s a great version of the song and it’s a really cool variation as well, then we go straight into track 10 from the debut album, which brings it right down, almost a slow GNR sort of ballad opening to that, very Slash sounding lead part, tender sort of vocal on this despite the register its up in, big prechorus and the hands are in the air swaying from left to right, massive power ballad vibes, the main solo is just glorious, just missing that standing at the edge of a cliff with your hair blowing in the wind vibe!
Friday Night – Now onto Track 8 from the debut, this one has an almost sort of Elton John vibe, yeah, it’s probably just me to be fair but that’s what it reminds me of, like that little guitar figure as well, before the solo comes in, again it’s really tasteful and melodic, just a really short and to the point pop tune, probably the most poppy that the album gets, now if you have been paying attention, the last song went heavy, brought down the vibe, this one picked it up a little bit and you know that the band is pacing the set that way for a reason, as Justin starts playing some blues licks he throws in a handful of notes that you know is the next song……….
I Believe in a Thing Called Love – First off, only one person is allowed to film this, we have a phone amnesty, as Justin says are you not sick of someone blocking your view all night with their phone in the air! Secondly if you’re going to bring the tempo of the gig down it’s for the reason your about to hit the audience over the head with a 1-2 of the two biggest songs from the album, every lyric is being sung back at the band, everyone is attempting to sing the high parts, some to a better degree than others, and it’s just party central in here, I can’t say anything about the song you don’t already know, at this point it’s just iconic, isn’t it!
Christmas Time – So after playing a massive track, you top it up with another, well because you can, thanks to the person who threw the Santa hat onstage, Justin has a prop for this one, as well as a rather nice sparkly Les Paul, obviously its December and the Xmas lights are up, there are also a large contingent of people out tonight in Xmas jumpers so you can’t go wrong it’s the ultimate feelgood Xmas anthem and we are all singing along with the band, great way to close the main part of the set!
I Love you 5 Times – After about a five min break, the guys are back in some rather fetching lounge and evening wear, however Dan is on drums, Frankie is on guitar, Rufus is on bass, Justin is staying where he is on this one, now we have to keep our digits moving as if tickling his undercarriage apparently during this one, which was the B Side to “Christmas Time”, although the fella that shouted out Black Shuck, had Justin go round all the guys showing them how to play it (he must have arrived late), this is an almost 50s sounding track, the magnificent Softy playing Mellotron on this one to add a bit of vibe, now we had to stop this one a few times as many people didn’t realize we had to keep the digits undulating through the whole song!
Love on the Rocks with No Ice – Last track of tonight and we have now got through the whole album and the B Sides, Justin kicking this one off with the kick that start it on the cd, that’s a proper heavy riff to kick this off, your x amount of songs in and your still singing up in that register with relative ease by the looks of it, now this is the songs I love by these guys, just down and dirty heavier end of the album and this one is right there, great gritty solo again, what a song to close with!
Now I will be the first to admit, I haven’t listened to these guys as much as I should (I know, I am going to sort that out) but that was a show and a half, the band keeping you entertained and not so much focus on gimmicks or stage sets, just a band up there working it hard and being entertaining, and isn’t that what all the great bands do, after all, you don’t sell out a tour if you can’t deliver on the musicianship level or without great songs, and these guys deliver on all fronts! If you got a ticket, you are going to have a great night, enjoy!
Photography by MPM
