Review by Richard Henry for MPM
They have brought the weather with them tonight, Belfast is roasting, nice journey up to the city to see these guys again, this is my third time seeing them in this venue and every time they come here the place is packed and yet again tonight, Belfast did not disappoint with place pretty full.
Now who do we have in the band, it’s some of the same and some returning, David/Doug Guitars, the returning John Corabi on vocals, Micheal Devlin ex Whitesnake is on bass and Tommy Clufetos on drums, last time I saw these guys it was Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals!
These guys are out on support of a new album, that is full of old blues tunes that have been redone Daisies style, so this should be an interesting set, I’m looking forward to seeing how they mix it all up!
Kicking off with Long Way to Go from the Make Some Noise album, that’s a track to kick things off, great singalong chorus, don’t mind if I do either as do a lot of other people in the crowd, great to hear this one with John back on the vocals, always a great frontman, straight into Rise up from the Burn it Down album, that real sludgy Sabbath groove on this one, it’s quite the one two punch to open the set with, Tommy is hitting those skins like they owe him money, David sort of doing his thing and Doug all hair and poses on his side, and Micheal center behind John, great sound in here tonight as well, lovely shredding solo from Doug on that one!
Staying with the same album we are Dead and Gone next, and again where can you go wrong with that riff and drum beat, it just swings so hard, the crowd are lapping this up, and like everyone else I am glad to see these guys back in here tonight, staying with Corabi Mk1 albums we are back to Make Some Noise and the track, Last Time I Saw the Sun, it sort of starts with a riff that sounds like DC and then twists into a rabble rosing rock and roll number, good few people singing along to this one, always good to see, great energy and vibe coming from the stage as well, the guys looking like they are having an absolute blast up there, Bustle & Flow next from the Holy Ground album, always interesting to hear another vocalist do a Glenn Hughes song and John nails it, think it’s the difference in vocal as well, bit more grit to it and not as clean as Glenn but that just adds the punch to the track, lovely solo from Doug and a great sound as well, I am a fanboy right enough, but he is playing as good as ever, love his feel and phrasing, it’s pretty relentless so far! Well just as i saw that we get a drum solo which is a bit of a break from the battering so far, Tommy is a great drummer, and a showman, well he has the pedigree for sure!
John on his own with an acoustic guitar for this next one, and it’s a nice break from the whole band so far, Love That’ll Never Be, from the Light It Up album, it’s a really nice version of it when its stripped right back to just the bare bones, always a sign of a great track when you can do that, get that talk box out for With You and I, back to the Revolucion album, that’s a slamming groove to this one and the heads are nodding along in the building, I love this track, it’s got a great riff and a huge chorus, not sure I have actually heard this one before when I have seen them, back to the Light Em Up album and I’m Gonna Ride, massive singalong on this one with the crowd getting well into it, it’s really party central in here tonight and everyone is having a great night with the Daisies, this one is an absolute foot stomper of a track, and I remember the video for it, it was awesome as well, gritty Angus style solo from Doug on this one, lovely bends and feel on it, but I absolutely love that little breakdown after it before you get hit with the chorus again!
Slapped round the chops with the next one, Take a Long Line which I believe is an Angels cover, bass and drum groove comes in with the guitar stabs, it’s almost like DC crossed with a punk band, the chorus is class, good to see a few people singing the chorus to this one, John is absolutely commanding up there leading everything, we next have the band introductions with a little surprise as well, no I’m not telling you what it is!
Now we are onto a track from the new album Lookin for Trouble, and we have a classic, everyone has heard Black Betty, from Ram Jam, and queue the singalong, it’s a bit slower than the original but that slower groove absolutely gives you a new feel on this track, lots of people singing bam alam to this one, including me, staying on the same album we have Goin Down, which I have heard covered loads but I didn’t know that Don Nix was the original artist, so there you go, they definitely have added a bit of beef to the sound of this one, Johns vocal is great on this, stinging solo from Doug on this, what a great version!
There are two covers i always associate with these guys, this is one of them, Fortunate Son from the Make Some Noise album, and also by Creedence, everyone knows this one and there is a pretty decent singalong from the capacity crowd in here tonight, I might add, it’s so warm in here, but that matters not cause everyone is having a great time with these guys tonight, now confession the first time I saw these guys in 2016 I didn’t know that this wasn’t their song and I was singing away, yeah I can admit it, it’s a great track and these guys really have given it a bit of muscle!
Get a Haircut is up next, George Thorogood cover with surprise, David up on lead vocals on this one, he does a really good job on it as well, it’s a swampy Stones vibe song and he has a real snarl to his voice, nice backing from Doug and Michael and a really nice solo from David as well, nice to see him getting a bit of the spotlight in the set, off to Mexico next from the Revolucion album, it’s a really dirty riff and that signature Daisys sort of driving mid-tempo groove, the crowd are in fine form for this one as well, great to see as well, on a Wednesday night in Belfast, great solo from Doug yet again, he’s just full of swagger and energy over on his side of the stage, looks like we are getting the one-two punch from this album as up next is Midnight Moses, Alex Harvey band cover, I love this track, and I love this version of it, it’s just down and dirty, the one thing that struck me for whatever reason tonight is the original had keys in it and you really don’t miss them at all, Corabi is the consummate frontman, interacting with the crowd and really being a focal point up on that stage!
Encore time, Resurrected is up first from the Burn it Down album, that’s a big slab of a riff that starts this one before it slams into that more up-tempo groove, get the heads nodding in the building and when it hits that chorus and goes half time it’s just class, Doug really is on fire tonight just peeling off the solos with ease, great chorus getting sung back at the guys, and here we are, the last song, some band called the Beatles did it, Helter Skelter, is it the first metal riff is the debate, from the Locked and Loaded album, it’s a great version of this song to be fair, I love the vocal from John it’s so gritty and adds a load of punch to the track, that middle with the two guitars in harmony is just class, it’s a feel good track to end with and I think everyone in here is leaving feeling good after that performance and that is something that happens every time you go see the Daisies!! Until next time!
Photography by MPM
