Daxx & Roxane / Ryders Creed / Empyre / Blue Nation / Dig Lazarus
Local Authority at the Corporation, Sheffield - March 7th
Queens Hall, Nuneaton - March 8th.
Live review By DeeDee
A couple of nights on the road starting off in Sheffield at the Corporations upstairs venue ‘Local Authority’. Four bands on, so it was an early kick off, although we arrived much earlier to do interviews. At least the VIP area had plenty of comfy settees to relax in for a while, the place had a great atmosphere and a decent amount of dedicated Yorkshire folk turned up. The next morning it was back on the train down to Nuneaton and the comfort of a decent hotel after the dodgy room in Sheffield!
The Queens Hall has a tremendous set up, although not too many made it to this show. As usual, the Crew Bar downstairs had a band performing as well, which is free to watch, I find that baffling to be honest. Nevertheless, the 3 bands upstairs in the Queens Hall are greeted to warm applause and Sunday was full of laughs, mainly down to Blue Nation, who prior to their appearance, pulled off a hilarious interview with us.
DIG LAZARUS a three piece from Nuneaton, have been trudging the road for a while now and won the Leicester Original Bands Showcase competition in 2015. Their EP ‘Figured It Out’ was released back in May 2019 and we get to hear most of it tonight. There isn’t any pause in their delivery, they crash straight into ‘Get Out’ which is a mind consuming number. Ash Tustain fronts with chill out vocals and ceaseless guitar riffs, Dig Lazarus make an impact from the start. ‘Tell Me Why’ has more of a jaunty rhythm and evolves with a storm of upbeat vocals. ‘Satisfied’ is an older song, it can be found on the ‘Live at MFN’ EP from 2016, it’s more of a dirty ride with uncontrollable ballsy, rock and roll. (Must add MFN ‘Miles From Nowhere’ is an amazing venue!) By this time the Sheffield punters have joined the bands enthusiasm and heads are nodding. They conclude on ‘Outlaw’ a chance for bassist Atticus Hall-McNair and Jack Cotterill on drums to combine their talents and provide a mesmerising rhythm that accompany more riffs from Ash. They list QOTSA, Muse and Foo Fighters as influences and are definitely worth a listen.
We have the pleasure of EMPYRE for both nights on this mini jaunt. A band I haven’t heard before, so two chances to discover what they are about. The set on Saturday is made up of tracks from the recent ’Self Aware’ LP and ‘Drive’ is the opener. Well, have to say the vocals of Henrik Steenholdt are crisp, moody and pretty alluring. The guitar of Did Coles stands proud, in front of Grant Hockleys’ supporting bass on ’Too Close’, which is a really powerful creation. Again Henrik pours out heartfelt lyrics and I start to realise Empyre have this profound effect, of drawing you into their world of atmospheric rock, very quickly. ’Stone’ is the one that stayed in my head all night, I guess it’s the increasing rise of vocals and the dramatic outcome, that caught me. They have just recorded a cover of the Chris Cornell theme from the James Bond film, Casino Royale, ‘You Know My Name’ which suits their style perfectly. In a subtle turnaround the ballad ‘Homegrown’ is an impressive song, it has more of a post grunge feel. The middle section’ is an instrumental delight, with outstanding guitar work. ’New Republic’ is the final song, a pounding and messy number, where we also get a sample Elliot Bales’ excellent drumming technique. Empyre are certainly different, the sound is Progressive rock, Alternative Rock and even mellow AOR in places, you can’t pigeon hole this lot. On the road later this year, another one to add to the gig list.
RYDERS CREED are firm favourites with many, their blend of punch drunk rock with soulful lyrics are unmistakable. Soon to release the second album ‘Lost Souls’ and embark on an extensive headline tour, they graced us with their presence tonight as the main support act. Off the debut, self titled album we hear, ‘Headspace’ with its heady riff and Promise’ which is an intricate track, woven with Ryan Anthony Humes’ vocals, guitar whines from Myles Cooper and the resounding bass of Richard Clark. ‘My Life’ is another that has a massive riff, it has more pace, but still contains enough room for Hume to display his range. Quite a few Creed fans in tonight and the frontman is on form, joking with the audience and coming across as the genuine and affable bloke that he is. They don’t have a long set, but they do pull it off, drummer Lee Gilbert is kept in the loop as they deliver ‘Lost Soul’ the new single. It’s a well balanced number and although more demanding, it doesn’t stop Ryders Creed ability to infiltrate your mind. If the rest of the new album is on this level, it’s going to be another massive and busy year for the band. ‘Raise The Hoof’ is the last on the list, most of these songs are well recognised now, proven by the crowd who have been singing along all night, such is the success of Ryders Creed. All being well, the album launch is in Nuneaton on May 8th followed a stack of shows, check out the social pages for more details.
I turn to the Nuneaton leg of our trip now and along with Empyre, the other support band is BLUE NATION. Having interviewed the threesome earlier in the day, which was a real giggle. I was impressed with the stage gear, what a dapper lot they are, in their tailored jackets and shiny shoes. The last album ‘The Kaftan Society’ caught the eye of many a reviewer last year, me included, so I was eager to see them live. It’s hard to stick a label on Blue Nation to be honest, melodic rock n roll with a retro 60’s edge and loads of style. ‘Good Times’ from 2017 gets them underway, a swampy guitar intro and Neil Murdoch’s soft and rousing vocals, he does have a pleasing piercing voice. Plenty off the aforementioned Kaftan Society follow, ‘Rich Girl’ is a crowd shaker, they are going down well here in Nuneaton. ‘Gone’ and ‘She’s A Storm’ show the bands more delicate approach and then ‘Gimme Some Time’ gets us into a groovier mood. Lovely, dirty and lingering guitar, with a psychedelic twist. The headliners ‘Daxx & Roxane’ briefly join them on stage during ‘Down By The River’ which is a terrific number, full of binding lyrics and catchy rhythms. These guys were a real treat to watch, so talented and cool, look out for them.
So we come to the main band DAXX & ROXANE who are some of the most down to earth individuals you are likely to meet band-wise. The four band members from Switzerland and their photographer companion Kriz P from Poland, are now based in London and have adapted to life in the UK. Well, there are some lessons in English required upon occasion, but apart from the language barrier, they take it all in their stride. After a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign that reached 150% of their initial target, the new album is set to launch in May, with a tour to follow (depending on the virus situation).
Full of energy, from the beginning with ‘Sugar Rush’, there is synchronised head banging and a pulsating beat, which makes Daxx & Roxane pretty unique. ‘Girl Next Door’ has a simple hook that stays throughout, Cal Wymann on lead guitar and Simon Golaz on rhythm, have a perfect partnership. Running around the stage with the occasional mishap is how Cal makes the visual show so thrilling, a cut above the eye from vocalist Cedric Pfisters guitar, is the result of unplanned acrobatics and just one of the hazards of flying around the stage. A new song ‘Without You’ is aired, it is of the same high quality, with the distinctive D&R sound. Then Cedric screams into ’Ticket To Rock’ he has the most glorious head of hair, that is constantly being thrown back off his face and the darkest eyes that compliment his lovable facial expressions. ‘Wild Child’ also off the debut Ticket to Rock from 2017, has a steady driving pace and mellows out a little. As usual they perform a stupendous cover of Stevie Wonders ’Superstitious’ which is followed by the more bluesy 12 bar number ‘Lust And Love’.
Another brace of newies ‘Strange Woman’ and ‘Fast Lane’, being the latest single which has just been made available to download. It continues in the same vein as Ticket To Rock, masses of guitar and high pitched vocals, with the drums of Luca Senaldi coming through with effortless forcefulness. I like it, bring on the release of the second album. ‘Good Vibes’, of which there are plenty, when these guys are in front of you, is followed by another cover, ‘Backdoor Man’ the Willie Nelson song, it’s given a bit of a rocky makeover and I like the way it fits easily into the set. They encore with ‘Wrong Side’ a spirited rocker and the warm and genuine applause echoes all around the room, as they finish.
Always a great and enthusiastic performance from these guys.
Wow, what an exhausting weekend! Five bands to review, interviews to arrange, a lot of waiting around and standing out in the cold, but loads of fun and I can even laugh about the crap room in Sheffield now. All the bands were tremendous and I have discovered 3 new bands that are really incredible. When this disaster called Coronavirus is over and venues/gigs re-open and resume, please support bands like these who have had to cancel plans to tour.
5/5