Wayward Sons
Support to Steel Panther
O2 Academy Birmingham 8/2/20
Live review by; DeeDee
Having met up with Wayward Sons front man Toby Jepson, earlier for an interview, there was time to grab something to eat in Birmingham before the show. However, it was still a freezing long wait outside the 02 Academy, before the doors finally opened at 7pm. A sold out gig, so it was a quick dash to get at the front, thankfully the 02 crew provide glasses of water, for those of us who are pressed against the barrier and don’t want to move.
Not surprising, Wayward Sons set is comprised of numbers from their two albums. The debut ‘Ghosts Of Yet To Come’ came out in 2017 and was received with wide acclaim, it was the start of the fast ride to success for Toby Jepsons’ new project, winning countless awards including Planet Rocks New Band Of The Year. With Sam Wood on guitar, Phil Martini on drums, bassist Nic Wastell and Dave Kemp on keyboards, the band have toured with Living Colour, Black Star Riders and are now on the road with Steel Panther.
The follow-up album ’The Truth Ain’t What It Used To Be’ was released last year, a concept record, attacking the way the world is run these days. Many voted it their top album of the year, the powerful theme, with 4 videos to accompany the message, made it a refreshing change.
No glitz or theatrics from Wayward Sons, all that is to follow with the headliners. The band dive into ‘Any Other Way’ to start and the 02, already packed to the hilt, starts to smoulder. We hear the slinky ‘Don’t Wanna Go’ with Sam’s simple riffs and starring solo, then ‘As Black As Sin’ which is a flowing number and plenty of decent vocals from Jepson, he still has that clear and distinct sound. ‘Alive’ has a slower tempo, with more definitive guitar, while the title track from ‘The Truth Ain’t What It Used To Be’ and ‘Small Talk’ are chances for the audience to appreciate the talents of Kemp and Wastell. The splendid drumming from Martini backs them up, even visually; they are such a well balanced outfit.
‘The Jokes On You’ that came out as a single, is an easy listener with a catch of a chorus. We are bouncing around now, Toby and company can sure fire up an audience. Ending on ‘Until The End’ which is a powerful song, having a ripping beat and plenty of rhythm, it has been an excellent set. Wayward Sons are one of those bands that never fail to enthuse us.
Catch up with Wayward Sons on FACEBOOK
Listen to our interview with Toby Jepson before the show HERE
