The Wildhearts, fronted by the endlessly inventive Ginger Wildheart, are hitting the road for a brand new headline tour.
Renowned as one of UK’s most fearless and prolific songwriters, Ginger and his band will bring their explosive live energy to venues across the country this December.
“I can’t wait to get this band onstage in front of people. I want to bring this line-up’s energy and spirit for audiences to take home with them.I’m so very excited to share this with everyone.
“We’re also playing some songs that we don’t get to play too often, so that always makes things even more fun.
“I’m honestly buzzing about getting back onstage again. I can’t fucking wait for this!””
– Ginger Wildheart
To celebrate the announcement, the band has released a video for “Kunce”, a track from their current, acclaimed studio album, Satanic Rites of The Wildhearts.
Produced by Jim Pinder (Bring Me The Horizon, While She Sleeps, Bullet For My Valentine) and mixed by Pinder and Carl Bown (Trivium, Machine Head), Satanic Rites Of The Wildhearts is a ferocious reminder of why The Wildhearts remain such a vital force in rock.
For over three decades, The Wildhearts have been at the beating heart of the rock scene. Their incendiary live shows, packed with passion and chaos, have secured their reputation as one of the greatest bands of their generation. This tour promises to underline this fact – miss it at your peril.
NEW ALBUM ‘WATCH IT DIE’ COMING 14TH NOVEMBER 2025 VIA LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOS
HOME FRONT holds on to a particular kind of passion. The sort of thing that guides you – like a climbing vine steadily blanketing your bests and worsts, cutting through changes and impasses; victory and loss. This passion, their drive, is what makes a record like Watch It Die, their latest full-length for La Vida Es Un Mus, feel just right. For decades the duo’s Graeme MacKinnon and Clint Frazier have embedded themselves in grass roots music making, community building, and the overpowering ebbs and flows of diy punk. With Home Front, formed in 2020, they’ve given their lifetime of experience a chance to distil and then power into this musically omnipotent project which equally conjures textured Tangerine Dream sounds in a film montage, or the pummelling soundtrack to the first steps taken towards winning the fight of your life.
Its lead single “Light Sleeper” sends energy waves rattling through speakers with all the urgency and volume of post punk/new wave/street punk. The track is available alongside its video which features a cast of characters including Home Front touring members Brandi Strauss (bass), Ian Rowley (guitar), and Warren Oostlander (drums).
Home Front’s nod to influences and the themes of their lyrics are direct and detailed while maintaining enough creative distance to feel universal and unique. The production has again been bolstered by a team of long time confidants making a huge and unique record under the humble and hard working circumstances of remote pre-production and choosing to do their recording in home studios in their home town in Edmonton, Alberta.
The architecture of ‘Watch It Die’ is simple – 12 songs of danceable, hummable, rousing and honest music that only Home Front could make. The emotion of this LP is what solidifies these musical notions into meaningful art. “For us, ultimately, this is music that comes out of loss and heartbreak and failure, but I hope people have a good time listening to us. You can get rowdy, you can get emotional, you can do whatever you want, but maybe with all of that freedom, we all take a second to reflect on all our fallen brothers and sisters and friends who may have slipped away.”
On previous revered recordings Games of Power (2023) and Think of the Lie (2021), Frazier and MacKinnon gave us a snapshot of a cynical and alienating world. A place where hope was tempered by insignificance, exhaustion takes us, and where 2,000,000 voices screaming in unison can still go unheard. Watch It Die instead of asking us why and how we got here, struggling to cope with the sadness of a desperate world, brings us their “step forward” moment. A dose of optimism and ownership in the bleakest of times in which maybe it doesn’t have to feel so bad to be alone or desperate. Where the passage of time is not coloured by the nostalgia of a lost youth but more toward the celebration of wisdom earned. Watch it Die owns the ills it describes and catapults us alongside its creators who have the confidence and presence of mind to live beyond their limitations.
Watch It Die continues along the path of Games of Power, but it isn’t just a sequel. It is a road map of hope. MacKinnon and Frazier state, “For all of us in Home Front, ‘Watch It Die’ comes at a very transformative time. Geopolitically, musically and in our personal lives. With friends and close family members dying, to massive uncertainty around the world, this album encapsulates what it’s like for us to step into a ‘new world’ where all the old adages of ‘everything is gonna work out fine’ feel like a joke. We watch rich people get richer while the rest of us struggle just to get by. We watch colonisers kill without consequence, and in an age of information at our fingertips we watch people choosing to be ignorant to what’s going on around them. ‘Watch It Die’ speaks about our own humanity, a rebirth into a new world and how we can never go back to the way things were. We suffer for their dreams, but in saying that we must recognise the importance of our own community and look to energise them to build a better way of life. We have always been an anti-war, anti-genocide, pro-peace band. We are against crimes to human rights and all of those struggling through the horrors of imperialism. We stand with the people of Palestine and we stand with the Canadian Indigenous communities who struggle to uphold treaty rights as well as basic human rights like clean drinking water and generational trauma. One takeaway from our music is to make a safe space where our community can come together to air out grievances and find a better way to a new future.”
The band will play two shows in LA later this year:
Sat Nov 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Paladium w/ Cock Sparrer, Dillinger Four and Castillo Sun Nov 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Paladium w/ Cock Sparrer, Dillinger Four and Generacion Suicida
‘WATCH IT DIE’ WILL BE RELEASED 14TH NOVEMBER 2025 VIA LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOS
Life is full of surprises. It seems like just the other day I was reviewing ‘Damn Right’, the first Dr Feelgood album to contain all original songs, and damn fine it is too. That was an unexpected treat. And in March, I finally got to see the band live, in France, with Robert Kane in his element. Now, after an illustrious career, I’m listening to his debut solo album, ‘Blues Is Blues’.
The blues can be a tricky one. Simple, yes. Easy, no. I freely admit that, as a young man, I really overdid my blues obsession, and, rhythm and blues aside, don’t listen to that much now. I am, inevitably, a bit of a snob, musically speaking. I like my blues rough, economical and from the heart. Thankfully, this was pretty much Robert’s instruction to the musicians involved in the recording.
So, we have 11 songs, mainly originals that he hadn’t previously recorded, but felt that they deserved to be heard. Every track was nailed on the first or second take, predominantly live, and this is partly why they really stand out. Lead single, ‘Halfway To Memphis’, hits out with some slide guitar and his wailing harmonica, which are also both present on ‘Heart Attack Baby’. A fine way to start. ‘Staying Home’ really pares things back, just a lone vocal and a picked guitar melody. Suitably mellow for the subject matter; “Life ain’t easy, but life is good. Gonna stay home and live the way I should”. I hear you.
‘How Many Times’ uses a refrain you will indeed have heard many times before, but we are dealing with a medium that generally uses three chords, so it shouldn’t be a surprise. What counts is that, when done properly, as here, that’s all you need. ‘Man Who’s Got The Blues’ broadens the blues palette, with some classy keyboard playing, yet never overplayed. Perfect for a smoky club.
‘Baby, Please Come Home’ is essentially a rewrite of ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’, and Robert’s version of ‘The Ballad Of Staggerlee’ has added some new verses to the blues classic. But, rawest of all is the album closer ‘Jawbone’. A lone vocal describes the mythical character, which could easily be a lost blues traditional. I’ve always said that Mr Brilleaux was the greatest white rhythm and blues singer ever. After 26 years and counting with Dr Feelgood, it’s clear that Mr Kane is a blues voice to be reckoned with. He is steeped in the music, assured in his place, and it’s a pleasure to hear.
Bryan Adams, now an independent artist on his own label Bad Records, is promoting his brand new album ‘Roll With the Punches’ with a series of intimate album release shows in select clubs across the UK.
I was not going to miss the opportunity to catch a multi-million selling artist up close and personal in my favourite venue, The Brudenell in Leeds.
With a strict no phones/recording policy in place, no support act and an early start, this proves to be anything but a normal show for the artist and punter alike.
The no phones system actually works really well. After queuing in the rain, you are handed a pouch to place your phone in, which is then locked and handed back, and you keep it on you for the entire show.
It sounds like a bit of a faff, but it’s not. It’s well worth it to be free from a sea of screens in front of you, filming the entire thing.
The four-piece band take to the stage bang at 8 pm. Dressed in a tight black T-shirt, blue jeans and regulation short back & sides, Bryan Adams looks shorter than I imagined, and has barely aged in years. He smiles, straps on a bass and tells us what to expect. No hits tonight, they don’t have time, this is all about the new album. They will play the whole thing and answer questions in between songs. Then they proceed to kick out the jams with the opening title track. It’s a song with an instant, classic Adams chorus and a punchy, jarring riff, a great opener. With Adams handling bass duties, long-serving members Keith Scott on guitar, Mickey Curry on drums and Gary Breit on keyboards, the four-piece band sounds tight and they truly rock. The sound is great, the vocals spot on, to be honest, it sounds like the goddamn record!
Next up is ‘Make Up Your Mind’, another classic sounding Adams signature single. With a chorus that may be designed to be sung en masse in stadiums across the world but sounds perfect here in a small, sweaty club. It feels really surreal seeing a guy of this stature playing a small club show right in front of my eyes.
‘Never Let You Go’ is an anthem that is as euphoric as it gets. That rousing chorus builds and builds. It’s a strong song,
possibly the best on the album. Is that goosebumps I feel travelling up my arms? I’m sure I’m not the only one.
It turns out they are playing the album in sequence, albeit with between-song breaks for Q&A’s. There is a certain ebb & flow to the show as the sequencing has been designed for the album listening experience.
The band are doing 3 sets each night on this promotional tour, when questioned as to the motives, Bryan explains that’s how they started in bars, doing 3-4 sets a night, so it’s a sort of return to the band’s roots.
And there is a nostalgic feel to the album as a whole, whether that is intentional I don’t know, maybe I should’ve stuck my hand up to ask the question!
The second half of the set, as with the album, shifts the mood from the upbeat, arena rockers to the more reflective and dare I say ‘power ballad’ territory. Bryan swaps his bass for an acoustic guitar and a harmonica to channel his inner Bob Dylan on the emotive anti-war anthem ‘Love Is Stronger Than Hate’.
The following ‘How’s That Working For Ya’ sounds like it could’ve been lifted from the ‘18 Til I Die’ sessions, it has that punchy, radio friendly bravado going on.
Elsewhere, ‘Two Arms To Hold You’ is a declaration of love that straddles Bon Jovi radio rock and the following ‘Be The Reason’ screams ‘album track’ on first listen and could be the only song that comes close to being classed as ‘filler’ tonight.
Poignant set closer and new single ‘Will We Ever Be Friends Again’ leaves things on a reflective note. And that’s it, 1 hour, job done.
Hats off to Bryan Adams for arranging these shows. Not only for playing intimate venues, but for insisting on a no phones policy to make sure everyone gets the true live experience every musician surely wants for their fan base: to experience living in the moment and not watching a gig through a screen.
Ok, so some of the hits would’ve been nice, but tonight was about the new album and showing the fanbase that he can still write a good tune or two, and is excited to perform new songs with the conviction and passion they deserve.
A truly special, one-of-a-kind night that surely has to go down as one of the highlights of the gigging year.
The 2026 dates will be the first UK and EU headline solo shows since the band’s mammoth sold out tour run in 2023 alongside Mötley Crüe. The 2023 tour saw the band headline venues across Europe including selling out the iconic Wembley Stadium. That tour was part of a two year run that saw Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe selling over 2.1 million tickets across the globe while performing in 27 countries and on five continents!
Joe Elliott says, “We’re looking forward to playing Radio 2 in the Park in Chelmsford this week…our only UK date of 2025. But we’re also very buzzed to announce our UK and Euro dates in 2026! Playing to our home crowd and our fans in Europe is very important to us, and we’ll be bringing a brand new show that will feature some surprises as well as the classics! See you soon!!”
With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards in the U.S., Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® inductees Def Leppard has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group’s spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name. Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and multi-platinum albums, including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria capturing the group’s legendary tracks such as “Rock of Ages”, Pour Some Sugar on Me”, “Animal” and “Foolin.” Testament to Def Leppard’s enduring and ever growing appeal is their 20 million followers across social media platforms.
This week see’s Def Leppard headline the final night of the Radio 2 In the Park Festival on Sunday 7thSeptember 2025 before returning to the USA in early 2026 for a month long Las Vegas residency.
Phil Collen says, “It’s a dream to be coming back to the UK and Europe in June and July next year. And to be coming back with our good friends, Extreme, is a bonus. It’s going to be an incredible night for all the fans!”
2023 also saw the band release their innovative last studio album, “Drastic Symphonies” alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The critically acclaimed album charted at No 4 in the UK – the band highest UK chart position in 32 years. Recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios it led to the band performing a stunning set on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Rooms – their version of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” featuring Emm Gryner and the BBC Concert Orchestra is available to see HERE.
DEF LEPPARD CONFIRMED 2025 AND 2026 TOUR DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
2025
Sunday 7th September 2025 – Radio 2 In The Park, Chelmsford UK
Sat 11th October 2025 – Hard Rock Casino, Northern Indiana USA
2026
Tuesday 3rd February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 5th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 7th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Tuesday 10th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 12th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 14th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Tuesday 17th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 19th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 21st February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Tuesday 24th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Thursday 26th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Saturday 28th February 2026 – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas USA
Just Announced UK & EU Tour 2026. Dates announced so far:
Saturday 13th June 2026 – Dalhalla, Rättvik SWEDEN *
Tuesday 16th June 2026 – Veikkaus Arena, Helsinki FINLAND
Thursday 19th June 2026 – Hallenstadion, Zurich SWITZERLAND
Tuesday 23rd June 2026 – Westfalenhalle, Dortmund GERMANY
Friday 26th June 2026 – Belsonic, Belfast UK
Sunday 28th June 2026 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow UK
Tuesday 30th June 2026 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield UK
Thursday 2nd July 2026 – The O2, London UK
Saturday 4th July 2026 – bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham UK
Monday 6th July 2026 – Co-op Live, Manchester UK
Thursday 30th July 2026 – Wacken Open Air, Wacken GERMANY ▲
All Dates With Special Guest EXTREME unless indicated
* An Evening With
▲ Festival
Sunday 2nd August 2026 – Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai UAE
UK and EU tour dates general onsale 10am local time Friday 5th September 2025For tickets and further information www.defleppard.comMastercard cardholders have special access to presale tickets in Finland. Mastercard Presale starts on Wednesday, September 3 at 10am local. Plus, Preferred ticket access to some of the best tickets in Finland and the UK are available from Friday, September 5 at 10am local. Check out priceless.com/music for details.
So there will be blood, apparently. Not really, I’m sure they’re nice chaps, but it’s the full bloodied opening track from their brand new long player ‘Vandalheart’. Birmingham neerdowells The Liarbilitys play full tilt wholesome street punk n roll with a passion and belief in what they do, and there is a wholesome honesty about the brand of street punk they peddle. It’s loud and toe-to-toe with the listener. There are plenty of sing-alongs in a Bad Religion meets Frank Turner on full tilt happening here, and I like it. The Levellers, if they turned to electric guitars instead of bodhrans and fiddles and sped it up a few BPMs.
The arrangements are clear and have vocals that sing melodies with attitude, like a Dirtbox disco meets Cock Sparrer which really works to be fair. Take the title track as an example. Lived in lyrics that are relatable, singing about yesteryear, be in nostalgic or just to convey a story, works wel,l and hearing “Twats” used in a song is heart on the sleeve stuff.
I like the aggression of ‘Strangways’ whilst ‘Sin Em All’ has the heart and soul of a Sparrer old school glunk about the rhythm. The pace is varied like the heartfelt ‘Gutta Percha’ that breaks out in timely fashion before the upbeat call to arms of ‘Battering Wall’ and the closing time sing-a-long of ‘Daisy You’re Gonna Wind Up Dead’.
All in all, it’s a well-constructed, varied album of anthemic street punk n roll that’s well produced and arranged and played. It signs off with the pacey ‘The Armada’ it might be a safe path to tread but you still have to deliver it well and The Liarbilitys do exactly that. I’m sure live they’ll sound exactly like the record and if you’re looking for a good time and a sing song then you need to get on this one.
Warsaw’s own punk’n’roll powerhouse Poison Heart are back and louder than ever with their new album, ‘Love, Lies and Hard Times’, Now I have to admit I’m not up to speed with the punk’n’roll scene in Poland, but if this is the quality on offe,r then maybe I should remedy that asap.
In 2018, Poison Heart released their Scandi-styled, high-energy punk & roll, maybe polski styled should be the way forward. It’s taken them a while to follow it up, but on the evidence I have before me it was time well spent.
Equal parts punk and hard rock they were obviously paying attention to the likes of Turbonegro, The Hellacopters, Gluecifer, and MC5, delivered with a twin-guitar, street punk vocals,
‘Love, Lies and Hard Times’, the band’s 4th long-player, features 10 brand-new tracks that balance fierce melodies with unflinching honesty. The themes might be well well-trodden paths of broken relationships, sleepless nights, and inner battles. The album has universal appeal for sure, but I admire the bravery of featuring three songs sung in Polish, which sound really good to be fair, and doesn’t take anything away from the flow of the record, even though I haven’t got a clue what they are about. All power to them for doing it.
I’d imagine what you hear is exactly what you get live from the band: a ton of energy and a passion for the style they deliver. Fans of The Almighty and The Cult and such like will find a lot to enjoy here from the opening brooding ‘Precedens’ and the Thin Lizzy delivery of the twin guitars a theme they lean on for sure.
‘Warsaw Blues’ is convincing and has a great driving rhythm, especially when the volume is up. The songs are kept lean with nothing overstaying its welcome, and some great tub thumping on ‘Saturday Night’ before ‘Mirror’ offers a change of pace as its brooding intro builds into an 80s feel of alt rock. Check ’em out if greasy rock n roll is your thing, you might just love some ‘Love Lies And Hard Times’.
Holy fuck, I have to start by saying that my first spin was on ear-bleeding volumes, and as the title track burst through the ether, I felt quite emotional. The melody is exquisite and those gang vocals haven’t been heard since Turbonegro hit their zenith. Throughout the album trilogy ’Misanthropical House’, ’Algorithm and Blues’, and ’Research and Destroy’, were well above average, in fact, over ti.m,e I’d go so far as to say at times exceptional but his ‘November Boys’ is shaping up to be something else that blasts off into the red hot sun. The Good The Bad and The Zugly have limped their way through midlife crises and pubescent antics to release one mother fucker of a record from the opening pop sensible melodic bastards that ore the first two to ‘Norweigans Abroad’ which is a thrashing mother fucker of a track that is tight and raging and turning into everythinng you want it to sound like – turn it up please.
They might well be mediocre underachievers on the unglamorous Scandirock path to valhalla but fair play this eclipses everything they’ve done until here and maybe now people will take these slackers seriously and they will be championed for saving gumbo punk rock n roll single-handedly.
‘Dig A Ditch’ sounds like a heavy diet of UFO records and bad drugs for the length of the intro alone but man this record is making bad life choices seem like good ideas that have brought us to this point in life otherwise we’d have passed these nut jobs by and given them a wide birth, thankfully I’m not that sensible.
The bands press release is like it was lifted from a twin peaks script after some bad acid and too much vodka but the tunes will always be their saving grace when they’re this good. ‘Dig A Ditch’ could and should be a crossover radio hit anywhere and everywhere.
A snippet from the press kit reads as follows: “The fact remains: we have always been left behind ever since kindergarten (for those of us lucky enough to experience such a well-regulated institution). In sports, we were always picked last. Our finest effort was put into keeping the bench warm for all the tough and slick January boys whenever they got tired of scoring goals—and chicks. Our academic performances measured at impressively low standards. Lacking any ability to concentrate, our educational path was a fast track to the headmaster’s office and, eventually, special ed classes. Today, they would have stuffed us full of pills in no time.” Confused? Don’t be, join us and rejoice that we’ve got the best tunes just take the melody on ‘A Blazer In The Northern Sky’ and dance like nobody is watching and sing like nobody can hear you. It’s blissful, trust me.
‘Scandinavian CRISPR Brat’ is like their irresponsible hate anthem, but with a sweet melody and a riff to die for GBZ are on FIRE! The fact that there are only ten songs here fills me with sadness. I wish it were a double album with twenty tracks, such is the quality on offer, but he,y ten is fine and dandy. ‘FOMO’ is bone-crushing riff-a-rama as we’re almost at the finish line, it’s a burst on as we dash for the finish through a thrashingly good ‘Hadeland Hardcore’. The Stooges one-finger piano tonk on ‘All My Friends Are Dead Inside’ rings around my head before we sign off with the wonderful ‘New Kids on the Blockchain’ and we’re done. I’m going back in for more and might just play it on my headphones and see if I can just run as fast as I can for as long as I can to see if this album makes me go mental. What a fuckin monster of a record. Congrats GBZ, you have achieved a goal of writing and recording one hell of a record that is as good from the opening track to the closing track, and everything in between is pure fuckin fire (as the kids would say). Melodies to die for, riffs that are on point and life-affirming. The November Boys are here, and the summer isn’t even done yet. Buy this album; it might just be the best thing you hear all year.
The latest band hitting our collective ear drums on the Venn roster are Club Brat and what a punch to the ear drum they are. Joining the impressive Aerial Salad, High Viz, Split Dogs and Bob Vylan to name a few Club Brat have a pop sensibility about them but they wrap it in a velvet glove inside a boxing glove holding a sledge hammer.
’25 Cameras’ opens up this rapid four-track EP, and it’s everything you want to hear. Cool lyrics wrapped inside a hard-hitting, sharp guitar-driven song, is it indie post punk? Who knows who cares, it’s full of energy and packs a punch, that’s all you need to know, and once it’s in your ear, it’ll take something special to dislodge it.
A rich bass-heavy thump and volatile rhythmic urgency is the MO here. ‘Goodbye Pop Culture’ has the warm, rich Bass thump and those angular guitars chopping away through a twitching, crowded backdrop, excellent stuff and very accessible. Originally from Peterborough and now split between Bristol and London, the five-piece formed in 2023 and quickly earned a reputation for unpredictable live shows and a relentless DIY ethos, while still working with some of underground music’s most respected engineers. Club Brat has a statement EP, no question about it, now to follow it up with more live shows and then the album. On this evidence, they have nothing to worry about. ‘In It For The Money’ might not be what they’re about, but it’s like if Jane’s Addiction were from inner city UK and not Hollywood, California. It has the energy and drive, and most importantly, it has the tunes. The final cut is the rapid barking dog of a track, ‘Watch’ it’s heavy, fast but you can dance to it. Go pick up a copy and find out for yourself.
Coming on like The Monkees for the 90’s, Californian Power Pop legends Redd Kross brought colour, quirkiness and most of all, FUN to a Grunge-filled music world. There was a period when all I listened to was ‘Third Eye’, ‘Phaseshifter’ and the two Jellyfish albums.
Their performance of ‘Visionary’ on The Word could be the best live performance of any band in a TV studio, and it was then I realised I had to see them live…yet it never happened. For one reason or another, the stars never aligned for me and Redd Kross…until now.
Following the release of last year’s excellent self-titled double album, the band are over here with The Melvins and they have a few shows of their own. One happens to be a 25-minute walk from my house; there is no way I am missing this!
Dressed in matching paint-splattered white outfits, like a walking & talking (well, singing) art piece on their way to an Indian wedding, Redd Kross walk on and fire straight into ‘Huge Wonder’. I never realised how tall Jeff McDonald is; the singer towers over guitarist Jason Shapiro. To his left, bassist and brother Steven gyrates his body like he’s being electrocuted. The man with the straightest hair in rock knows how to work a crowd, and his between-song Paul Stanley-esque raps are comedy gold that keeps the crowd up for a rock n’ roll party.
‘Stay Away From Downtown’ is up next, a killer garage rock riff from Jeff’s guitar and a sublime hook makes it an early highlight, damn I forgot how good that tune is. ‘Stunt Queen’ is the first of 5 tracks from the latest album. What a tune live, it has the attitude and the punk energy of classic Redd Kross, and I love it.
Just watching the brothers trade vocals, constantly smiling and moving, giving their all in the moment, it’s just magical to me. ‘Lady In The Front Row’ is the first sublime moment that gets the crowd singing every word. How could you not? It’s ridiculously catchy. A red album double dose follows: the singles ‘Candy Coloured Catastrophe’ and the Steven-led ‘I’ll Take Your Word For It’ fit the bill nicely. There’s only one track from the ‘Third Eye’ album on this tour, which might seem criminal to a die hard, but if you play one song from arguably your best album, then it must be ‘Annie’s Gone’, right? I’m mesmerised as the frontman ditches his guitar, covers his face with a scarf and sings through it for the entire song. An ethereal, bizarre and truly emotive 3 and a half minutes of Power Pop perfection.
Elsewhere, we get a high-energy one-two of ‘Switchblade Sister’ and Jimmy’s Fantasy’, with catchy riffs and hooks aplenty, plus a killer cover of The Beatles ‘It Won’t Be Long’ with Jeff shakin’ that tambourine like it’s the last thing he’s ever going to do. A song they truly make their own.
They return to jam out some oldies before bringing the whole room to a rock n’ roll party climax with a killer ‘Deuce’, complete with Paul & Gene classic 70’s stage moves thrown in for good measure.
Ok, so it’s been a long time coming, and I may be biased here, but Redd Kross truly blew me away tonight. I’ve seen a lot of great gigs already this year but tonight was truly special. Redd Kross are a band who are at the top of their game both live and creatively.
Someone was shouting for then to play ‘Zira (Call Out My Name)’ tonight, and after a few bars that ended in Jeff laughing and saying he doesn’t remember it, Steven says they’ll come back next year and play the whole gaddamn album! Now that would be truly something.
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