Seventies-inspired rock’n’roll
It’s not every gig where the average age of the crowd is at least 20 years more than that of the band’s. But craning the neck to get a glimpse of the stage at The Cockpit, Leeds, varying degrees of receding hairlines can be seen in view and support for Rival Sons.
Under the venue’s curved steel roof, the elderly audience hold pints in one hand and nostalgia in the other as the band serves fresh helpings of Seventies-inspired rock’n’roll with dollops of blues and soul, and even a sprinkling of psychedelia from Scott Holiday’s guitar.
“It’s rock ‘n’ soul,” says audience member Tony Brown of the music. Adding: “I can hear Frankie Miller, Paul Rodgers, other people with a lot of soul in them.” It’s unlikely that such British stalwarts were a primary influence on the quartet from Los Angeles (an admitted influence is Chuck Berry). What’s more likely is that the universal bell of soul chimes in every clime.
And it’s Europe that Rival Sons have now come to woo. Considering their second studio album ‘Pressure & Time’ (released June 20) was recorded and produced in the 20 days prior to its release, the tour planned across eight countries to promote it must have had pressure within the band at a premium. If it was, they definitely didn’t show it in their rock solid hour-long set.
Of the songs, ‘All Over The Road’ – with lyrics as unabashed as: ‘Well you love your candy, open up for something twice as sweet’ – and the mellower ‘Only You’ reflected how constant travelling builds a conflict of lust and love. ‘Pressure & Time’ was crackerjack rock‘n’roll, as was ‘Tell Me Something’ from their first record ‘Before The Fire’ (2009). But it was the toying stop-motion end to the self-released ‘Get What’s Coming’ that got the crowd really going.
However, with the crowd’s advanced age, there was only so much that they could really let go. Watching them nonetheless expend energy pent up while the dynamics of music has shifted over decades, it begged the question: are post-Naughties youngsters mining fresh deposits of “rock ‘n’ soul” gems?
Despite a positive response to the band online, going by the night at The Cockpit the youth in Leeds at least have given this old school a bunk.
Words by Shunashir Sen
File Photo by Sakura
Under the venue’s curved steel roof, the elderly audience hold pints in one hand and nostalgia in the other as the band serves fresh helpings of Seventies-inspired rock’n’roll with dollops of blues and soul, and even a sprinkling of psychedelia from Scott Holiday’s guitar.
“It’s rock ‘n’ soul,” says audience member Tony Brown of the music. Adding: “I can hear Frankie Miller, Paul Rodgers, other people with a lot of soul in them.” It’s unlikely that such British stalwarts were a primary influence on the quartet from Los Angeles (an admitted influence is Chuck Berry). What’s more likely is that the universal bell of soul chimes in every clime.
And it’s Europe that Rival Sons have now come to woo. Considering their second studio album ‘Pressure & Time’ (released June 20) was recorded and produced in the 20 days prior to its release, the tour planned across eight countries to promote it must have had pressure within the band at a premium. If it was, they definitely didn’t show it in their rock solid hour-long set.
Of the songs, ‘All Over The Road’ – with lyrics as unabashed as: ‘Well you love your candy, open up for something twice as sweet’ – and the mellower ‘Only You’ reflected how constant travelling builds a conflict of lust and love. ‘Pressure & Time’ was crackerjack rock‘n’roll, as was ‘Tell Me Something’ from their first record ‘Before The Fire’ (2009). But it was the toying stop-motion end to the self-released ‘Get What’s Coming’ that got the crowd really going.
However, with the crowd’s advanced age, there was only so much that they could really let go. Watching them nonetheless expend energy pent up while the dynamics of music has shifted over decades, it begged the question: are post-Naughties youngsters mining fresh deposits of “rock ‘n’ soul” gems?
Despite a positive response to the band online, going by the night at The Cockpit the youth in Leeds at least have given this old school a bunk.
Words by Shunashir Sen
File Photo by Sakura
Chuck Berry
