With the recent announcement of David Coverdale’s immediate retirement it’s becoming more and more evident as the months and years pass by that the bands of our youth that we’ve grown up with over the decades are rapidly disappearing. It is therefore understandable why a common question asked is “who is coming through to take the places left by these legends?”
Last night at The Cluny in Newcastle gave us a glimpse of two bands amongst a group of artists who give us hope for the future of Rock music.
First up were Nashville’s Parker Barrow, fronted by Megan Kane with her husband Dylan Turner behind on the drums along with a forceful dual guitar attack of Alex Bender and Will Tipton who between them deliver a gritty take on Southern Rock.
In “Throwing Stones” they have a huge Zeppelin-esq epic with some down and dirty slide guitar, while the heavy groove of bassist Bo Howard and the growling Hammond organ of Eric Safka make “Count Your Dollar” a real show stopper as Kane’s powerful voice took centre stage.
Canada’s The Damn Truth have come a long way in the three years or so since their first UK tour and have grown into one of the best live bands around.
Much of that is down to lead singer Lee-La Baum, whose powerful voice doesn’t half pack a punch. It’s insanely melodic with a nice gritty edge with a phenomenal range that just enlivens an already impressive catalogue of songs.
Opener “Be Somebody” is an absolute gem with a huge hook to the chorus complete with some effective backing vocals from guitarist Tom Shemer and bassist Py Letellier. Quite irresistible.
The driving groove of “Addicted” was a real foot tapper while “The Willow” is a classic in the making. A real epic of a slow burner where Baum really excelled while Shemer also stepped into the spotlight to deliver a solo befitting such an impressive song. Going straight into “This Is Who We Are” upped the energy levels in the mid-set before the gorgeous “If I Don’t Make It Home” took the evening to an even higher plane. A ballad of pure class which will be revered for years to come.
With “Look Innocent”, and the heavy weight duo of “Get With You” and “Tomorrow” heading into the final strait, The Damn Truth have an astonishing rich and varied catalogue to catapult them to the very top.
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