REVIEW: Wolfmother Rock The London Coronet, But Band Of Skulls Lead Pack
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Written by Matt Hamm
Wolfmother entertained an expectant pack of music fans last week, hungry for rock and salivating for roll. Up for the first course were Band Of Skulls. And the Southampton trio, served up five Michelin Stars. Their sound was brash, overwhelming and bounced off the walls of the London Coronet, wrapping the audience in a bubbling cocoon of sound. If none of the audience knew them before, they most definitely made sure they did after. The musical coupling of the Kills-esque male/female singer provided an excellent balance of vocals, bathed in both thumping basslines and crashing riffs. After half an hour of pure sex and Americana, the pulsing audience were well and truly warmed up.
Cue the new line up for the Australian rock outfit. But to be honest, only the lead singer, Andrew Stockdale, is Wolfmother. It is he who draws your eye, he who carries the band. And it’s not just his bouncing curly barnet that is mesmerising, his voice is a superb. As crisp as it is in recording, reminiscent of a young Robert Plant; it quite simply rocks. Fan favourite Woman saw him belt out his heart through his vocal chords, while New Moon Rising was an ideal showcase for his distinctive whaling, revelling in Sabbath style guitar play.
Wolfmother kicked off and ended proceedings with the popular debut album tracks Dimension and Mind’s Eye, but the set was a rollercoaster ride of new and old. The audience interest seemed to flounder in the unpopular waters of their new material. It wasn’t that the audience didn’t know the music; it was that they didn’t particularly respond to it. Where their self-titled first album was a fresh homage to a tiring genre, rekindling a love for psychedelic rock of days gone by, their new take isn’t. Cosmic Egg, White Feather, Sundial and Pilgrim all seemed to blend into a haze of riffs.
But the most surprising and unexpected delight of the evening was the encore’s Kate Bush cover. Stockdale and his fellow crazy haired lead guitarist (Aiden Nemeth) donned to stage with just a mic and guitar, to belt out Wuthering Heights to unsuspecting audience. Although a little pub karaoke at times, it was brilliant; teeing up a lovely swansong for their final show of a long European tour and what the crowd were waiting for - Joker and the Thief. From the brilliant opening as fans ferociously clapped their hands and nodded their heads, to the rip roaring riffs; it swept the Coronet Theatre off its feet, escalating in a highway to rock music heaven.
Stockdale has always said that Wolfmother are “knock your head off rock’n’roll”, but unfortunately for the band, it was their support that stole the show. Where Wolfmother’s strength lies in their lead, Band Of Skulls proved that two heads can sometimes be better than one.
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