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Review: 'Dead Daisies, The and The Quireboys'
'Live at Shepherds Bush Empire'   


-  Genre: 'Rock' -  Release Date: '10.10.21.'

Our Rating:
We booked to go and see this show knowing nothing about the "headline" act The Dead Daisies but wanting to see The Quireboys, so the points for this gig are based on The Quireboys set and not The Dead Daisies as if that was the case this gig would only merit a 6 out of 10 as I am really not into the sort of 70's hard rock The Dead Daisies play.

We got in just as 80's brit Rockers Grand Slam started there last song, that appeared to my ears to be a tribute to the Sisters Of Mercy! Of course as the band's main selling point died many years ago, this was the current very not Phil Lynott's Grand Slam line-up, the singer reminded me of the singer in Volbeat, but the song just went on for seeming ever, full of tired hard rock/metal cliches that a large part of the crowd lapped up, for me one song was enough.

Soon enough once Alan Clayton had everything right it was 7.45 and time for a party with The Quireboys, who didn't open with that song but instead with Misled and the current 6-piece line-up sounded pretty much spot on, with Spike in all his full on raspy glory.

Spike was very much like a Man On The Loose who really didn't care what you thought as long as you raised your glass in the air for him as Guy Griffin swaggered on guitar while they were all keeping Rock & Roll alive as ever.

It really had been A Long Time Comin' to be able to be out at a gig like this again and Pip Malling's drumming re-enforced the point As Spike was still looking for that Rich Mama to look after him.

Spike was still following Paul Guerins guitar lines on Whipping Boy as they all swaggered and got deep into the heart of this song as Spike swung his Microphone stand around like he was in a marching band.

Hey You was a total sing along with most of the packed crowd singing along with Spike. There She Goes Again blasted out next with some lovely tinkling from Keith Weir on the keyboards as ever.

Spike tried to make sure I Don't Love You Anymore was as full of bitter regret as he could, so that it is just about a tearjerker rather than a kiss off.

Sweet Mary Anne was a total rave-up that really got us all in the right mood for Spike to whip out his harmonica as they blasted through the set closing 7 O'Clock that made it seem like they were still on British Summer time instead of it actually being 8.30 it was still time for that party. They left the stage way too early as we'd have like to see them play for about twice as long as they actually did.

After the break it was time for 70's hard rock throwback super group The Dead Daisies whose current line-up has Glenn Hughes on Bass and vocals, Doug Aldrich on Guitar God duties, David Lowy rhythm guitar and Tommy Clufetos on drums.

Right from the opening song Unspoken it was clear they are a very 1970's style heavy rock band and were going to tick every cliche they could, with lots of wailed vocals, flashy guitar solos, punch in your face drumming, which if I was a fan of that sort of thing would have made me very happy indeed.

Rise Up sounded like they were trying to raise the bodies of dead ex-band members of the groups Glenn Hughes has been a part of, with a real need to bring Gary Moore back for one more go round.

Dead And Gone had loads of ghoulish imagery as Glenn told us the devil is his witness and Doug tried to play as devilish a solo as he could, but the shit eating grin he plays with kind of makes it difficult to believe he's in league with lucifer.

Chosen And Justified has the sort of widdly guitar solo that has me running for the hills and remembering why I became a Bowie freak and Punk rather than a fan of classic hard rock.

Mexico is a good Rock and roll road song about wanting to play in Mexico and not wanting to snort half the countries cocaine, even though Glenn still looks as if he wants too, as he caterwauled on about Mexico.

Bustle & Flow had some rather too busy drumming and lots of guitar histrionics to keep the Air Guitarist and drummers in the audience happy trying to keep up with the band.

The first cover of the set was Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival and it was as overblown as they could make it, at least Glenn knows what it's like to be a Fortunate Son and to still be around after a life of excess and really sang it as if he meant every word.

They then covered Midnight Moses by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and it was easily the best song in the set as they seemed to keep things under control and really nailed it.

They then went full on cliche with a 10 minute drum solo of interminable pain and several false endings that was a total yawn fest that I could have done without, while the rest of the band were off snorting lines or drinking tea, whatever they get up to in a break like this. When the rest of the band finally came back out they eventually launched into Mistreated one of the songs Glenn sang with Deep Purple and it was a blessed relief to hear him screaming at us after that drum solo.

It really was My Fate to have to hear all of this set as Doug did his best to widdle and widdle and widdle while grinning at us. Leave me Alone sadly wasn't a Lou Reed cover but another widdly cliched old rock song for the bands stuck in the 70's fanbase.

Did The Dead Daisies have any Saving Graces, well yes they never played a note out of place and were as tight as can be, just not the sort of thing I want to hear too often. But then they claim to be Like No Other when really they were like any number of tired old 70's bands so this sounded more like a history lesson than a vital band to see.

They closed with the title track of the bands latest album Holy Ground that sounded like they had been telling each other to make it epic, no make it more epic, is it epic enough yet, wait one more widdly solo and we'll have nailed it, now scream a bit Glenn, done. The audience didn't go totally wild but did clap enough for them to come back for an encore.

The encore opened with Long Way to Go that was a reasonably restrained rock song by there standards and then they went full on monumental, let's throw everything at this except an exploding drummer, for their version of Deep Purples Burn that of course had some blazing solo's and more than enough screamed vocals to keep all the Purple fans in the audience happy. If I was a fan of this sort of 70's hard rock The Dead Daises would be great, but I'd rather have the Quireboys bonhomie and glammier rock to be honest.

  author: simonovitch

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