We have been waiting for this gig for a long while now, as big fans of Rival Sons, having the pleasure of seeing them quite a few times, we never get bored. You can’t, they are a brilliant live band. As an outfit they are impeccable, but obviously they have an ace in the hole in the form of Jay Buchanan, whose voice is incredible. Live at times, yes, he pushes a little too hard, but that’s what you want to see at a gig, someone going for it and boy does he go for it. But he hasn’t just got a rock scream, if you listen to the slower numbers, he has incredible emotive voice. If you need any evidence, please check out the video below, and on their latest album ‘Darkfighter’. Although they bookended the year with another release just last week ‘Lightbringer’, and obviously they featured heavily in the set, both excellent albums, and will no doubt become a staple part of future Rival Sons setlists, especially since they contain several catchy sing along tunes.

Interspersed with the newer stuff were of course the classic songs, ‘Pressure And Time’, ‘Electric Man’, ‘Keep On Swinging’, and an acoustic version of ‘Shooting Stars’, along with the usual, loud sing along from the crowd, with the hand claps in the right place. But songs like ‘Mirrors’, ‘Mosaic’ and the epic brilliant ‘Horses Breath’, will be etched into our playlist from now on. Live Rival Sons never disappoint, period, but one question we always ask ourselves is, how the hell does Jay sing like that night after night? Someone explain please.

Photos by Geoff Griffe
Review by Jenny Griffe