Review : Karen Hetherington
Pics: Adrian Hextall \ Mindhex Media
Dirty Thrills first caught my attention on the Rising Stage at the Ramblin’ Man Fair back in July where the calibre of their talent rooted me to the spot for the duration of their set forcing me to forgo another band I was scheduled to see. Their performance at the festival was nothing short of mind blowing so it was with much enthusiasm that I set off to see the end of tour gig at The Big Red in London.
Aimed at a biker/rocker crowd, on arrival at the venue I thought I’d died and gone to heaven – or hell depending on how you look at it… With ample stage and bar space, walls were adorned with pictures of rock royalty and an AC/DC pin ball machine was amongst some of the quirky features around the bar area. Ticking all my boxes, I think this may be my new favourite drinking spot in London.
The Killing Floor / Piston
Kicking off the nights entertainment were “The Killing Floor”. The band who hails from both America and England went down a storm with their highly charged eclectic rock/grunge style. Their set was massively well received by the gathering crowd (myself included) before a suitably revved up and ever expanding audience were next delighted by “Piston”. An English band previously unknown to me, their hard rocking set didn’t fail to impress. Raw vocals and heavy riffs had me instantly hooked on their impressive sound and I will be checking them out again as soon as I possibly can…
Dirty Thrills
After a relatively brief turnaround, “Dirty Thrills” took to the stage with the full force reminiscent of veteran rockers well accustomed to captivating their audience from the off. For a relatively new band they are tight but loose, clearly well-rehearsed from touring.
Working their way through the guts of their self titled debut album – Reign, No Resolve, Sigh and Rock N Roll all got an airing and were received with rapturous applause, their familiarity evident. Anyone in possession of Dirty Thrills releases to date is sure to have them on regular play – I certainly do. The superb set list also featured Rabbit Hole and the stunning Lonely Soul from their new E.P. “Devils Wine”. As is usual with Dirty Thrills material, this track had immediate and enduring appeal.
Singer Louis James had a captive audience throughout with his classic rock voice featuring sultry blues tones that sends shivers down your spine coupled with the sexy swagger, confidence and provocative stage persona of someone who knows they are at the top of their game.
While it’s not uncommon for bassists to blend somewhat into the background, this will never be the case with Aaron Plows. It would be impossible not be enamoured by the energy and enthusiasm which accompany his vintage dirty bass grooves while guitarist Jack Fawdry merges classic rock and blues with both ease and expertise as his melting riffs and high energy let the guitar do the talking and leave the crowd in awe.
The rhythm section of this quartet is completed by the relentlessly hard working Steve Corrigan on drums who showed no quarter as he mercilessly pounded his Tama kit.
These guys were born to be rock stars, they work the stage effortlessly making them mega talented crowd pleasers. Their set featured un-embellished, gritty, penetrating classic blues rock, the kind that screams raw sexuality and leaves you wanting more and more. Their dynamic, high octane performance made them hard to photograph for anyone less than professional standard as they didn’t stay in one place long enough! It perfectly concluded an amazing nights entertainment at The Big Red. The music, crowd, atmosphere and the venue were all incredible.
In conclusion, and as if I needed any more persuasion, Dirty Thrills are a phenomenally talented four piece destined for great things, but don’t just take my word for it, check them out at your earliest opportunity. The name says it all really….
About Author
