Word and Pictures: Adrian Hextall / (C) MindHex Media
It’s October 2024, the price of energy has just gone up again. The Government are stopping winter fuel payments to the elderly in what has to be a thinly disguised attempt at population control and we’re generally feeling the pinch. Clearly, no one has had the foresight to wire all three of the bands playing at The Roundhouse on a Sunday night to the National Grid because the energy coming off them could power the city of London with ease during the 3 hours of music on offer.
Why have we not thought of this before? The Struts performing for thousands of pensioners denied their winter fuel allowance should be a deductible tax expense for the band. Russia turns off the gas pipes again? No problem, call MI6 and get them to send in Spiller to do a 2-hour set. That’ll soon have us warm and toasty all over again. That’s madness you say? Has anyone ever tried plugging Luke into the mains to see if he can power a city… no! I thought not. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
James Bruner
If the energy of The Struts (which to be honest is never in question) wasn’t enough, then it fell to young James Bruner to ignite the pilot light in the boiler as he and the members of his band arrived on stage one by one helping their opening track build from a soft acoustic number to a full on rock affair that then lasted for the remainder of their short but memorable set.
Now early doors on a Sunday evening is a tough slot for anyone and by the time Bruner came on stage, the venue was half full at best. Those that made the effort were rewarded with a short, 6 or so, song set that ran through various singles he’s released over the last 12 months. New to the scene, he not only lit the pilot light but got the boiler roaring quite happily and if the cheers Bruner received are anything to go by, then we saw what is likely to be a new force in UK rock music over the next year or so. As long as he doesn’t fall into the overly full vat of like for like UK rock bands then he’ll do very, very well indeed.
Barns Courtney
The same when it comes to new music, at least for me, is Barns Courtney. The tour with The Struts was announced as a ‘Grand Union’ affair with the posters showing two hands shaking. One hand coming out of a wide sleeved purple satin shirt with a hand adorned by oversized rings inset with purple gemstones, the other a bloodied hand looking like the Mummy from the old Universal movies wrapped in bandages. The bloodied bandaged hand belonging to Barns Courtney fits the feel of his new ‘Supernatural’ album but the show, with the sort of energy that allows Vin Diesel to live his life a quarter of a mile at a time, was a first for me. I was in the minority as the screams from the crowd verged a little on Beatlemania at times and raised more than a few smiles from the musicians on stage as their 75 minute set progressed.
It’s fair to say that Barns Courtney knows how to work a crowd and boy, did they respond. Cheers, screams, singalongs, bouncing, waving arms, applause and more. He’s definitely got something and breakout hit ‘Fire’ along with ‘Glitter & Gold’ which has now reached some 224m streams on Spotify were received by those in the know like a returning hero.
2 out of 3 ain’t bad, as the bloke with the hanky used to sing. He wasn’t wrong.
Normally the level of power from that double act would make the show closers a little twitchy. How do you go on after the furnaces have been stoked to the max with the boilers putting out more KWPH than should be possible? How do you give it more than that? Well, in the case of The Struts, the words ‘with ease’ would apply.
SETLIST
Fun Never Ends
London Girls
Hands
National Treasure
Supernatural
Glitter & Gold
“99”
Golden Dandelions
Kicks
Fire
Young in America
The Struts
Vin Diesel may well live life a quarter of a mile at a time, but he only manages it with nitrous oxide cylinders attached to his car’s engine. Knowing this, The Struts turned up, turned on the NOS and hit the accelerator and didn’t look back. Fast, furious and full of the sort of pensioner saving energy we’ve come to expect from the band over the last decade or so, ‘Primadonna Like Me’, ‘Fallin’ With Me’ and ‘Body Talks’ came and went in such quick succession that we didn’t even have time to take a breath.
Before we knew it the band that are too good at raising hell with all of the dirty money you can get your hands on teased us with new material, namely ‘Can’t Stop Talking’ which we all graciously helped sing and made it a hugely memorable experience for all in the – by then – packed venue.
Of course, the only problem with co-headline tours is that neither headliner benefits from a full set and at around 75 minutes each for Barns Courtney and The Struts, the deeper cuts have to take a backseat in favour of the hits. Do we complain? In so much as we’d love longer from both of them, yes. Play 90 minutes apiece and we’d be on cloud nine. However, with the power, intensity and goodwill between the bands and the crowd, we more than got our money’s worth at The Roundhouse and I’m sure the same was said at the other dates on the tour.
With the young lady whose legs adorn the cover of current Struts album ‘Pretty Vicious’ making an appearance on stage as well, I think it’s fair to say we had zero complaints and as ‘Put Your Money On Me’ and ‘Could Have Been Me’ closed the show, we stepped into the night, glowing with an aura as if we’d been on the Ready Brek.
I want to see all three again and soon. This is what Sunday’s are for.. oh, and to prove that the country cares about its elderly. I hope Rachel Reeves is reading and taking notes.
SETLIST
Primadonna Like Me
Fallin’ With Me
Body Talks
Too Good at Raising Hell
Dirty Sexy Money
The Ol’ Switcheroo
Can’t Stop Talking
Kiss This
Better Love
Pretty Vicious
In Love With a Camera
Put Your Money on Me
Could Have Been Me
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