The Cadillac Three with Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown – O2 Academy, Birmingham – 10th November 2016

There is nothing we like better than music and whiskey and who better to deliver that special recipe than Tennessee’s The Cadillac Three. On this occasion they have brought along fellow Nashville residents Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown. This band have already played stadiums across Europe with AC/DC and have pending shows in Mexico with Guns’n’Roses, there’s no messing about Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown are fantastic. Opening with the beastly heavy, bass driven ‘Criminal Imagination’, they lure us through a veritable feast of guitar fuelled musical extravagance that has us captivated. Tyler Bryant has a youthful exuberance with an air of Marc Bolan; drawing influence from Carlos Santana, he springs around the stage making his guitar do anything but gently weep and is backed by some fine musicians, with great vocal harmonies. There certainly is something in that Nashville water. A great upbeat cover of ‘That’s Alright Mama’ really got the crowd involved and as Tyler brought out the resonator guitar for ‘Last One Leaving’, we knew we‘d be the last ones leaving tonight (and we were). But before we left it was time for headliners The Cadillac Three.

With alcohol filled words as they open with ‘Bury Me In Me Boots’, The Cadillac Three, know how to get the ‘Don’t Forget The Whiskey Tour’ started, Nashville is in alive and kicking in this corner of another heavily accented city. Neil Mason thunders through ‘Slide’ and by the time we reach the forth track, Birmingham has well and truly found its ‘Tennessee Mojo’, as Kelby Ray Caldwell treats us to some fine pedal steel guitar work. The groove and grind of this band is irresistible, as is the southern American drawl of Jaren Johnston as he sings. The crowd join him in their finest of voices (as Birmingham are well known for) on ‘I’m Southern’ and you can tell that The Cadillac Three are thoroughly enjoying themselves on stage in response to the reaction that they are getting, it sure is how they roll and this city is loving them for it.

Recent single ‘Graffiti’ has a different flavour to it and shows another belt to The Cadillac Three’s musical armour. The likes of ‘Peace, Love & Dixie’ and ‘I’m Rockin’’ pick up the Nashville flavour where ‘Graffiti’ left off.

Jaren Johnston’s writing lyrically has something for everyone, he’s definitely one of today’s great song writing talents and is recognised by musical greats such as Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler (who joined them on stage in their home city last September). There just isn’t a bad song on their set list tonight. Joined in the encore by Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, for a cover of Tom Petty’s ‘Honey Bee’ The Cadillac Three dug back into their musical roots and showed us from where they learnt their craft and give The Shakedown’s Noah Denney a turn on lead vocals, before wrapping up a fantastic night with their beautiful ballad ‘White Lightening’ and finally ‘The South’.

With rumours that both Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown and The Cadillac Three will be back for more shows and festivals next year, do yourself an honour, get on down, check them both out and you’ll find yourself channelling your inner toe tapping cowboy boot before you know it.

TC3 Set List: Bury Me In My Boots, Slide, Soundtrack To A Six Pack, Tennessee Mojo, Back It Up, I’m Southern, Party Like You, Drunk Like You, Graffiti, Runnin’ Red Lights, Whiskey Soaked Redemption, Peace Love & Dixie, I’m Rockin’, Down To The River, Days Of Gold Encore Honey Bee with Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, White Lightning, The South