Dirty Honey supports Rival Sons – on their 10th Anniversary of Pressure & Time Tour gig review

Dirty Honey supports Rival Sons – on their 10th Anniversary of Pressure & Time Tour – gig review at Sheffield O2, 28 June ’22

The band on everyone’s lips tonight is Dirty Honey. The LA four-piece formed in 2017 has steadily risen through the rock and roll ranks. With press references about the band sounding anything akin to Led Zep, AC/DC and Aerosmith to boot!

Dirty Honey, doesn’t need the accolades, even their cover songs, have a knack for sounding like the band made the song themselves. Now that’s a good trick to have up your sleeve.

Rolling all the 7’s tonight, singer Marc LaBelle struts on the stage followed by bandmates guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian and drummer Corey Coverstone, to an eager crowd. Opening with Gypsy the new vagabonds to the British scene, light up their audience this Tuesday night with their vibrant pulse of blues-edged rock n roll off their 2021 album self-titled album!

The vibe so far is electric and if you were in the pub having a few more beers, missing the support then shame on you! But the consensus is a lot of people bought a ticket just to see Dirty Honey after they made their UK debut at Download Festival this year.

Dirty Honey seems to be the band everybody can’t get enough of. Playing Heartbreaker an edgy melodic rock riffer off their debut EP. You can hear why everyone is talking about LaBelle’s crooning, he’s either a natural craftsman or has been perfecting his Dan McCafferty with his Razamanaz vocals, I’d like to go for the former!

I’m sure we had a little tease of the Mama’s n Paps riff but there was a pause… could the days of California Dreaming, their own bright breezy vibrant song of the same title, spell the end of days dreaming of being a slave to grind for the band? They certainly have the prowess to be headliners with their heavy blues-influenced rock-based sound.

Slowing down the pace but not the volume Another Last Time is blues-infused that will have you addicted to the rhythm of Dirty Honey.

Gaining themselves a number No1 American billboard hit with When I’m Gone as an unsigned band. Is the penultimate song from their set. The sultry-moody bass-riff slowly builds as LaBelle’s smokey, like honey wouldn’t melt vocals drip from his mouth.

Closing with Rolling 7’s the chorus Do You Need A Little Loving, I heard there were a few choices of the ‘do you need a little…’ before this one was decided upon!

Appreciative of their audience LaBelle gives much thanks and love to the crowd. We can’t wait to see them back again, headlining.

https://www.dirtyhoney.com/

More photos here – https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzWrJJ

Setlist –

Rival Sons – Pressure & Time Tour 10th Anniversary

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Pressure & Time, which was the second album from Rival Sons, now in its tenth year, the band is bringing something a little different to their tour.

The last time, was also the first time I saw the LongBeach, American rockers Rival Sons for their album release of Feral Roots. Now going back to their roots for this double epic performance. The stage is a plain backdrop of red velvet curtains which suits the stage set up of the drums kit to the left to make way for the visual of a mock frame piano encasing the keyboardist.

Guitarist Scott Holiday is the first to take to the fog-smoked stage, whilst the others take their place. Vocalist Jay Buchanan is the last to join the set.

Opening with All Over The Road is the first classic from their album Pressure and Time, which they perform each song from but not necessarily in order, I like it when a band shakes things up.

Buchannan’s vocals are clean as the blistering harmonies of Young Love resonate out over the crowd. It’s a youthful song that sounds as fresh as the day it was recorded all those years ago!

Album and touring track Pressure and Time resonates with how the last couple of years have taken their toll as Jay tells us stories of how the band has survived through the pandemic, and that it’s left us all a little changed. But it’s not changed the pace and fever of Rival Sons who go full throttle on this epic number with killer riffs.

The Bop-a-long beat of Burn Down Los Angeles still has the crowd in the palm of their hands, with high-octane vocals and heavy sassy riffs to get the crowd reverberating along.

ENCORE

Taking a stage break the band exit and returns an eclectic mix of eight songs old and new, as well as performing a new track No Body Wants to Die.

Jordan is a downplayed mix as Jay takes his acoustic guitar for one of two numbers, this ambient version pays homage to ones lost during the pandemic. Shooting Stars has to be the song of the night with the crowd joining in on the resonating vocal choruses – a bold beautiful song with lots of whoas, and oooh’s added in all the right places.

Buchanan thanks his audience for their help singing along.

Rising the pace up from sombre to a moderate melodic vibe, guitarist Scott Holiday brings out his dual head guitar on Feral Roots.

Back to full electric on Do Your Worst, the band is back and captivating their audience with their full-on electric performance for the last two songs. The Classic styling of Rivals Sons and dramatic paused vocals give you the revered gospel sound Sons are noted for with drop beats and heavy riffs.

Closing with the new track Nobody Wants to Die, what a way to end an epic show. Proving good rock and roll wins over stage theatrics and bright lights every time.