King King at Chester Live Rooms. November 26th

There are some nights that might fall a bit flat due to the anticipation they are afforded. Not a chance of that though when either King King or Broken Witt Rebels are in town. Get both on the same bill and what results is musical

dynamite. Both bands quite simply rocked the foundations off The Chester Live Rooms with the packed audience roaring them both home.

Broken Witt Rebels may only have two EPs to their name so far but all the same these Birmingham lads are a band that’s definitely going places and fast! In October they won Best Live Act at The Unsigned Awards and, on this evidence, little wonder.

“Good evening Chester,” front man Danny Core hollers from the stage. “Thanks for coming!” No problem Danny. Seriously. Storming into Low from Georgia Pine, Core’s vocals and James Tranter’s raging guitar work all but set the place alight. Which is no bad thing, given the freezing temperatures outside. The title track from the debut EP, Howlin’, is an absolute delight whereas Getaway Man and Georgia Pine itself lift the energy to new levels, with Luke Davis (bass) and James Dudley (drums) hammering out the rhythm like harmonious pneumatic drills.

Guns and Shake Me Down set the seal on a triumphant 40 minute set that is jam packed with so much class it is almost Etonesque and it cannot be too much longer to wait surely for not only a debut album but also a headline tour.

So, in light of this, King King have a lot to live up to. Not that anybody need worry. Despite not being quite 100% following his recent throat surgery by his own admission, Alan Nimmo remains bang on form and rockets through a consummate 90 minute set. With Lindsay Coulson (bass), Wayne Proctor (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keyboards) underscoring  what Nimmo creates, King King are the UK’s hottest band on the circuit. Rightly so.

Lose Control sets things running and the pace never lets up. Although the set has barely altered throughout the near twelve months the band have been on the road since Reaching for the Light was released the very fact they sound so fresh is testament to King King’s skills. There are moments of passion – Wake Up­ – moments of sheer beauty – A Long History of Love – and moments of trul outstanding musicianship by this tightest of outfits.  Nimmo’s guitar solo during Stranger To Love still manages – even during this third gig in 2016 and following the release of King King Live earlier this year – still manages to set the wee diddy hairs at the nape of the neck on end.

A truly stunning night of Blues-Rock provided by two bands both set fair to fill venues far bigger than The Chester Live Rooms. Though hopefully not too big. The energy provided from the Sold Out audience inevitably helped, thereby making it yet another gig-come-event that will burn bright in the memory banks for a while to come yet.

King King: Set List

Lose Control

Wait On Time

Waking Up

Rush Hour

A Long History of Love

More Than I Can Take

You Stopped The Rain

Jealousy

Crazy

Stranger To Love

Encore

Let Love In