By Terry Marland, Rock At Night Manchester
Live Review: Jared James Nichols w/DeWolff and Doomsday Outlaw- KiKi’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, UK-October 11, 2023
Opening up tonight is melodic blues rock band Doomsday Outlaw. Hailing from Sheffield they set the bar very high, maximising their stage time with a well-balanced set incorporating songs from their highly rated Damaged Goods album including heartfelt renditions of the southern rock tinged “One More Sip” and the poignant “If This Is The End”. The album is available on streaming platforms .If you only download one track try “If this is the End”. Recommended.
DeWolff
DeWolff is a psychedelic southern rock band from the deep south of the……… Netherlands . Although they may hail from Europe their delivery and style is modelled on the music of their cousins from the southern states with a strong twist of soul gospel and funk. The band composed of brother Pablo (vocals and guitar) and Luka Van Poole (drums) and Robin Piso on Hammond organ.
“Night Train” is a powerful opener with a heavy funk grove overlaid with a gospel vocals with Piso’s Hammond Organ is a signature presence. “Made it to 27” is a predominantly instrumental track that rocks things up with Van Pooles’s strident guitar facing off with Piso’s keyboards .
Mid set they announce that they have one song left to play and give prior warning that the album version of “Rosita” is sixteen minutes long but tonight could be significantly longer. What follows is a marathon track that in days gone by would occupy one side of a vinyl L.P. Considering this is their first UK tour it’s a risky strategy that triumphs .
Clocking in around 22 minutes the track is a self-contained psychedelic rock-gospel epic. It starts with a Doobies vibe overlaid with a chorus that has Van Poole displaying his soulful credentials before switching to preacher mode as he comes into the crowd taking on an evangelical presence before returning to the stage for “a power of love” finale. It’s all a bit surreal but it works superbly and is enthusiastically received by the Wolverhampton crowd.
You can hear the album version on Love, Death & In Between.
The band is scheduled to headline tour the UK next spring.
Jared James Nichols
Jared James Nichols has an imposing stage presence. Standing at 6ft 5inches with a body builders physique and distinctive main of reddish hair
His latest, self-titled, album was compiled as a template for his live shows and as expected features heavily in his set tonight. “Easy Come Easy Go” it’s a barnstorming opening with Nichols delivering his trademark power house guitar accompanied by gritty vocals. “My Delusion” and “Down the Drain” follow in the same thunderous vein and have the audience on side.
Immediately before the start of Nichol’s set tonight a recording of “Thunder Child” by midlands band Wolf Jaw was played . Tom Leighton, the lead singer and guitarist from the band, sadly died in 2021 and Nichols dedicates the next song “Threw Me To The Wolves” to him, adding that friends and family of Tom’s are in the audience tonight .During the song Nichols plays s few bars from the Rolling Stone’s ”Miss You”. It’s a nice touch that’s shows much respect for a fellow musician.
The set continues with a razor sharp delivery of powerful riffs and high energy tracks including “Skin and Bone” and “Bad Roots” We slow down for mesmerising but poignant delivery of shadow “Shadow Dancer”, another track from the latest album. The set has been start to finish quality and with half the tracks coming from his latest release its speaks volumes for the calibre of his recently recorded material.
The tour continues. Full details below.
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Jared James Nichols
DeWolff
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