THE last time Rival Sons played the Edinburgh Picturehouse they were a support act for Black Stone Cherry. This time, as singer Jay Buchanan delighted in telling the crowd, they were the headline act.
The blues rock band dived straight in to their set without formal introduction or pre-amble – although there was plenty of that later on. Opening with a track from their new album ‘Head Down’ they immediately got the crowd going. There was a laid back feeling amongst the audience, who were content to nod their heads and clap, without any mad dancing or clamouring to get nearer the front. That feeling probably coming from the calmness and professionalism exuded from the band members on stage.
Rival sons fairly rattled through the songs early in the set. Wild Animal, another tune from their new album was well received, but it was Gypsy Heart, a song from their 2011 album – Pressure and Time – that really engaged the crowd’s vocal chords.
This set was very much geared to the promotion of the album Head down, as they played five songs in a row from that album. The mysterious Manifest Destiny Part 1 was introduced with a background story of the songs meaning. It was around about here that singer Buchanan started to really open up and talk to the audience, slowing down the frenetic racing through of songs. Come the songs end there were more than a few cries from the crowd for the song Pressure and Time. Instead Rival Sons delivered the single from their new album Keep on Swinging.
The energy in the room was probably at its peak at this point and the crowd got their wish with the next song. Buchanan’s energetic and emotional energy really lifted the crowd with track Pressure and Time. Just as the band had finally raised the momentum though, they brought it down again, playing the slow song Sacred Tongue with just Buchanan and guitarist Scott Holiday. After that they cruised out on the ballad Face of Light, the members fading from the stage at its close.
Drummer Michael Miley returned to produce a solo- a rarely used technique by bands of this level. It worked nicely and wasn’t overly long, and soon the rest of the members joined them bursting out with Burn Down Los Angeles.
The final song of the night was Soul. It was slightly anti-climactic with it being a slow song. In the middle, there was a pause whilst Buchanan preached about how much he loved the crowd and other general clichéd statements. It dragged on too long, and the crowd were restless, probably hoping for one more fast number to end on a high. That high didn’t come and the gig kind of petered out.
Without a doubt, Rival Sons are seriously talented musicians. Parts of the set felt unrehearsed, but in a good way; it’s like listening to a really good jam. Buchanan’s voice is out of this world, very Robert Plant esque. Holidays guitar is cultured and bluesy, with lots of room provided by the almost funky rhythm section of drums and bass guitar.
The only criticism on the night has to be the pandering to the crowd. They weren’t there to be talked at, but to enjoy good music, and there was plenty of that at times. If Rival Sons can just keep to that, then they’ll live long in rock fans hearts.
By Thomas Brent
