Stone Broken - Exeter Review

After having at least a gig a week for the majority of the past couple of months, it was actually quite nice to have a bit of a rest last week to recharge! I say this in jest, of course, as I never want to have an enforced 18 month 'rest' from live music again, and the fact that I have been tired due to taking in a diverse and large number of gigs over the past couple of months is a very good thing. From clubs to arenas, and back again, 2022 has been great so far from a gigging perspective and there is a lot more to come - especially following today's announcement that Yes will be playing an intimate tour warm-up show at The Wharf in Tavistock, a local venue for me, next month. Enough about the future, however, as the focus on this piece is last night - and the excellent gig that I attended at the Exeter Phoenix, another local venue. The night was a great showcase for young, modern hard rock - and was headlined by the Walsall-based four-piece Stone Broken who have became pretty established over the last few years. I remember seeing the band open for The Treatment before their first album came out in 2016, and I followed the band from afar for a while - before becoming a proper fan between seeing them headline the Friday night at the 2018 iteration of Steelhouse Festival and another excellent showing with Black Star Riders in Bristol in 2019. Readers of this blog will know that I traditionally struggle with bands who channel post-grunge and American radio rock-type sounds - but a few bands who clearly are very much influenced by this type of music have won me over. Stone Broken is one such band, and I would now consider myself a proper fan of their work - rather than just a casual fan who was impressed at the band's ability to grow their fanbase through good, old-fashioned hard work. With a new album, Revelation, released last month (a review of which to follow in due course) for me to enjoy, the next step in my fandom was to see the band live again - and on their own terms this time. An Exeter show seemed to be the perfect opportunity - but I was forced to wait! I believe that the tour had been postponed at least once previously but I was originally supposed to see the band in January, before the show was moved to May. Half way through the tour, however, Rich Moss (vocals/guitar) contracted laryngitis which meant that the rest of the shows had to be postponed again! This must have been gutting for the band after finally getting back on the road, but luckily they, and we, did not have to wait long as the rescheduled shows followed only a couple of weeks or so later. I have been to the Exeter Phoenix quite a few times recently and the turnouts have always been strong - as was the case last night, despite the mid-week date. Clearly the people of Devon and the surrounding environs are embracing live music again, which is certainly great to see.

Before Stone Broken took to the stage, though, the growing crowd was treated to sets from two support acts. The latest rescheduling meant that Scotland's Mason Hill would not be able to join Stone Broken on these final few shows, and they were replaced - at least in Exeter - by the Welsh four-piece Tribeless. I was unfamiliar with Tribeless prior to last night, but I enjoyed the band's melodic take on alternative rock. Tribeless' sound is quite poppy, and relied more on synth and guitar melodies rather than traditional riffs - whilst a busy rhythm section added plenty of danceable grooves. Frontwoman Lydia McDonald has a strong voice, and she elevated the band's material beyond its floaty, melodic simplicity. With a lesser vocalist the band would have likely not been anywhere near as interesting, though, as instrumentally there was little write home about. The songs were written for McDonald to her thing over, and as such they worked. She has a surprisingly soulful delivery, in that post-Amy Winehouse style which has become popular with female pop/rock singers over the past decade or so, and a strong sense of melody. Whilst a few of the band's songs did not make much of an impression, there were quite a few strong choruses throughout Tribeless' set. Some of the songs played were of the sort that would likely become earworms after a couple of listens, and clearly quite a few in the crowd agreed - as the band received quite a strong reaction throughout their set. They were perhaps a little on the poppy side for the bill considering the two sets that were to follow, but I enjoyed my time with Tribeless - and they are another new band that will be fun to keep an eye on and watch their development.

Bumped up from openers, Devon's own The Fallen State clearly wanted to make an impression on what was almost a home-town show for the five-piece. They need not have worried, though, as there were a lot of Fallen State t-shirts on display throughout the venue - and the band received a headliners' reception during their powerful eight-song set. I have been a fan of the band for quite some time at this point, but my last live experience with the band was disappointing - as the show at The Junction in Plymouth last year was blighted by a terrible sound mix and ring rust. With plenty of shows under their belt since then and a powerful mix, though, The Fallen State shone this time. The Plymouth show last year was also frontman Adam Methven's first with the band, so he was still finding his feet, but last night he seemed much more assured - and the band sounded the heaviest that they ever have, as they stormed through a number of fan-favourite songs from their many releases. They opened with For My Sorrow from 2019's A Deadset Endeavour, a song which always comes alive when played live, before the first highlight of the night in Sinner was played. Methven really impressed throughout the set, and his takes on the older songs help them to sound heavier. Sinner rocked thanks to his gritty delivery, but in truth the whole band was fired up. Rich Walker (drums/vocals) played his heart out throughout the set, and seemed to inject quite a few new flourishes into a number of the songs which worked really well, and Jon Price (guitar/vocals) bounced around in front of us with a huge grin on his face as he peeled off riffs and solos aplenty. The moody Sons of Avarice, which is always a favourite, was one of the few moments of respite in the set, as tracks like the anthemic new single Standing Tall and the punky Knives kept the energy levels high. The crowd really fed off the band's energy, too, and when Methven asked the audience to sing the wordless vocal hook to Burn It to the Ground they did not need to be asked twice. The heavy track was another winner, too, but by this point the band's time on stage was coming to a close. They had time for one more, though, and the power ballad Nova, which has become one of the band's signature songs, brought the set to a close. There were more singing from the crowd here too, and it is clear that The Fallen State had impressed - and it was great to see them back firing on all cylinders. The setlist was:

For My Sorrow

Sinner

Sons of Avarice

Lost Cause

Standing Tall

Knives

Burn It to the Ground

Nova

Whilst Stone Broken were the night's headliners, it felt as if most of the crowd were there to support all of the bands. Stone Broken received a headliners' welcome, of course, but it is great to see bills like this - with lots of new rock bands helping each other out and having a great time. Mason Hill's headline tour last year had a similar vibe, and evenings like it always have a great atmosphere. Some bands would have struggled to follow The Fallen State's barnstorming performance, but Stone Broken have been around the block a few times by this point - and put on a show that was worthy of their top-billing status. Most of the band's song's are anthems, and the slight synth-based edge that their new material has helped to add a new dynamic to their overall sound. One of these new songs, Revelation, opened the evening up, and the smooth track impressed. The band sounded tight and powerful from the off, with Moss now recovered from his laryngitis, and there was very little time to rest throughout. A few choice cuts from the new album were played, but largely the set was made up of old favourites - which pleased the large crowd. The opening guitar salvo of Stay All Night introduced Chris Davis (guitar/vocals) in a big way, whilst the snarling groove of the caustic Heartbeat Away saw plenty of movement from the crowd. As they had been for the previous bands, the crowd was very much behind Stone Broken from the off - but took things to the next level. Everyone was out to have a good time, and it was great to see such a mix of ages in the crowd - all of whom were singing along. Another highlight for me was Black Sunrise, which is probably my favourite song from the new album thanks to its Alter Bridge-esque chorus, before the strip club anthem Let Me See It All, which was preceded by some snippets of some hair metal classics over the PA, again injected a lot of groove into the set - with the drumming of Robyn Haycock impressing. There was something of a mid-set pause for breath when Moss took the opportunity to throw some Stone Broken merch into the crowd, but this was short lived and the band arguably rocked even harder during the set's second portion with anthems like Better and the hard-hitting new cut The Devil You Know. By this point the end was approaching, though. Worth Fighting For again showcased Davis and his excellent lead guitar skills, but the pace totally dropped following the heavy track for the set's only true ballad Wait for You. The song is a real fan-favourite, and it was largely sung by Moss alone with his acoustic guitar - but the crowd helped him out, before the rest of the band returned for the last chorus. A somewhat sloppy but fun cover of Bad Company's Feel Like Makin' Love was then thrown in, as has been the band's want on this tour, but the best was left to last as the set was rounded out the night with a powerful rendition of another signature tune in Not Your Enemy. Moss went for a walkabout during the song, and the crowd lapped up every minute of it whilst singing along. It was a great way to end the night, and I am certain that everyone went home happy judging by the reception that the band received as they took their bows. The setlist was:

Revelation

Stay All Night

Doesn't Matter

Heartbeat Away

Black Sunrise

Let Me See It All

This Revival

Better

Let Me Go

The Devil You Know

Worth Fighting For

Wait for You

Feel Like Makin' Love [Bad Company cover]

Not Your Enemy

Stone Broken were excellent, and I am glad that I have finally made it to one of their headline shows. It has taken me a while to fully embrace the hype, despite seeing them for the first time all the way back in 2016, but I am now a true convert. It was great seeing The Fallen State back to their best, too, and overall the evening was a great night of modern hard rock music. It is always worth checking out new hard rock bands, as there are so many great UK-based acts at the moment - who all deserve support.