Rival Sons - London Review

For me, Rival Sons are an example of the fact that you can come to really enjoy a band despite first dismissing them. The California-based four-piece first came to my attention in 2011, when they played at the second, and sadly final, iteration of the High Voltage Festival in London. The band had a bit of a buzz around them at the time, and Classic Rock Magazine had even given away free copies of their 2010 self-titled EP, but their Main Stage set did not do a huge amount for me. I am still not hugely keen on excessively retro bluesy rock, but I was less keen on it still at the time - and Rival Sons passed me by despite it being clear that they were good at what they were doing. Despite the fact that they got more popular over the years, I made no real effort with them until 2017 - when I saw the band open for Black Sabbath in Birmingham. It had been six years since I had seen them previously, so I went into Rival Sons' set with an open mind - and I ended up really enjoying it. The band's sound seemed to have expanded and evolved since 2011, and they really rocked the large arena in Birmingham - probably as there were already quite a few in attendance who were familiar with them. I did not immediately delve into the band's catalogue, although I did pick up 2016's Hollow Bones not too long after the show. It was the early part of the COVID-19 lockdown which finally prompted me to give all of their albums a listen - so I picked up them up and listened more intently. There are still times when the band can be a bit too retro for me, with guitarist Scott Holiday's tone sometimes so fuzzy it sounds like his amp is about to blow up, but songwriting-wise I feel that I have 'got' Rival Sons - and frontman Jay Buchanan is blessed with a fantastic voice and general aura. I particularly enjoyed Darkfighter (which I reviewed here) when it was released earlier in the year, and I have its companion piece Lightbringer, which drops next week, pre-ordered. All that was left, then, was to see the band live again - so when a European tour was announced earlier in the year I snapped up a ticket to a show at the Roundhouse in London. There were closer options, but the London show made the most sense work-wise - and I have enjoyed my previous couple of trips to the Roundhouse despite not having been there too often. Shows there always feel a bit different thanks to the relatively classy surroundings - and it is well-located in the Chalk Farm area of Camden. As such, the show meant another trip up to the capital from Plymouth - and getting an early train meant that I had plenty of time for record shopping, food, and some relaxing in my Finchley-based hotel before heading down to the venue. I got to the Roundhouse around 20 minutes before the doors opened, and there was not much of a queue. Due to the nasty rain which started falling just after I got there, the staff opened up the venue early, which was welcome, so I managed to get quite near to the front. I was a bit concerned that the crowd was going to be a bit on the small side - but by the time the support band hit the stage at around 8pm the place was pretty full.

There was only one support act: L.A. Edwards, who are also from California. The five-piece band, centred around Luke Edwards (vocals/guitar/harmonica), had around 40 minutes to play with - and they made their time on stage count by giving a pretty good account of themselves. Whilst I do not think that the band were wholly for me, I enjoyed much of what Edwards and his bandmates delivered. Their sound was a mix of country rock and heartland rock with a hint of modern indie rock - but rather more cinematic in scope than that description perhaps sounds. The band were certainly not jangly at all, and their music was generally quite downbeat - with lots of dense keyboard work and ringing guitar chords, plus the occasional cutting guitar solo or burst of harmonica. There were certainly some strong Tom Petty vibes throughout the set, particularly the less biting end of Petty's canon, but otherwise I am finding it hard to compare L.A. Edwards to anyone in particular. The five-piece certainly had their own sound, which at times sounded very retro whilst sounding very modern during other moments. Their sound was a bit all over the place, then, but everything just about hung together - although I am not really sure what to make of them. I got the impression that quite a few of the crowd likely were having similar thoughts. The band certainly received a warm welcome and plenty of applause, but nobody was really going wild for them. In a way, though, this was fitting. The band's sound, despite being quite layered, seemed to suit a more muted atmosphere. Everything seemed very deliberately stripped back, quiet, and muted - and I think that the crowd were somewhat swept along for the ride. As such, it is hard to know what to make of L.A. Edwards. There was a lot to like about the band's set, but I am not sure that very muted heartland rock is really for me. I think that, for some, the band will really hit the spot - but I enjoyed their set, as they delivered something a bit different from the norm, which is always welcome.

Rival Sons hit the stage around 30 minutes after L.A. Edwards, and by this point the place was packed. There were a few empty seats on the balcony, but the crowd was extremely healthy - and everyone was out to have a good time. The band took the stage to little fanfare, with just the keyboard drone of opening number Mirrors playing over the PA - and they launched into the song proper when the five musicians were in situ (even if Buchanan, in the excitement, forgot to turn his microphone on for the first couple of lines). Joined by a new touring keyboard player, who was not name-checked, the band's raw sound filled the venue effortlessly. The sound mix was generally pretty good, although a bit more of a keyboard presence would have been welcome - but Buchanan's voice soared above the band, and Holiday's riffing was powerful. The 16-set was pretty forward-looking, with seven of the songs played either from Darkfigher or Lightbringer. There were still plenty of fan-favourites thrown in, and a couple of those were played early on - with the crowd chanting along to the mid-paced chorus of Do Your Worst before the driving riffing of Electric Man showcased the band's hard rock credentials. Of the new songs played early on, the highlight for me was the dynamic Rapture. Buchanan added some acoustic guitar depth to the piece, and it also allowed him to sing in a more soulful manner. The older ballad Where I've Been showcased a similar vocal performance, but also included plenty of melodic soloing from Holiday - before the snappy, groovy blues rock of Open My Eyes sent the crowd wild again. Drummer Michael Miley got to indulge himself somewhat following Open My Eyes with a powerful solo - which led into the somewhat funky Pressure and Time, which included some pulsing playing from bassist David Beste. It was part of a pretty hard rocking part of the night, which also featured more new songs. Sweet Life and Mercy, both singles from Lightbringer, kept the energy levels high - but perhaps the next overall highlight was Mosaic, the closing cut from the upcoming album. The song (along with Mercy) made its live debut last night, but I also think that the London crowd were the first members of the public to hear Mosaic in any context. The epic ballad really hit the spot, though, and I am really looking forward to hearing it again when the album drops next week. It ventured into heartland rock territory somewhat, and featured some excellent lyrics from Buchanan. I tend to prefer the band at their most rocking, but Mosaic is an exception - and it was one of the overall highlights of the night for me. Much of the rest of the set was made up of older songs, with a blistering version of Feral Roots upping the overall energy levels again, before the cinematic ballad Face of Light became a vehicle for Holiday who was left alone on the stage for a while to showcase his guitar talents. There is something very old-school about an unaccompanied guitar solo, but the band soon came back out to finish the song - after which Buchanan was then himself left alone to run through an acoustic version of the gospel-inspired Shooting Stars. The curfew was looming by this point, so the band quickly ran through two final numbers without the charade of going off and coming back on. The pulsing, creeping Darkside proved to be a great example of the band's slightly more progressive songwriting edge - before the bona fide hard rock of Keep on Swinging brought the excellent set to a powerful close. The setlist was:

Mirrors

Do Your Worst

Electric Man

Rapture
Bird in the Hand

Where I've Been

Open My Eyes

Drum solo

Pressure and Time

Sweet Life

Mercy

Mosaic

Feral Roots

Face of Light

Shooting Stars

Darkside

Keep on Swinging

I get the impression that time rather caught up with the band, and that they had to cut at least one song from the setlist. That is always a shame, but Rival Sons still played for around an hour and three-quarters - with very little let-up once they got underway. The large London crowd certainly enjoyed their Friday evening in the Roundhouse with Rival Sons - and the atmosphere throughout the night was excellent. I certainly feel that I am much more on board with Rival Sons now, and I am going to continue enjoying their discography moving forward - starting with Lightbringer when it is released next week.