Before Jayler's set, though, there were two support acts for the crowd to get through - one being much better than the other in my opinion. The overall format of the night was somewhat strange. Both support acts were afforded 45 minutes which, considering that the first band did not go on until just after 7:30pm, meant that Jayler did not go on until after 9:45pm (they were late on stage, too) - meaning that the night did not finish until nearly 11:30pm. Short support slots and tighter changeovers would have helped the night, as punters certainly drifted away as the clock passed 11pm as mentioned, and the night did not feel as professional as is often the case at the venue. Kicking things off were Voodoo Sioux - a long-standing local act, who seem to have history back to the 1990s, that I had heard of but had never actually heard. Given their local nature, there were clearly quite a few in attendance who were familiar with Voodoo Sioux, but I found the four-piece's music to be pretty bland. It is hard to describe the band's music, as it was very generic poppy hard rock - but very little stood out. The vocals and vocal melodies were quite weak, the guitar playing was nothing special despite some decent bluesy solos, and the overall energy seemed lacking. I thought that the bass player was very talented, though, and his busy playing stood out - as it was quite out of character with the rest of the set. I have seen bands like this in the past - where one member seems to be significantly stronger than everyone else and it often makes me wonder if that one member will end up in a bigger band at some point. Given the likely ages of the Voodoo Sioux members this seems unlikely in this case - but never say never! Given the band's aforementioned 45 minute set, after a while it started to drag. Some were paying attention and enjoying the show, but the aforementioned night out with mates vibe had already set in by this point - with plenty hanging out in the bar area and talking throughout the set. This gave the band's set the vibe of a glorified pub band - and the blandness of their music did not help this feeling from permeating throughout the time they were on stage. I was glad, then, when the band's set came to a close - and the night certainly improved from this point onwards.
The following support act, Gorilla Riot, were much better, however. I had seen the band before, opening for the short lived Guy Griffin-fronted version of The Quireboys in 2022. I remember enjoying Gorilla Riot then, but I think I enjoyed them more this time - so I really should make more of an effort to check their albums out. They were basically everything that the opening band were not. They had a clearly defined sound, plenty of attitude and swagger, and strong songwriting chops. The band's bluesy hard/southern rock sound may not be typical coming from a UK-based act, but frontman Arjun Bhishma and his band have nailed that whiskey-soaked sound - and the next 45 minutes really flew by. Groovy, bluesy riffs drove the band - with Bhishma and fellow guitarist Charly T. interlocking nicely throughout whilst the latter occasionally used a slide to further that southern rock sound. Vocally the band were powerful, too. Bhishma's deep voice has plenty of grit and this allowed him to really own the band's songs - whilst soulful female backing singers added plenty of depth. Throughout the whole evening, though, the sound was never really perfect. It was better for Jayler, but both support acts felt rather quiet - and for some reason the sound engineer kept fiddling with the bass drum levels during Gorilla Riot's set. At times it was absolutely dominating the mix, for no real reason, whereas other times it could barely be heard at all. The whole operation of the night felt less professional than is perhaps typical, but Gorilla Riot battled through such issues - delivering plenty of memorable bluesy anthems. I remembered the song Bad Son from seeing the band live a few years ago - and it is still fantastic. The band have other good songs but that one stood out again as it did before - and it was likely the best song of the night overall thanks to its great soloing, hooky riff, and powerful chorus. Gorilla Riot do something a bit different to most young UK bands - and seeing them for a second time was certainly a welcome experience.
The changeover between Gorilla Riot and Jayler seemed to take longer than it should, with the crew seemingly forgetting to check a few things until right until the last minute - but when the lights went down and the band took to the stage the atmosphere levels rose, and the band largely impressed with a well over 90 minute set. Much of the set I was not familiar with, but a few songs from the old EP were played - with most of the songs played likely to be on the upcoming debut album. The sound issues which plagued the support acts were largely absent by this point, although the few times that Ricky Hodgkiss (bass guitar/keyboards/vocals) played the keyboards they were comically high in the mix, and the band sounded loud and proud. Given that I am fairly new to Jayler - I certainly like them, and seeing them live they certainly have a great stage presence and plenty of confidence. When it comes to songwriting, though, I thought that some of the new songs sounded great whereas others were a little more generic sounding. The comparisons to Led Zeppelin, both in sound and in image, cannot be avoided - and at times I do feel that the band lean into this vibe a bit too hard. Bartholomew is a great singer with a powerful voice, but he copies Robert Plant's mannerisms and poses at times - and to stand on their own two feet the band really should try and limit the comparisons. I think that many bands who try and 'do the Zeppelin thing' often forget that hard rock and the odd wistful ballad were just two strings to Led Zeppelin's bow - and there was none of the true diversity present which made Led Zeppelin such a phenomenon. That being said, there were certainly some very strong tracks on display. The aforementioned Riverboat Queen was an early highlight - as were Acid Rain and No Woman, which both came from the EP. I did not catch the names of all of the new songs, but one that I thought stood out quite a bit was The Getaway - whilst a heavier number later in the set called, I think, The Rinsk was the band's jamming number. The song was stretched out to allow for a few snippets of other artists' songs to be thrown in - and Bartholomew ended the song soloing in the crowd. This followed Tyler Arrowsmith (guitar/vocals) also soloing in the crowd earlier in the show - so it was clear that the band were going all-out to put on a display at their biggest headline show to date. Despite my reservations around the band's image and overall vibe, there was plenty to enjoy during the night and it is clear that Jayler are a very talented band. I did feel that a handful of the new songs which came towards the end of the set were less memorable - but this is sometimes the problem with taking in a headline-length set of material which is mostly unfamiliar. I am looking forward to checking out the album when it drops, though, and it may be that some of these other numbers stand out a bit more once they settle in. The final song of the night, Glory, was one of the more memorable cuts, though, with the more cinematic semi-ballad showcasing a bit of a different vibe overall - with a strong chorus that is likely to become a live staple going forward. It acted as an encore which I am surprised came given how late it was getting by this point - and the crowd had thinned out quite a bit by this point. It was a strong ending to an overall enjoyable set, though, and it is clear that there is more to come from the band going forward.
Overall, a decent night was had at KK's Steel Mill. It was great to see Gorilla Riot again, and it reminded me that I need to check them out properly, and Jayler were certainly good - even if, for me, they may be playing it too close to the Led Zeppelin bone to truly be able to shine. I am sure that the band will kick on from here, and I will certainly check out their album when it drops next year. There is clearly some weight behind them, as I will be seeing them at least twice next year in arenas opening for big bands, so there is clearly a belief there that Jayler will be one of the next big things in the UK rock scene.
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