….The lineup for Sunday was a classic rocker’s wet dream, and plenty had made it to the front of the main stage in time to see former THE DARKNESS guitarist Dan Hawkins strutting his stuff with new band STONE GODS, tearing through a rip-roaring rendition of the awesome ‘Burn The Witch’.
For full festival review see baconmusic.co.uk
30/03/2009 11:25am
Come on in to check out Hammer scribe Dave Ling’s report of last night’s Stone Gods show at London’s 100 Club.
Bringing an end to a successful UK tour, the band’s last before starting work on a successor to their ‘Silver Spoons And Broken Hearts’ debut, last night Stone Gods stunned a sold-out audience at London’s 100 Club by including a metalized cover of Girls Aloud’s ‘Something Kinda Ooh’ as an encore.
“Our decision to play this song has, to say the least, been pretty controversial,” Richie Edwards explained from the stage. “Some people absolutely love the song we’re about to do, others think we should be strung up by our thumbs – or some other appendage – for even considering it. But to be honest, that makes me want to play it just a little bit more.”
Bizarrely, Stone Gods also included a version of Metallica’s classic ‘Whiplash’ in their performance. The full set-list was:
‘Don’t Drink The Water’
‘You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight’
‘Making It Hard’
‘Wasting Time’
‘Magdalen Street’
‘Lazy Bones’
‘Whiplash’
‘Knight Of The Living Dead’
‘Start Of Something’
‘I’m With The Band’
‘Defend Or Die’
‘Burn The Witch’
‘Something Kinda Ooh’
‘Oh Where ‘O My Beero’
How did the SG’s version of ‘Something Kinda Ooh’ compare to Cheryl Cole and company’s original? Don’t ask us… we always watch their videos with the sound turned down, obviously…
@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 21 2009
If you are a young, upcoming British rock band then be warned. The bar has suddenly been raised. Lifted high above the standard previously set for live shows in this country and close to the ceiling of top quality, well crafted and cunningly catchy music.
They call themselves Gods and on this evidence four frenzied dudes with razor sharps hooks really do hail from rock heaven.
Cast your mind back, for a moment, to a time when the likes of Terrorvision, Little Angels, Thunder and The Quireboys regularly did battle for the hearts and minds of Britain’s rock youth and you begin to understand where Stone Gods are coming from. Those luminaries of the sadly missed early 90s Brit rock scene built their reputations on stages the length and breadth of the country, cajoling crowds and guaranteeing recession-busting value for money.
All four flirted with stadium success, albeit on bills dominated by the true rock monsters of the time and, given a fair crack of the whip in the face of godforsaken grunge, they could well have taken their finer work to the next level. Stone Gods should have that opportunity and it is a chance they will surely grasp with both hands.
Of course the majority of the band have been there, done it and picked up the arena tour shirt during their time with the sadly defunct Darkness. And maybe that’s why Stone Gods are such a class act, such a tight unit and such a shot in the arm for rock music in this country right now. They don’t miss a beat, don’t waste a note and never, ever appear to take their privileged position as headline act for granted.
Which is just as well considering the performance of immediate support Black Spiders. Is the Black from Black Sabbath? It could be. But then there’s as much Purple as there is Ozzy-era Sabbath in their 70s soaked blues rock. This band look like the bastard sons of industrial chord crunchers, sleaze rock slouches, Scandinavian car salesmen and werewolves on heat but throw them all together on one cramped stage and the three-pronged axe attack cuts through to the bone. It’s brilliant. Watch it, buy it, live it. Or at least listen to Woman for a start.
Stone Gods know how to pick the bands to support and now it seems they know how to find the bands to support them. Does everything these guys touch turn to gold? Tonight they not only touched the first crowd of their inaugural UK headline tour – they grabbed them by the short and curlies, tossed them from one humalong anthem to the next and left a group of thoroughly exhausted punters gasping for air.
It’s difficult to know when a Stone God becomes a rock god. And I’m not sure which is the greater deity. But frontman Richie is gradually working his way towards the top of his profession with all the confidence of a seasoned veteran. Late in the show, moments before a raucous tribute to everybody’s favourite Geordie Cheryl Tweedy, the roadie turned entertainer mentioned the likes of (Brian) Johnson, (David) Coverdale and (Paul) Rodgers. It really is no exaggeration to suggest the lead singer of the Stone Gods will one day find himself talked about in the same breath as these charismatic rock icons.
So to the tunes. More than a year old and yet still young enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Defend Or Die takes on a new lease of life in the live arena and Magdalen Street may ultimately vie with Lazy Bones (think Little Angels’ Sail Away) as the best British-penned rock ballad of its generation. New single Start Of Something actually failed to start very much compared to the bulk of rip-roaring standards on offer but who gave a f**k? Er, that would be nobody then.
A couple of weeks ago Hot Leg played the same venue and sold it out too. That was a good gig, this was a great one. I’m with this band. You should be too.
by simon on 21-03-2009
@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 21 2009
If you are a young, upcoming British rock band then be warned. The bar has suddenly been raised. Lifted high above the standard previously set for live shows in this country and close to the ceiling of top quality, well crafted and cunningly catchy music.
They call themselves Gods and on this evidence four frenzied dudes with razor sharps hooks really do hail from rock heaven.
Cast your mind back, for a moment, to a time when the likes of Terrorvision, Little Angels, Thunder and The Quireboys regularly did battle for the hearts and minds of Britain’s rock youth and you begin to understand where Stone Gods are coming from. Those luminaries of the sadly missed early 90s Brit rock scene built their reputations on stages the length and breadth of the country, cajoling crowds and guaranteeing recession-busting value for money.
All four flirted with stadium success, albeit on bills dominated by the true rock monsters of the time and, given a fair crack of the whip in the face of godforsaken grunge, they could well have taken their finer work to the next level. Stone Gods should have that opportunity and it is a chance they will surely grasp with both hands.
Of course the majority of the band have been there, done it and picked up the arena tour shirt during their time with the sadly defunct Darkness. And maybe that’s why Stone Gods are such a class act, such a tight unit and such a shot in the arm for rock music in this country right now. They don’t miss a beat, don’t waste a note and never, ever appear to take their privileged position as headline act for granted.
Which is just as well considering the performance of immediate support Black Spiders. Is the Black from Black Sabbath? It could be. But then there’s as much Purple as there is Ozzy-era Sabbath in their 70s soaked blues rock. This band look like the bastard sons of industrial chord crunchers, sleaze rock slouches, Scandinavian car salesmen and werewolves on heat but throw them all together on one cramped stage and the three-pronged axe attack cuts through to the bone. It’s brilliant. Watch it, buy it, live it. Or at least listen to Woman for a start.
Stone Gods know how to pick the bands to support and now it seems they know how to find the bands to support them. Does everything these guys touch turn to gold? Tonight they not only touched the first crowd of their inaugural UK headline tour – they grabbed them by the short and curlies, tossed them from one humalong anthem to the next and left a group of thoroughly exhausted punters gasping for air.
It’s difficult to know when a Stone God becomes a rock god. And I’m not sure which is the greater deity. But frontman Richie is gradually working his way towards the top of his profession with all the confidence of a seasoned veteran. Late in the show, moments before a raucous tribute to everybody’s favourite Geordie Cheryl Tweedy, the roadie turned entertainer mentioned the likes of (Brian) Johnson, (David) Coverdale and (Paul) Rodgers. It really is no exaggeration to suggest the lead singer of the Stone Gods will one day find himself talked about in the same breath as these charismatic rock icons.
So to the tunes. More than a year old and yet still young enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Defend Or Die takes on a new lease of life in the live arena and Magdalen Street may ultimately vie with Lazy Bones (think Little Angels’ Sail Away) as the best British-penned rock ballad of its generation. New single Start Of Something actually failed to start very much compared to the bulk of rip-roaring standards on offer but who gave a f**k? Er, that would be nobody then.
A couple of weeks ago Hot Leg played the same venue and sold it out too. That was a good gig, this was a great one. I’m with this band. You should be too.
Simon Rushworth
(SG part) for full review of all bands see Sonic Dice
Venue: Junction, Cambridge
Date: 24 Nov 2008
Stone Gods (5/6), like a phoenix from the ashes of The Darkness’ car crash, have arisen to become a seriously hot prospect. With their debut album, ‘Silver Spoons + Broken Bones‘, they’ve proved that somewhere within all the falsetto posturing was the beating heart of rock n’ roll. They kick off with one of the best opening couplets ever – ‘Burn The Witch’ and ‘You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight’. Vocalist/rhythm guitarist Richie Edwards has proved to be a force with Stone Gods and he has become one of the most exciting frontmen in rock. Like a sprightly Rob Halford he postures and fist-pumps his way through the set, winding the fans up, flashing his blindingly-white guitar at them, initiating crowd-chants and hand-claps. Dan Hawkins is still the same blissed-out solo-muncher he always has been, deeply at one with his music, foot on monitor, hammering out classic riffs to a baying audience. Across stage the bassist Toby MacFarlaine refuses to join in the fun, preferring to hide beneath his fishing hat and concentrate his efforts in doing his best impression of a grumpy Noel Gallacher.
As the band fire up ‘Knight Of The Living Dead’, Edwards suddenly realises his guitar has lost power and his guitar tech gets a mouthful through repeated failed attempts to kickstart it into action. By the end Edwards is trying, but failing, to hide his frustration and snaps – “does anyone want a guitar” mock-thrusting it towards the straining arms of those in the front row. When it finally starts working again he’s even more tightly wound and vents his fury through the power of song. The crowd are lapping it up. One chappie is so impressed he bellows “Fuck, yeah!” and Edwards leaps on it, encourages a round of chanting with “Fuck, yeah!” morphing into “Fuck you!” by the end. A beaming smile appears and he shakes his head seemingly amazed at such a massive turnout on such a windswept Monday night. Through the applause he screams “Cambridge, let’s make this a Saturday night. Can you do that?” The inevitable response brings them to their set-closer, a storming rendition of ‘Defend Or Die’.
Nottingham Rock City, 20th November 2008
The majority of people in Nottingham Rock City tonight either have a full head of long hair, a mullet, a skullet, tattoos or all of the above. The minority seem to be the offspring of the majority and are obviously being taught a lesson in rock. I’m here to see the band formed from the commercial debris that was The Darkness, giving birth to a new ballsy rock n roll soon-to-be super power known as the Stone Gods, who are tonight’s support to the spawn of AC/DC, Airborne.
Rock City is submerged into near-darkness, and the Indiana Jones theme tune belts out as the band stroll on, lead by the bald Richie Edwards, ex-Darkness bassist, who takes to centre stage. Dan Hawkins resumes guitar duties, and takes to stage left, whilst his old friend Toby MacFarlaine takes control of the bass stage right, and Ed Graham at the back, on drums.
Rammed to the rafters and painfully loud
Edwards screams: “Nottinghaaaam!” as the drums pound and the chugging guitars sound out across the room. Feet begin to tap, and heads begin to nod. The place is rammed to the rafters, and the band are painfully loud. “Nottingham, Rock City are you fuckin’ ready? This prompts raised fists everywhere and You Bought A Knife To A Gun Fight is belted out.
This band is ballsy. They’re rock n roll in its purest form. Edwards and Hawkins have already far exceeded The Darkness’ achievements by a million miles. The crowd clap as the band dive into the groovy Making It Hard, a song that shows the bands true talent at producing downright honest, guitar driven songs. “We played Stoke last night. It was like playin’ a rock show in a stately home. It’s not right I tell ya.” quips Edwards.
The world’s loudest band?
He continues: “You don’t mind if we turn the heavy-omiter up to 11? You’re not scared of heavy fuckin’ metal are you Nottingham? Knight Of The Living Dead fires up, a slow, sludgy, but heavy ass song! My ear drums ache. This band are giving Motorhead a run for their money as the worlds loudest band.
Stone Gods are so Spinal Tap, such a cliché rock n roll band, but the crowd love it. I love it. My ears ache as sweat drips from my forehead. The energetic vocalist runs round the crowd, finishing mid crowd, with another Busted jump. A cover of Metallica’s Whiplash gets the crowd going insane, and demanding real respect for a true rock band.
“Stoke left a nasty taste in our mouths, but coming back here redefines our faith in rock and fuckin’ roll. This isfor Airbourne.” – Defend O Die. The fists rise and heads bang for the band one last time. “Scream for me Rock City!!” We do because they’ve played their asses off tonight. I left with my ears numb and feeling as if I’d witnessed something truly legendary.
Review: Tom S Hunt
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