Despite my willingness to travel just about anywhere in pursuit of music, as well as them touring worldwide constantly, I've never crossed paths with Savannah's Royal Thunder before tonight. I've been a massive fan of their debut EP for a couple of years now, so I was almost looking forward to their set more than that of the headliner. It was sheer luck that I caught it at all, given that they hit the stage only 15 minutes after doors opened.
(Photo by Juan Fernandez)
Their sound in the live environment was just what I'd hoped for; warm, rich, and with plenty soul, but something didn't seem quite right. The tempo of each track seemed to be just the tiniest bit askew, the drummer seeming to be playing just a half-step slower than bassist Mlny Parsonz and guitarist Josh Weaver, never quite matching their stride. It was a little distracting, but given that they'd chosen to fill their set with the slower, more atmospheric end of their output, perhaps it was actually a conscious decision.
Either way, it didn't detract from the sheer power of tracks like 'Mouth Of Fire' and 'Sleeping Witch', the hypnotic opening notes of which I'd been dying to experience live since the first time I even heard the track. Mlny's vocals are definitely what sets the band apart, her soulful wail is a force to be reckoned with, and when she really lets rip during the chorus of 'Sleeping Witch' you'd be hard-pressed to find another vocalist who can match her range or raw emotion. Closing with 'Whispering World' from their debut album CVI, a large proportion of the crowd were so close to actually dancing that surely it won't be long before Royal Thunder come back through town on their own headline tour.
(Photo by Juan Fernandez)
Enough has been written about the trials and tribulations that fellow Georgia residents Baroness have endured in the recent past, but it's impossible to ignore the fact when talking about the band's return to touring the UK. The horrific bus accident which they thankfully survived while travelling through Monkton Combe last August has undoubtedly affected the band in many ways, leading to the departure of drummer Allen Blickle and bassist Matt Maggioni, as well as a lengthy rehabilitation process for sole founding member John Dyer Baizley. It's testament to the spirit of the band that they chose to continue, and to pick up where they left off.
The record they released shortly before the accident, Yellow & Green, was divisive both among the band's fanbase and the music community at large, with many proclaiming it to be not only their best work yet, but a milestone for heavy music's capacity for growth, while others derided it as overly accessible, with many crying that most dreaded of phrases: 'sell out'. Personally I did my best to put all of that aside and remain open minded throughout my first few listens, but it just didn't click with me, and I found myself falling into the camp of the deriders. Tonight's performance showed me just how wrong I was.
Opening with 'Ogeechee Hymnal' from 2009's Blue Record, I was skeptical yet hopeful that the set would be comprised of mostly older material, so when they segued into new track 'Take My Bones Away' I was a little put out.
Within the first refrain of the track's chorus, I was singing along with the rest of the faithful.
The overwhelming display of sheer good will between crowd and band had me near enough welling up. Even new bassist Nick Jost and drummer Sebastian Thomson looked totally taken aback by the reception they got from the Glasgow crowd, but it was the huge grins exchanged between Baizley and fellow guitarist/vocalist Pete Adams that got me; two guys who have been through hell together and come out the other side with a new appreciation and enthusiasm for what they do. I don't think I've ever seen a band look so grateful just to be playing a show.
From that point onward it was impossible not to be totally captivated by their performance, the previously dreaded new tracks sounding especially euphoric, with their soaring, clean-sung choruses completely changing my opinion of the new album; live is where these songs really shine. I urge any sceptic or naysayer to catch them live, and to deny the heart-rending vocals of 'March To The Sea' or the catharsis offered by 'Eula'. They drew from all the colours of their catalogue, with fan favourites like 'A Horse Called Golgotha' and 'Swollen and Halo' from Blue dropped in among the new Yellow & Green tracks, as well as a completely storming 'Isak' from Red closing out the set.
Baroness are a band transformed by their experiences. As awful as those experiences have been, they have made a captivating frontman out of John Dyer Baizley. The joy he takes from playing, and his appreciation of the fact he still can, is evident in his stage presence, in his interactions with his bandmates and with his audience. When you catch a glimpse of the serpentine scar winding its way along his entire left arm, you appreciate just how close we all came to being deprived of a man with great talent, a man whose band write some of the most glorious, heartfelt music of any genre.
When at some point throughout the set he says "It's good to be back", those simple words are imbued with more meaning than he perhaps even intended. This was more than just another gig, more than just another tour; this was the triumphant return of Baroness.
Thanks to Bruce Cowie for the use of his videos.
