by Emma Jenkins
— Guest Columnist —
I have not seen The Damn Truth before, but what I hear, I like…very much. They bring big tunes, great energy and a party vibe. If anyone was going to warm up the room on a chilly Sunday night ready for the main event, this was the band to do it. Starting the set with ‘This is who we are now’, they continue with a smattering of songs, mainly from album Now or Nowhere. The stand out song for me is the excellent and bluesy ‘Lonely’. Lee-la Baum, has a powerful vocals, and great stage presence. And it isn’t long before she has the crowd clapping and singing along with her.
Hailing from Montreal, The Damn Truth are a long way from home, but they have made a lot of new fans here tonight. Fans who will be more than delighted to see them again, and enjoy their infectious brand of rock’n’roll.
The lights dim and to a time capsule sound track of classic Deep Purple songs, the band take to the stage. We hardly need an introduction, but there is still one… Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Glenn Hughes on bass.
And so, the main event starts as Glenn Hughes strides on to stage and the set kicks off with the powerhouse that is ‘Stormbringer’. The Deep Purple vibe, circa 1974 is then recreated with ‘Might Just Take Your Life’ and ‘Sail Away’. Classic songs from the Burn album, an album that, is being celebrated with this 50th Anniversary tour. GH is the epitome of a great front man, he has charisma, he has charm, he has the audience. He interacts with the crowd, and, with very little encouragement, they add their voices to ‘Sail Away’. Glenn is so thankful to everyone for coming out to see him and tells us that he wants to do it with us tonight. And, of course, he is thrilled to be back at Rock City, a venue that he has played several times in different guises, the most recent one being the Dead Daisies. But in his own words, Rock City is the best rock club. And who are we to say otherwise?
The set is peppered with little anecdotes from his early days with Deep Purple, but tonight is about the music, and there was plenty more music to come. ‘You fool no-one’ segued into ‘High Ball shooter’ which gave Ash Sheehan the spotlight with his energetic drum solo.
It is such a delight to hear Glenn Hughes in fine voice. As the voice of rock, he does not disappoint. With his great range, pitch and power, he performs ‘Gettin Tighter’ and ‘Keep On Moving’. Soren Andersen not only is a great guitar player but he also supports Glenn with great harmonies . GH is keen to pay tribute to ex DP band members, Tommy Bolan and Jon Lord, who are sadly no longer with us.
And then suddenly it is time for the encore. The crowd want more and to rapturous applause, the band return to the stage and we are treated to the energetic and rousing ‘Highway Star’ before the finale, the anthemic and incendiary ‘Burn’. A classic and apt way to end a classic night.
Photo Gallery
Photos appear courtesy of Jadranka Jade.
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