This was the last night of Daddy Long Legs current UK tour preaching the band’s classic Rhythm and Booze Street Sermons to an eager Bush Hall.
Opening the night were The Speedways the four piece power pop punk band who opened with In A World Without Love It’s Hard To Stay Young that has a bruised and battered edge lyrically, Mauro Venegas’s guitar brought plenty of emotion to it. Number Seven allowed Matt Julian to make clear just how great a power pop band they’ve become.
Secret Secrets had Mauro throwing plenty of poses with Adrian Alfonso who was matching him while driving his bass. Shoulda Known is a cautionary tale in a Real Kids style, with dazzling guitar and Kris Hood’s propulsive drumming.
Kiss Me Goodbye is a not too fond farewell to another too brief liaison, somehow stability eludes them again. Tonight You’ll Find Love is the yang to the previous songs Yin and is hopeful that this time it really will be love and not just another casual fling. Kisses Are History and once again the tears are present, it’s all fallen apart against the tight power pop that always has a glint in its eye.
Matt is on the prowl again for The Day I Call You Mine, he knows just who he wants, this is super catchy and loads of fun like the rest of The Speedways songs. Magic Comes And The Magic Goes while Mauro and Adrian are casting spells pulling poses and creating a magical energy. Seen Better Days is not as bedraggled as it could have been, it just left them time to close with Talk Of The Town keeping up the pace of tight sets like will ensure they remain a band always worth seeing live, so much fun.
The Speedways @ Bush Hall, London - 2024.11.15
After a slightly too long break Daddy Long Legs came on with vocalist Brian Hurd blowing his harmonica while Josh Styles shook his maracas on Daddy, and Murat Akturk’s guitar they launched fully into Long John’s Jump and this old school rock & roll revival was off to a scintillating start, with Josh playing his drums with a maraca and a drum stick.
The first cover of the set was Bob Seager’s Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man that they took to the next level, kinetic totally imbued with the spirit of Rock & Roll. Brian Hurd really went full howling blues man for Nightmare like he’s been living it for a while. Recent single Harmonica Razor saw him treating his Harmonica as weapon, Murat’s guitar took them deep into Memphis.
Blood From A Stone was howled into Brian Hurd’s valve microphone with some intense harmonica and some driving Jerry Lee Lewis style wild piano. They then played a pair of Flaming Groovies covers, the first of which was an instrumental Dr Boogie that upped the Jerry Lee feel before they took on High Flying Baby like they had ingested a jar of Elvis’ favourite pills while Daddy Long Legs’s frontman grabbed his steel guitar and let rip.
Daddy Long Legs @ Bush Hall, London - 2024.11.15
The power of Rock & Roll’s spirit was channelled into KC Jones that grooved along until they needed a drinks break for Pink Lemonade to keep the energy up for another of Murat’s crisp solo’s, he went toe to toe with the steel guitar.
Daddy Long Legs switched back to harmonica for Evil Eye while he searched the Bush Hall for that eye. They then asked us all to place our bets for Kentucky Derby to see who would be the winning that particular race, it was thrilling musically as well as in the antics on stage.
Daddy Long Legs @ Bush Hall, London - 2024.11.15
They got everyone singing for Rocking My Boogie including the woman in front of me who seemed to be having a religious experience, talking in tongues, the piano and guitar drove her wilder and wilder. They closed the set with Motorcycle Madness that was played like they were riding the wall of death; We were all hanging on for dear life.
The Bush Hall went mad for an encore, they returned with a maracas and harmonica intro into Death Train while Dave and Murat came back on and took us on a hell of a ride, before leaving with a blistering Fire And Brimstone that features some great harmonica played in the audience to prove this had been a true not to be missed rock and roll revival.
Live review of Daddy Long Legs at Bush Hall, London on 15th November 2024 by Simon Phillips. Photography by Pauline Di Silvestro.
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