We head into Camden to catch Foo Fighters guitarist and all-round Country music fan Chris Shiflett at the infamous Electric Ballroom, the final date on his UK tour that took him up and down the country.
Chris Shiflett @ Electric Ballroom
A special treat for the London show was special guest Kezia Gill. The Country songstress strutted onto the stage with just an acoustic guitar and her wonderful voice. Swampy blues tracks like Country Song got feet tapping and hands clapping. A throwback cover to her Irish heritage got everyone singing Zombie by The Cranberries, a track she was born to sing. A short but sweet set closing with her number 1 hit Whiskey Drinking Women. If you love swampy Country you’ll love Kezia Gill.
A guitar player more likely to be found playing to a sold out Wembley Stadium when stopping by with his other stadium rock day job, Chris Shiflett took the stage at the Electric Ballroom for a somewhat pub gig-sized show for him. From the first chord, he had the audience eating out the palm of his hand, the opening riff of Dead And Gone rang out, Shiflett walking to the lip of the stage for a barn burner of a solo.
Transitioning seamlessly into the introspective Liar’s Word, the 52-year-old Santa Barbara native showcased his mastery of storytelling through song, drawing listeners in with each heartfelt lyric. As he delved into tracks like Sticks & Stones and Carrie Midnight Texas Queen, the energy in the room lifted to another level. The one thing I took away from the gig was just how good of a guitar player Chris Shiflett is. With Foo Fighters his prowess as a musician, like many in the band, can be outshone by the frontman, but boy can he shre! Chickin’ Pickin’ solos left right and centre.
Songs such as Room 102 and Goodnight Little Rock hit with a visceral intensity, leaving a lasting impression. The arc of tonight’s set was perfect, you can tell this troupe has become a seasoned band with three albums behind them allowing the crafting of a setlist that takes the audience on a ride.
Personal highlights came from a rousing rendition of Thin Lizzy’s Cowboy Song, an easy song to play but a hard song to cover well and justice was done with this cover. Shiflett is in great voice and the sold-out London choir was in full voice.
Closing out the set with hits like West Coast Town and I’m Still Drunk, Shiflett and co. crafted the perfect end to a Saturday night barnstorm in central London. Time to tip your cowboy hat and hang up your boots, Chris Shiflett has left the building. The biggest takeaway from this run of shows with the Foos man’s passion project is just how good of a guitar player he is. From shredder solos to tasteful chord changes, for a three-piece band they make a lot of noise and cover a wide sonic spectrum. If you haven’t caught Chris live yet, I could not recommend it enough. You may have to wait a little while however, as he is about to set sail on a world stadium tour with Foo Fighters, but until then keep spinning his records, you won’t be disappointed.
Live review & photography of Chris Shiflett at Electric Ballroom, London on 27th March 2024 by Nick Allan.
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