Live Review: Drive By Truckers @ The Empire.

by | May 19, 2014

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

I had never seen Georgia based band Drive By Truckers before, and I was extremely excited to photograph and experience a night of live music at Shepherds Bush Empire. The band’s music dates back three decades now and I spent the days prior to the show catching up on the music I was previously unfamiliar with.

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

The show was the closing date of their UK tour and it looked to be a really cracking gig with the crowd at the Empire  eager for some great rock music.

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Heartless Bastards, a four piece from Ohio, opened the show up. Front-lady Erika Wennerstrom delivered a powerful performance with a strong stage presence. The opening act had a good mix of blues and country music and I would recommend giving them a listen.

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Heartless Bastards play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

The now packed venue greeted the band with a roar as Drive By Truckers casually entered the stage. Vocalists Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood rotated vocal duties, with Cooley opening the set up with Made Up English Oceans from their 12th album English Oceans, followed by Patterson with Girls Who Smoke.

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Some of the many highlights of the show were the great southern drawl cover Play It All Night Long written by Warren Zevon with the chorus  line “Sweet Home Alabama, play that dead band’s song” and the  song Lookout Mountain from the 2004 album The Dirty South. If  you have never been to Lookout Mountain in Georgia then Google it to see what they are sing about…watch out for that drop.

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

The band played for about two hours building up a wholesome sweat, dedicating the emotional closing song ‘Grand Canyon‘ to a friend of the band, Craig Lieske, who died last year.

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Drive By Truckers play Shepherds Bush Empire (Solange Moreira-Yeoell)

Live review and photographs by Solange Moreilla-Yeoell. Drive By Truckers @ Shepherds Bush Empire 13th May 2014.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000UDZhuMOHjxk” g_name=”Drive-By-Truckers” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

 

Young The Giant (Press)

Young The Giant Share Uplifting New Single ‘Different Kind Of Love’ And Announce New Album ‘Victory Garden’

Young The Giant have returned with their brand new single Different Kind Of Love, marking the first taste of their forthcoming sixth studio album Victory Garden, due for release on 1st May.

Princess Superstar (Vico Velez)

Princess Superstar Fires Up Her Comeback With New Single ‘YUM-ME’ Featuring Eloise Keeble

Princess Superstar continues her high-octane return with the release of her brand-new single YUM-ME, featuring Eloise Keeble. The track marks another bold step forward in a comeback that has gathered serious momentum, following renewed chart success and viral attention over the past year.

Issac Ryan Brown (Nedim Nazerali)

Issac Ryan Brown Steps Into A New Era With Uplifting Single ‘End Of The Season’

Fast-rising pop and R&B talent Issac Ryan Brown continues to build momentum with the release of his latest single End Of The Season, out now via SSK Records. The 20-year-old Detroit native has been making music since his early teens, but this new release marks a clear turning point as he pushes confidently into a bold new chapter of his career.

Roger Sanchez (Haris Nukem)

Roger Sanchez Makes A Club-Ready Return With New Single ‘Come My Way’

House music heavyweight Roger Sanchez is back with a fresh release, unveiling his new single Come My Way, out now across all digital platforms.

Funeral For A Friend (Press)

Funeral For A Friend Announced As Friday Headliner For 2000trees 2026 As Huge Wave Of New Bands Join The Line-Up

2000trees Festival has revealed a major update to its 2026 line-up, announcing Funeral For A Friend as the new Friday headliner, alongside a huge list of additional artists joining an already stacked bill — with the excitement of Saturday’s headliner announcement still to come.

White Lies @ Roundhouse (Kalpesh Patel)

White Lies Illuminate The Roundhouse On Night Two Of Their Hometown Return

White Lies step onto the Roundhouse stage to the chiming of keys, joined by touring keyboardist Tommy Bowen as a vast rectangular lightboxs loom behind them, each member framed by a glowing panel that shifts colour with the mood of the music. It’s an immediate statement of scale and intent, fitting for the second of two sold-out hometown shows for the Ealing-hailing trio.

The Molotovs (Nick Benoy)

The Molotovs Announce Major UK & Ireland Tour As Debut Album ‘Wasted On Youth’ Fuels Chart Surge

London sibling duo The Molotovs have announced a major UK and Ireland tour as their debut album Wasted On Youth mounts a serious challenge for the top spot in the Official Albums Chart. Released via Marshall Records, the record’s strong midweek showing places the band firmly in the chart conversation, underlining a momentum built through relentless live work rather than hype or algorithms.

Teen Suicide (Maysa Askar)

Teen Suicide Announce New Album ‘Nude Descending Staircase Headless’, Share New Single ‘Idiot’

Teen Suicide have returned with details of their new album Nude Descending Staircase Headless, set for release on 17th April. The announcement marks a significant new chapter for the band, with the record standing as their first fully realised studio album and a clear evolution in both sound and intent.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing