Rival Sons Plant Roots And Go Feral In Brixton

by | Nov 9, 2019

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

I feel a little sorry for openers The Last Internationale as they have the early shift just 10 minutes after doors opened. Nevertheless the New Yorkers are sensational in front of a gathering audience with a four-number set. This band are easy on the eye: Delila Paz is a great bass player with a good rock voice to boot and Edgey Pires is a very animated guitarist completely fixated on the performance. They’re backed by a drummer who reminds me of a young Ginger Baker. They’re known for their socially-conscious lyrics and strong live performances and that’s what we get tonight. Slightly worrying moment, though, when Pires has a problem with his guitar and throws it to the ground in my direction!

The Last Internationale (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

The Last Internationale

The Record Company are another three-piece powerhouse, but this time from The City of Angels. They always go down a storm and are the first support band I ever saw getting a standing ovation when they supported Blackberry Smoke in 2015. The Rival Sons audience give them a rapturous send off and are completely blown away when the band play the brilliant Off The Ground with Chris Vos on vocal and lap slide guitar, Alex Stiff on thumping bass, and the miserable-looking Marc Cazorla driving them on drums. You can see how chuffed the band are with the audience reception by the beaming smiles (Cazorla included) when they take a bow after a powerful set.

The Record Company (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

The Record Company

Such is the calibre of the support acts on the night that only a band oozing the class of headliners Rival Sons are capable of raising the bar even higher. The lights dim, the blue flashing strobes power up, the band take up positions, and Mike Miley’s drums with Scott Holiday’s powerful guitar introduce us to End Of Forever from their most recent release, the exceptional Feral Roots. Jay Buchanan steps forward in wide brim hat, brown suit, and colourful ankle boots, and lets rip with his unique power vocal.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

Rival Sons formed 10 years ago and have released six quality albums in that time, each of which is represented tonight. Most of the setlist is, however, sourced from the two finest albums, Great Western Valkyrie and this year’s Feral Roots. It has to be said that this band have written some cracking rock songs in their relatively short lifespan and there are no weak spots during their Brixton Academy set.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

The very well groomed Holiday injects some pizzazz into the already buzzing crowd with the opening power guitar riff of Secret before Buchanan proves just how powerful his voice is.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

The personnel before us are all quite captivating.Buchanan is a somewhat strange beast but perfect front man, his movement is erratic at times and takes him to every corner of the stage. Holiday, with his perfect, manicured moustache and silver-lined hair has a custom built guitar for every occasion. Bassist Dave Beste is without doubt the least extrovert member, but he probably has to keep in cahoots with the Animal-like drummer Michael Miley (boy, can he hit a drum). Todd Ögren on keyboards, although not officially a paid-up member unless they are touring, must have the world’s longest beard.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

If Secret is the litmus paper, Pressure & Time certainly lights the flame and the gathered mass go ape. I begin to fear for my wife and friend’s safety as they are in pole viewing position at the front but all around them is a potential mosh that’s thankfully quelled.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

Memphis Sun from the band’s debut, self-released Before The Fire makes its tour debut tonight. Tied Up is the only number from 2016 release Hollow Bones, before My Nature precedes the traditional drum solo. This is something of an anti-climax as Miley seems to ease back on his powerhouse drumming that’s indeed employed throughout the gig.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

Holiday straps on his Gibson double neck, whilst Buchanan is handed an acoustic for what starts pretty much like a Turkish belly dancing accompaniment before exploding into Look Away, one of the highlights from Feral Roots. The full range of Buchanan’s vocal is tested with Too Bad which continues to rock the joint whilst Where I’ve Been, as close to a ballad as this band get, brings everyone back to earth. 

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

The Gibson double neck is returned to Holiday by the very busy guitar tech and Buchanan takes up the acoustic again for the title track of Feral Roots, a magical number that continues to send a tingle down my spine. Each song carries a story and this is no different. A beautiful moment, the song comes to an end yet the audience continues with the vocal in perfect unison.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

The only way to follow this is with two bang-on favourites, Open My Eyes (with a great stereo sound and blinding white spotlights) closely followed by Electric Man which, following a tease intro from Holiday, has everyone in this beautiful venue singing along. The Amish-looking Ögren is having an equally wonderful time behind his keyboard, tambourine in hand and beard swinging.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

Shooting Stars is, in my humble opinion, very much in the vein of Do They Know It’s Christmas with more of a gospel feel. There’s certainly close to a 5000-member community choir behind them for this one.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

Do Your Worst closes out the main set and Buchanan wins the popular vote by announcing that, rather than walk off the stage only to return to play more, the band are cutting through the bullshit and will keep playing. Face of Light, probably the closest this band get to playing a pop song, is followed by a firm favourite and fitting finale, Keep On Swinging.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

This is a great way to bring the weekend to a close. Rival Sons have a real soft spot for London as they performed their debut European gig at The Barfly, Camden in 2011 and always make reference to the fact that London was where it all started for them.

Rival Sons (phil.honley@btinternet.com)

Photography and live review of Rival Sons at O2 Academy Brixton on Sunday 3rd November 2019 by Phil Honley. Phil has his own photography site here: http://www.gigsnapz.co.uk.

Stevie Wonder @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Bethan Miller-Carey)

A Night In Wonderland: Stevie Wonder And Guests Delight At BST Hyde Park 2025

“Awwwwight!” drawls Stevie Wonder, arms flung wide, grinning like a teenager trying on cockney charm for the first...
Neil Young @ BST Hyde Park (Trudi Knight)

Dance, Shadow And Harvest Under The Full Moon: Van Morrison, Yusuf Islam And Neil Young And The Chrome Hearts At BST Hyde Park 2025

Gone are the sparkled cowgirls and pop princesses of previous BST gigs. It’s the turn of the Baby Boomer generation to make up the core crowd of Hyde Park – a sea of grey hair, straw hats, and sensible shoes. They reapply sun cream religiously, have brought picnic blankets, and can be forgiven for taking their time getting up and down from the ground between acts. This is the generation that invented outdoor rock and folk festivals – and they’re here to show the rest of us how it’s done.

Poptones (Rune Gro-Nielsen)

Poptones Play Their Wild Card With New Single ‘Say Something Now’ Ahead of Forthcoming Album ‘Pure’

Danish experimental rock trio Poptones have unveiled their new single Say Something Now, offering a taste of the unpredictability and emotional depth that defines their upcoming sophomore album Pure, out 26th September via Happy Metal Records. Where lead single Skin Of Sea teased a shift toward expansive and instinctive composition, Say Something Now dives headlong into that experimental impulse—guided, intriguingly, by the rules of UNO. Yes, the beloved card game.

Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age @ iTunes Festival 2013 (Kalpesh Patel)

Queens Of The Stone Age Announce Intimate European ‘Catacombs’ Tour, Including Special London Show

Queens Of The Stone Age have today unveiled details of their eagerly awaited Catacombs European Tour – a string of uniquely atmospheric shows inspired by their acclaimed 2024 Alive In The Catacombs performance. The tour, set for October 2025, will include a standout UK date at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 29th October, promising a rare and intimate reimagining of the band’s formidable back catalogue.

Alice Merton @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Trudi Knight)

Alice Merton Brings Sharp Pop Precision To The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

As the sun began to dip behind the trees in Hyde Park on 11th July, a throng of festival-goers packed into the Rainbow Stage area, drawn by the magnetic presence of German-Canadian artist Alice Merton. The singer-songwriter—best known for her breakout hit No Roots—delivered a punchy, emotionally agile set that brought the stage to a vibrant close, just before Neil Young And The Chrome Hearts took the spotlight over on the festival’s main Great Oak Stage.

Brian Molko of Placebo @ Brixton Academy (Kalpesh Patel)

Placebo Announce Deluxe Collection This Search For Meaning, Featuring Documentary, Live Album & Bonus Tracks

Anglo-American alt-rock icons Placebo have announced This Search For Meaning, a four-disc deluxe collection arriving 12th September via SO Recordings. The package offers a comprehensive portrait of the band’s current creative era, combining introspective documentary filmmaking with live performance energy and exclusive music content.

Die Spitz (Anatheme)

Die Spitz Announce Debut Album ‘Something To Consume’, Drop Ferocious New Single ‘Throw Yourself To The Sword’

Austin punk outfit Die Spitz have announced their debut album Something To Consume, arriving on 12th September via...
Dean Lewis (Sean Loaney)

Dean Lewis Releases Deluxe Edition Of ‘The Epilogue’ with Powerful New Single ‘Hurt So Bad’

Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis has unveiled the deluxe edition of his acclaimed third studio album The Epilogue, alongside the release of an emotionally raw new single, Hurt So Bad.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing