Rock Medicine With The Blues Pills @ Sheffield Academy

by | Nov 19, 2017

Earlier this week, my favourite band from Sweden stopped over in Sheffield, as they joined Black Star Riders for the UK leg of their European tour. And no, Agnetha and Björn hadn’t decided to stage their comeback in South Yorkshire. With big grins on their faces, the five Blues Pills took to the stage, clearly there to have a great time.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

With her boundless bouncy energy powerhouse frontwoman Elin Larsson did not hang around long to get the show started. Kicking off with the title track of their second studio album, Lady in Gold, Blues Pills launched right into their unique blend of soulful and psychedelic hard blues-rock that makes the hairs in the back of your neck stand up.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

It didn’t take many bars to win over the crowd of mostly dedicated Black Star Riders fans, and how could it not that the infectious positive energy, mesmerizing hard blues-rock that would be home in any of the past five decades.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills recently released and a Live DVD of a set in Paris where they played the entirety of Lady in Gold. The powerful riffs and punchy chorus of Little Boy Preacher, the second track from the latest studio release, made me wonder if they were going to play the entirety of Lady in Gold in Sheffield as they did in France.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

However, things were blues-ed up to 11, reminiscent of Janis Joplin, with Black Smoke from their self-titled first album. Like the previous songs this was a real treat and the raw energy of the song was mirrored by singer Larsson bouncing around the stage while guitarist Dorian Sorriaux letting rip with impeccable fretboard mastery.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills are signed by German label Nuclear Blast, which is testament to their rock-credentials and musical prowess, which they were quick to highlight with the thunderous yet psychedelic wah-wah vibes of Element and Things.

Throughout the entire set, the energy was relentless not giving the audience a moment’s respite. After a quick dedication to the women in the audience, who were a definite minority in the mostly leather-clad middle-aged male crowd, the rumbling bass sound punctuated by heavy overdriven riffs and the raspy emotional vocals of High Class Woman, led the crowd to erupt and fully embrace the Blues Pills.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Keeping the crowd in their pocket and the energy of the Academy turned up on this Wednesday night, the consequent guitar-whaling jamming rendition of Jefferson Airplane’s Someone to Love would have made Grace Slick proud.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Ending on the soul-searching Devil Man from their debut single Bliss, the audience was treated to a long, gravelly, and captivating vocal solo that preluded the heaviest rock riffs of the set by the hippy rockers that would have easily fitted in at Woodstock.

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Left wanting more, I for one would have loved to have seen Blues Pills play a much longer set. However, as calls are going around for votes of top concerts of the year, I’m glad that I got to see them before the end of year because they most definitely feature highly in my list and I can just hope that they will appear in my 2018 list again. Overall, it was an amazing evening with top-notch music and a fantastic atmosphere. If you like blues and rock, Blues Pills are a definite ‘must see!’

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Blues Pills (Gunnar Mallon)

Photography and review of Blues Pills by Gunnar Mallon on 15 November 2017, at O2 Academy, Sheffield.

Chesney Hawkes (Press)

Chesney Hawkes Announces 2026 ‘Smash It To Pieces’ UK Headline Tour Following A Triumphant Year

Chesney Hawkes, once dubbed the quintessential British pop prince of the early ‘90s, has proved he’s more than just The One And Only. With a creative fire that burns brighter than ever, Hawkes is celebrating a year of musical and personal triumphs as he announces his 2026 Smash It To Pieces UK headline tour — a bold new chapter in a career that continues to evolve far beyond its nostalgic beginnings.

James Morrison (Tom Oxley)

James Morrison Announces Long-Awaited New Album ‘Fight Another Day’, UK Headline Tour This September

BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter James Morrison returns this autumn with his most personal, soul-stirring work to date. His sixth studio album, Fight Another Day, lands on 3rd October 2025, marking his first full-length release in six years — and with it comes a UK headline tour this September, including dates in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

Calva Louise (Henry Calvert)

Calva Louise Walk The Edge Of The Abyss With Cinematic New Single ‘Impeccable’

If the edge of reality had a soundtrack, Calva Louise just wrote it. With new single Impeccable, the genre-fluid...
MJ Lenderman (Shervin Lainez)

Alt-Americana Star MJ Lenderman Begins UK / EU Tour – New Dates Announced

MJ Lenderman has had a whirlwind 12 months. His fourth studio album Manning Fireworks was lauded by critics and made...
People and Atmosphere @ Download Festival 2024 (Simon Reed)

Download XXII: An Era Of Fresh Headliners And Hidden Surprises At Donington

Liquid Death presents Download XXII is almost upon us, so get your battle jackets ready and prepare to raise those...
John Butler (Kane Hibberd)

John Butler Reignites As A Solo Powerhouse With New Album PRISM & UK Tour Dates

Australian roots-rock icon John Butler is set to make a bold international return with his brand-new solo album PRISM, arriving on 5th September via Because Music. The record marks a pivotal moment in Butler’s career—his first full-length release since moving away from the John Butler Trio banner. Alongside the announcement, Butler has dropped the album’s soaring lead single, So Sorry, and confirmed a string of UK tour dates this autumn.

Rise Against (Mynxii White)

Rise Against Announce Fiery New Album ‘Ricochet’ With Lead Single ‘I Want It All’

Four years after their last full-length release, punk veterans Rise Against return with a vengeance. Their upcoming...
Poptones (Rune Gro-Nielsen)

Poptones Announce Second Album ‘Pure’ & Share Expansive New Single ‘Skin Of Sea’

Danish experimental rock trio Poptones have announced the arrival of their sophomore album Pure, due out September 26, 2025, via Happy Metal Records. The news lands alongside the release of the album’s first single, “Skin of Sea”—a sweeping and atmospheric track that marks a bold evolution in the band’s sound.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing