How long does it take to pull a pint of fucking Guinness? It’s the Ambassador Theatre, and Black Rebel have just ambled onstage. Or at least guitarist Peter Hayes has, and he’s singing a compelling new solo number called ‘Complicated Situation’ which is followed by bassist Robert Turner joining him for a laidback bluesy tune called ‘Shuffle Your Feet’. It’s hard to avoid a ‘what the fuck’ as through our ‘Red Eyes and Tears’ of frustration at the bar we wonder if the prime exponents of blackclad, shutgunbluez, psycho-retro-delia have undergone some sort of ‘It used to go like that and now it goes like this!’ transformation.
But, of course, Black Rebel haven’t gotten all mellow on us because it seems we need them now more than ever. The recent parting with their record label was never going to be that much of an issue for a band whose last album was called ‘Take Them On, On Your Own’ and besides, they’ve got bigger fish to fry. Tonight ‘U.S. Government’ and ‘Shade of Blue’, though ‘not about the current situation in the world’, are dedicated to it and after the opening gambit there is hardly a let-up as they blast through a scorchingly tight setlist.
We finally get down the front by the time ‘Spread Your Love’ is dispensed three songs in, but it’s really only the appetizer for the bulldozing ‘Stop’ and ‘Six Barrel Shotgun’ to kick off with ear-bleeding intensity. From there on in it’s firmly into the fast lane, hitching a ride on Turner’s distorted bass juggernaut as the more laidback Hayes and moody-looking drummer Nick Jago crank up the volume and kick out the manifesto on love, drugs, religion, music, and politics.
The intensity with which they play newer material makes the likes of ‘Love Burns’ seem practically lightweight in comparison, but unsurprisingly it’s ‘Whatever Happened To My Rock’n’Roll’ that provokes the biggest mosh of the night.
They finish with the album closers from their two records, a positively redemptive and spiritualized ‘Salvation’ transforming into a blistering ‘Heart And Soul’ that ends the night with a suitably incendiary sonic blitzkrieg.
They’ve survived being tagged the flavour of the month and become more vital than ever – how many of the current buzz bands will we be able to say that about in two years time?