Electric 6 at Heineken Green Energy Fesival

Mention that a Detroit band are rocking into town and an audience encompassing die-hard Iggy-philes, rock tabloid disciples and the downright curious are sure to show up. The Village is positively buzzing with anticipation – the Electric 6, after all, have practically been spearheading this new wave of Detroit rock, along with buddies – The Detroit Cobras and The White Stripes.

Needless to say, sexy, snake-hipped garage mayhem of the truly inflammable variety is what these people are expecting. Old-skool rawk, of the Steppenwolf variety is what they get.

Appearance-wise, some of the members look to like they’ve been kidnapped from a passing wedding band. On occasion, the drummer, yes, the guy sitting down, is more energetic than the rest of the band put together. As the show unfurls, there’s enough rock clichés to make Spinal Tap blush – plenty of sunglass wearing onstage (one guitarist is even wearing two pairs), guitar straps with lightning rods, knickers being thrown onstage (something that’s sorely missed from the everyday gig experience! – it’s amazing what being a Friend Of Jack White can do for one’s status as a sex god).

The music itself is delightfully full-bodied – Electric 6 are a red meat band for a crowd brought up on E-number rock. To top the evening off, the band play an interesting rendition of ‘Radio Ga Ga’, a choice of cover wholly indicative of the band’s ‘revisionist’ sensibility.

In the end, the Electric 6 manage to overcome the burden of expectations created by geography, to truly give meaning to the Brand New Old Rock experience. Weird.