KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton – I’m looking forward to tonight with an extra amount of anticipation and excitement than I normally have, when I’m off to a gig. You see, there are bands and then there are bands, and tonight’s isn’t like many others that you will see. As I head down the M6 - to the best venue that Wolverhampton has to offer for this sort of thing - my thoughts go back to the last time couple of times that I’ve seen them. Firstly, in the compact confines of the Foxlowe Arts Centre in Leek, Staffordshire, which can restrict many an exuberant performance, and then the delights of the Manchester Academy, with its huge stage that allowed them to bounce and cavort all over the place to their hearts content. The band in question are The Damn Truth, and they don’t just play songs, they perform them with all the extravagance and chaos that the psychedelic blues rockers from Montreal can muster - on a cold night - in November - in Wolverhampton.
On arriving at the venue, I find that we’re in the dinkier place on the left, which is quite welcoming as the bigger place doesn’t have any heating – well, 100-year-old car factories don’t, do they, even today ? – and it’ll make for a more immediate electric atmosphere. First, however we have a Support to deal with…
Ashley Sherlock – I first came across Ashley Sherlock about eighteen months ago now when he appeared as Support for Erja Lyytinen in Blackpool. On that night he was meant to be one of two, but as he explained, “my bass player couldn't make it due to work commitments”, Sherlock therefore was left to go solo saying “I sh*t myself when I have to play on my own”, which is an interesting a way to start an evening as you’ll get, I suppose. On that night he was full of conversation and banter with the audience, with each song having a back story about break up and heartache, all told with interest, making him quite an amenable Fella - maybe the nerves had actually got to him – but tonight, with a band surrounding him – as it would appear that everyone was able to make it - he's a somewhat different character. There's very little banter, no chatty man, as he seems like he’s on a mission, as he blasts through a seven-song set at breakneck speed.
The band appeared on stage bang on the allotted time, Bass man tonight is Nick Baxter and our Drummer is Danny Rigg, although his walk on part will be the only time we’ll see him as the fog machine appears to have gone into overdrive and is pumping away as if possessed – either it’s new and someone doesn’t know how to work it, or it’s faulty and needs a bit of a service. The band are unperturbed by all this, and they open with ‘Trouble’ which is immediately followed up with ‘Change the World’, both of which give Sherlock, sporting circular shades and cowboy hat, enough space to show off his guitar expertise. We’re only two tunes in but it’s already evident that with a band, Sherlock’s style of blues is much heavier and rockier than many of his contemporaries that are on the scene at the moment, almost ‘thrashy’ in some ways. His vocals also have a bit of grit and gruffness to them, with a good few high notes thrown in for contrast – completely different to when he’s solo and acoustic.
This grit and gruffness continued with ‘Death of Me’ with its definite dark side, as the title would suggest, and then the ever contrasting ‘If You’re Listening’, with its subtle verses leading you into a sense of insecurity, before the chorus drags you back into the land of realism as Sherlock belts it out with a vengeance.
‘Dear Elizabeth’ tells the tale of an ex-girlfriend and leaves me wondering what the current girlfriend thinks of her beau singing about lost loves every night ! They finish the set with ‘Fine by Me’ where the tempo and volume are cranked up even higher, no doubt to prepare us for what comes next. The bassline bounces around with a chunky beat and, if ever we had dared to forget there was a drummer on stage, Rigg gave us a stark reminder as he hit them like thunder, so that they cut through the fog that is still blasting out its contents like a vape rave from hell. This left Sherlock with enough time for one last flourish and to express his talent enough for us to be impressed enough to take up his offer for a meet and greet at the Merch Table afterwards, where he’d be generous enough to sign an album or two, if we cared to make a purchase. Santa comes soon !
It was good start to the evening, but it’s left me in a quandary. Do I prefer the acoustic, more melodic, amenable, solo Sherlock or the much heavier, raucous version ? Luckily, I don’t need to choose as I guess he’ll deliver both kinds at different times and I won’t be too unhappy whichever one I get.
Ashley Sherlock Setlist
Trouble
Change the World
Death of Me
If You’re Listening
Time
Dear Elizabeth
Fine By Me
The Damn Truth – Thirty minutes later and as if by magic, the lights slowly dim, and the strains of Jefferson Airplanes ‘White Rabbit’ start to play. Wolverhampton starts to get excited as the fun and games are about to begin. One day I’ll get to the bottom as to why TDT always walk on to the same song, but for the moment it can wait, as magic is in the air.
Drummer Traina walks on first to clamber behind a rather nice five-piece kit with two floor toms as always. He’s followed by the eccentric pairing of Shemer and Letellier as they enter the fray. Letellier bangs onto the stage making is judder and is attired in the stripiest trousers you’ll ever come across, Shemer is dressed in a shirt that just screams RED ! Only one band member is left to grace us with their presence, and suddenly the divine Ms. Baum appears through the darkness and parades on to the stage waving incense that is strong enough to overpower the fog that we’ve been eating for the past hour and a half - and that’s some achievement, believe me.
Once the Queen of Montreal has duly anointed her loyal subjects, she dons her guitar, tests out her vocals with the next verse of ‘Rabbit’ before letting loose with a chord that makes us all take a step back. This is the cue that Shemer was waiting for and he lets rip with an almighty riff that starts off the opening tune of ‘This Is Who We Are Now’ and is virtually smashed into ‘Full On You’ - two opening tracks that set the scene perfectly, both from ‘Now or Nowhere’, both with big riffs and a beat that gets Wolverhampton moving and a-grooving with the best of them. The blue touch paper has been well and truly lit, and The Damn Truth have started as they mean to go on, for the next 80 minutes. What an explosive start.
Shemer in true style takes up his position for the next song and perches one leg on a monitor - he was heading for the barrier, but it’s packed full of ‘togs, so a monitor will have to do - he seats his guitar proud, straight and high on his thigh and riffs the opening for ‘Love Outta Luck’, the latest single. Showmanship at its highest level. If this song is a taster of what the new album will bring in the first quarter of next year, then we’re in for a real treat.
Through all of this, Lee-la Baum’s voice cuts through the fog, that finally went but has now reappeared. The vocal powers through with passion, dragging you in, and being grateful for it. ‘Lonely’ continues that passion but also introduces a good dose of emotion in to it, as she sings the lyrics with every ounce of power that her voice can produce, all of which is complimented by Shemer’s guitar as it sits alongside and cries tears of its own.
Tradition dictates that with every down, there has to be an up and ‘Only Love’ dispenses with all that emotion in one fell swoop as Traina kicks out an almighty drum solo, which we can also witness as that fog has gone for the moment. Snare, bass, one tom and two floor toms are punished into submission with the high energy and accuracy that you expect from such a talented drummer. As the solo subsides, it morphs into a solid backbeat that’s accompanied by a punchy bassline from Letellier before Shemer hits a good few licks as an introduction to the vocal. This is mesmerising stuff, especially when Shemer launches into his solo, at which point Wolverhampton erupts with elation and joy.
Not content with creating a frenzy on stage, Shemer decided to create one off it too as he headed into the audience for ‘Look Innocent’ with ‘togs shifting out of the way in rapid fashion and Security bounding out from behind the stage in a panic, as it clearly wasn’t part of the script. A hundred iPhones light up in a frenzy as the big riffs echo around the room.
‘The Willow’, due for release as a single any day now, starts off slow and esoteric. It’s subtle and haunting in equal measure – but it’s only the calm before the storm as an almighty riff from Shemer wakes you from any trance that you may have entered into. Baum’s vocals are at the lower end of her range until Shemer lets loose which gives her all the invitation she needs to let rip also with spine tingling highs that just make you shiver. That smoke machine is off causing havoc again and no one can see anything, but in many ways, you don’t need to as only being able to hear it, adds to the effect. This is another song off the new album making you wish that March was next week, not next year.
Ms. Baum’s power vocal commands attention again with the cry of ‘revolution is a big solution’, the start of ‘Devilish Folk’ and Wolverhampton prepares itself for all the bada dada’s that are required as soon as Lee-la gives them their cue. It’s a hugely catchy hook that once it starts it goes round and round in your head for days.
‘I Just Gotta Let You Know’ and ‘Get with You’ start the beginning of the end, which comes with ‘Tomorrow’ but not before stops everything to tell us that “the last time they played here, was in the big room, in support of Glenn Hughes but this is even better and we’re going to blow the f*ckin’ roof off”. With message delivered and received, he dives straight into an explosive guitar solo telling everyone what this song is. Wolverhampton at this point was in its element and joined in from the first moment to the last, and there must have been ten minutes in between.
The cheers and the applause went on for what seemed like ages, and the foursome lapped them up, knowing they were richly deserved. Eventually they took their leave and off they went, but the lights didn't go up. The cheering and the applause continued and eventually the foursome came back on to the stage for the encore that everybody had been waiting for. It doesn't take long, just a few short notes in fact ,for the crowd to erupt once again at the start of ‘Too Late ‘, which is immediately followed by ‘Heart Is Cold’, two songs that gave the four one last chance to play and sing every note, vogue every pose and milk the audience for the final time – tonight anyway.
The Damn Truth are one of those bands that you have to see. It’s an experience more than just a gig. It’s a roller coaster of feelings and emotion, one where you can forget about how cr*ppy the world is and lose yourself in unbridled madness, even if it is only for ninety minutes.
The Damn Truth are: -
Lee-la Baum (lead vocals/guitar)
Tom Shemer (lead guitar/vocals)
PY Letellier (bass/vocals)
Dave Traina (drums/vocals)
The Damn Truth Setlist
White Rabbit (Tape Intro)
This Is Who We Are Now
Full On You
Love Outta Luck
Lonely
Only Love
Look Innocent
The Willow
Devilish Folk
I Just Gotta Let You Know
Get With You
Tomorrow
Encore:
Too Late
Heart Is Cold
2024 UK TOUR DATES
24 Nov - Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool
26 Nov - The Grace, London
27 Nov - KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
28 Nov - Winterstorm, Troon
29 Nov - Corporation, Sheffield
30 Nov - Planet Rockstock, Porthcawl
01 Dec - Treehouse, Frome
Written in association with Noble PR
You can find more images of The Damn Truth, by clicking here...