Following the cancellation of the final show of their UK tour in Norwich after just two songs last year, due to ill health, Rival Sons returned to the UEA LCR to finish what they had started.
The support of the night came from The London Souls; a two-piece established in 2008. They brought a unique twist on rock and roll to the LCR; providing an admirable opening for the tour headliners. The venue was packed for the band, as they jammed out on stage, bringing a reggae-like vibe to the genre of rock. This chilled vibe was augmented by the lighting, which was basic but effective. Blue and purple hues were beaming down upon the group whilst the crowd stood in complete darkness in the centre of the LCR. The band proved to be popular as those at the back of the crowd manoeuvred around the room and stood on tiptoes to try and see the act. They provided easy listening and were a great asset to the show. It’s hard to believe that they haven’t yet made it big in the UK. The vibe was great in the venue, and everybody was ready for the headliners, Rival Sons.
Having tweeted earlier in the day that their duty would be filled that night, and there would be a surprise for the crowd, headliners Rival Sons were next to take to the stage. The LCR was packed full of people of all ages, ready to see the band they had come to see previously. The lights dimmed on the crowd for the second time of the evening as ‘The Good The Bad and The Ugly’ blasted through the speakers and the stage lit up. The band entered the stage to wild cheering and clapping from the extremely enthusiastic crowd. As a heavy guitar riff shook the room, green lights illuminated the stage. You could feel the resonance of the guitar go through you, thumping in your chest and sending vibrations through the windows around the venue. Jay Buchanan’s lead vocals exceeded any expectations, performing each and every song with precision. The first song alone was met with roaring cheers and applause, and so it was deserved.
The band continued to play through a range of new and old songs, rocking out on stage; Buchanan with tambourine in hand and hair in his face, which continued to go down a storm with the crowd. The vibe was electric. As the set progressed, the lighting became more and more intense, flashing and glowing around the venue. It wasn’t until after the 4th song, however, that the band spoke to the crowd, shouting “thank-you Norwich!” This was met with loud cheers in response. After a reel of heavy rock songs, the stage fell into darkness as a recording of birds tweeting played on loop. The stage crew proceeded to set up the stage, ready for an acoustic set; a different feel to the evening. As the stage was illuminated blue, the crowd were entertained by a melodic guitar solo by Scott Holiday, lead guitarist. The crowd understandably responded to this with one of the loudest cheers of the evening. This fragment of the set was a whole new vibe. A much gentler sound, more of a beachy, Caribbean, country mix of sounds, but totally worked. It split the set up and delivered a whole new dimension to the evening; it brought a nice vibe to the night and had a real ‘feel-good’ factor. It was during this that the band played a new song that they had never previously performed; this proved to be another hit. As the stage went black and the birds recording played again, the night returned to the heavy rock sound it began with. It was during this that Buchanan took the time to apologise to all of the fans who had made their way to the UEA to see them previously, only to be sent home after two songs. He stated that a piece of him was lost in Norwich in December on the night of the performance, and that their return to the venue was to enable him to feel whole again. He apologised to the dedicated fans; he was ‘truly sorry’ and apologised for any inconveniences their cancellation caused. The band went on to perform several more songs and then an encore for the crowd and finished to resounding applauses.
It’s fair to say that the band definitely made up for the cancellation of their previous performance. Its performances like theirs that remind you how amazing live music is and why talent like that should be celebrated. After performing a reel of songs straight; one after the other, for almost a two hour set I would 100% recommend this band. Whether a rock fan or not, their talent in their music really came across in their performance, and it was a brilliant gig to remember.
