Last night I had the privilege of experiencing The Struts live for the first time.. In a few short weeks, I will turn 46 and for some reason, my universe has not yet crossed paths with this young rock band from the UK.
I am a bit of a live music junky. I prefer most bands live, especially when it's rock n roll. In fact 50% of the songs I stream are off live albums. I thrive on the unpredictable nature of live music, the emotion and those unforgettable moments when a band and fans connect. In fact, I am still buzzing from seeing the Foo Fighters at Great American Ballpark just last week. Interestingly enough, The Struts have opened for the Foo Fighters… and come to find out they have also opened for the Rolling Stones.
Tonight felt like rock n roll royalty. Some might question that statement. I get it, their debut album came out a little over 10 years ago. So how could a young band be considered in the rock royalty category? More on that later.
For starters, tonight's evening was opened with a fully acoustic set performed by Barns Courtney who captured everyone's attention. He interacted well with the crowd and likely surprised many who are used to seeing him with a band. Barns was joined by the crowd singing several times in his set. He was an excellent opener and had no issues commanding a crowd solo.
At one point Barns did ask if everyone was ready for the glam rock velociraptors.
That line captured exactly what was about to happen. Everyone was about to embark on a first-class rock n roll ride at The Andrew J Brady Music Center. The show we experienced was part glam, lots of swag, and some old-school British Rock n Roll vibes.
The production, backdrop, lights, and sound were all precise tonight. Lead singer, Luke Spiller is a rare frontman. His energy, timing, vocals… how he moves, and style are stripped right from classic rock DNA. This cannot be taught. You are born with it. Luke is committed and you believe it. There is no doubting the comparisons to Mick Jagger or Freddie Mercury. However, I saw glimmers of Lady Gaga tonight and heard Axl Rose. At one point mid-set things slowed down and they played a beautiful rendition of "Mary Go Round." It was just Luke and lead guitarist Adam Slack on acoustic. The lights were dimmed and lit mostly people's cell phones and it was a beautiful moment in the show. It was at that point when Luke reminded me of Axl Rose and his command of "Patience." I guess it's appropriate to call out that they also opened for Guns N' Roses.
The rest of the band is pure energy and precision. They are tremendous. Jed Elliot on bass, is not only energetic but absolutely shines on back up vocals often in perfect harmony with Luke. Gethin Davies on drums is also a treat. He drives this smooth groove of power anchoring the band. His intro to "All Dressed Up (With Nowhere To Go)" started as a thunderous abbreviated drum solo.
The setlist tonight included a wide range of hits, including their newly released single, "Heaven's Got Nothing on You." They also played "Bad Decisions" and "Pretty Vicious" off their new album.
So how does a young band get categorized as rock n roll royalty? I learned the answer to that question tonight at Brady. The Struts are the real deal. A rarity. They have excellent albums, but what they do with them live is where the magic happens. They turn into glam rock velociraptors.
