LIVE REVIEW: Monster Truck @ Islington Assembly Hall, London
What better way to break up a monotonous week than with a rock n’ roll show? With energy bills rising and people having to make the choice between rent and food, escapism is at the top of the bill as we headed to Islington for a night with MONSTER TRUCK.
THOSE DAMN CROWS have been on the up and up of late. From a highly acclaimed slot at Download 2022 to a slurry of support slots, the Welsh brood are firing up the promotional machine for their upcoming album Inhale/Exhale. “It’s sensational,” vocalist Shane Greenhall quipped, evoking a cheer from the crowd, “I would say that but it bloody is”.
Before receiving a titbit of future material, we’re treated to the raucous Who Did It. Still thawing from the cold outside, the crowd take a second to get going. When they do however, THOSE DAMN CROWS are received incredibly well. Their thick rock n’ roll sound warmed Islington’s Assembly Hall. Crowd participation was rife throughout the first two songs, shaping this evening up to be nothing but good vibes. The darker Don’t Give A Damn has the same elements as previous material from the night but its heaviness is beyond appreciated. Moving from thunderous Send The Reaper into new single Wake Up, we felt the shift in tone and attitude. From that alone, we wait for Inhale/Exhale with bated breath.
Something which should have worked against them is a distinct lack of stage space. Originally scheduled to play Shepherd’s Bush Empire, we feel the band’s movement would have been better suited there. Though Greenhall makes a point of bouncing around MONSTER TRUCK’s dormant drum kit as he flies across the stage. Space may have been a precious commodity, but Greenhill made it work by jumping into the crowd and visiting those in seating. It’s not what you have, but how you use it which counts.
If there is a band looking for a support which will get their crowds moving, THOSE DAMN CROWS are the band to seek out. While they had one or two technical issues in not being able to hear backing vocals, that wasn’t going to stop anything. Their 45 minutes was filled with high octane rock n’ roll, thick riffs, and just a little bit of a juicy chug. The most important part however was the exchange of energies between band and crowd. Standing on the balcony, Greenhall soaked up the atmosphere as his audience sang Rock N’ Roll Ain’t Dead with no prompting. The room became alive with the idea that it never really died but needed a jumpstart only THOSE DAMN CROWS could have provided that night.
Rating: 8/10
“Rock and roll might save your life” was an incredibly apt line for the evening as MONSTER TRUCK strode onto the stage and launching into Why Ain’t You Rockin’? As the four-piece settled into their groove, we had to do some settling in of our own. Where THOSE DAMN CROWS came with the energetic bounce, MONSTER TRUCK toned it down slightly and proclaimed this was a night to vibe to and “set your spirit free” within.
The evening of music appreciation continued with Old Train and the bounce infused She’s A Witch. Jon Harvey grinned like the Cheshire Cat as the crowd swayed to the rhythm. Those who were eager to hear material from recently released Warriors had to wait for a moment as Golden Woman came a little later than anticipated. The crowd would sing every word and again simply vibe.
This brings us to a slight crossroads. Do we go to concerts to vibe and appreciate in a somewhat serene way or do we need that high energy? As we looked around at patrons slipping out the door with their coats on, we couldn’t help but feel distracted by that rabbit hole. While MONSTER TRUCK certainly provided a different energy than what we are perhaps used to, that made them no less of a high-quality live band.
The warm blend of Black Forest’s slower, more measured tone, into Fuzz Mountain was a wonderful moment. There were small feedback issues but that only comes with the joy of live music. That rawness within the bluesy tones reminds us live music is back. With the duo of Live Free and Country Livin’ quickly following, it seems a slight disservice to have the newer material that close together but it’s a very slight complaint in the grand scheme of things and this certainly wasn’t the evening to be complaining. Leaving our woes and sorrows at the door, MONSTER TRUCK certainly provided an element of escapism for the night.
Musically, we can’t fault MONSTER TRUCK. Nor would we want to. Shifting through Seven Seas Blues to Get My Things And Go and New Soul seemed effortless. Like we should’ve been sipping on a good bourbon and having a smoke on the go. Harvey’s gravelly voice never faltered, and guitarist Jeremy Widerman shredded like there was no tomorrow for a crowd that were a little too subdued.
That seemed to be the sentiment of the evening. Once a crowd is whipped up into a frenzy it can be difficult to settle them back down for a different kind of energy. The package of THOSE DAMN CROWS and MONSTER TRUCK looked and sounded amazing. We cannot deny that. When it came to the execution though something seemed slightly amiss. It’s not something we can put our finger on and say “it’s this” as we thoroughly enjoyed the evening in the company of these hard rockers. It’s a shame we leave slightly dejected as we wanted to feel something different.
Rating: 7/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Karolina Janikunaite here:
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