Reviewed by Paul H Birch.
I’m a few minutes late because I can hear Collateral playing away as I take a short cut through the retail park. As I enter KK’s larger hall there’s a heaving crowd, smoke bombs are going off and singer Angelo Tristan is racing round the stage. They’ve not played in this neck of the woods for a while, but a good band whose sharp hooks help them stand out among the melodic rock crowd, they’re working the audience tonight, indeed by second number ‘Glass Sky’ those down the front are singing out loud and clear, giving Tristan chance to catch his breath.
Tonight is primarily defined by its singers; how they look, work the stage, most importantly their voices and how they carry their songs across. Good looking, long dark hair, a mover with the kind of gestures most UK frontmen have become self-conscious about, Tristan delivers. Mostly to his right is a bare-chested bass player, behind a drummer I can barely see, and but one guitarist where there used to be two and sound wise that’s perhaps where they’re a little lacking right now.
As it is, Tristan also straps on an acoustic from time-to-time, and they make some big noise with ‘Midnight Queen’, telling us they rerecorded a version with Danny Vaughn guesting. A radio-friendly Nickleback-styled heavy country rocker strong on harmonies, the audience continue to react positively, hands raised over their heads singing along.
It’s worth noting the gathering here tonight – They’re not aged souls, albeit the majority won’t see 21 again. Still, they’ve mainly looked after their figures, even the men, while fashion is subtly important to both sexes present, and several females have decided it’s warm enough for summer dresses. There’s also a smattering of younger folk, some barely teenagers accompanying parents, and that’s got to be healthy for live music. Either way, tonight’s been pitched near-perfectly for fans of more melodic rock and they’ve come out in droves.
The acoustic sounds continue for an ‘On the Long Road’ ballad then things get deliciously big and dizzy with ‘Merry Go Round’ where tonight it comes across like Bon Jovi meet Tesla.
“We’re gonna love you and leave with our last one, but baby, let’s have a party tonight!” calls out Tristan as they crack into ‘Mr Big Shot’, its scouring riff edging in with a little funk as the big bouncy bop rocker goes four-to-the-floor. Briefly Tristan drops into the photographer’s pit to reach out and shake fans hands before getting back up and doing a Muhammed Ali shuffle across the stage. There are some big guitar squeals, more smoke bombs and spotlights flashing out into the crowd as they’re commandeered into action with a : “Let me see those hands!” The applause that follows is genuine, heartfelt and worthy of a headline band. If this is the opening act things bode well.
That premise holds up as following a short break, lights go down once more and a guitar feeds-back, screaming across the room. As the lights flash on big pounding drums strike out and a two guitar and bass line-up hit the ground running and I begin to consider this might be what Stiff Little Fingers sounded like when they were a Deep Purple covers band, albeit probably not as tight and never as loud.
This is Warrior Soul and I’ve read about them over the years but heard practically nothing. My impression is the hairy guitarist stage left decked in denim shredding away might be the band’s main man, simply because of the way he’s working the audience. However, when what looks to be Diamond Dave Lee Roth’s shorter and meaner brother slides on stage, red glitter jacket and LA shades spouting out from a mane of long blond hair, it’s apparent that this new dude must be Kory Clarke. When he grabs the mic stand, emitting a raw guttural roar into it and telling us: “I’m A Believer” I am more than a little intrigued. As the musical focus becomes more akin to David Johansen fronting The MC5 barbed political potshots are hurled our way come the next number.
The punk energy continues but with added humour as ‘Back On The Lash’ erupts, then as they stomp through ‘Love Destruction’ I’m keenly listening out to Clarke’s lyrics, while also noting his strides are also of a glitter variety, but coloured gold. “Thank you, Wolverhampton!” he exclaims, genuinely appreciating the crowd’s response, noting they’ve never played in the town before and no doubt making a mental note to change that. Next, ‘Rotten Soul’ rams home like an acid-spiked take on Little Feat’s ‘Teenage Nervous Breakdown’ though I’m sure as Hell I’m the only one here who’d make such a comparison and the applause that follows proves the rest of the crowd couldn’t give a damn.
Let’s be honest a few of the more tie-died-in-the-wool poodle-rock lovers gathered here tonight may have gone off to the bar, but there’s no less a hefty crowd present and I suspect a fair few, like me, are having their eyes and ears opened-wide taking in what Warrior Soul has to offer for the first time. The gist of it, simply based on this evening, is performance art skewered over alternative rock par excellence.
Next up, ‘Cargos Of Doom’ applies an Asiatic glint across its thumping groove, and following its star-spangled intro ‘The Fourth Reich’ takes no enemies while ‘The Losers’ gives food for thought between him singing out “I think we’re beautiful!”, at the end saluting both audience and each of the band as he raises a can of beer.
During the set, Clarke has referenced how well the tour’s gone, all three acts and their roadcrews pulling together, and that Danny Vaughn is to be held responsible for putting this all together. Thus, when final number ‘The Wasteland’ – with its references to their homeland being wholly current and sadly appropriate, but change a few names and it could here or elsewhere – It’s a worthy surprise when a roar goes up as a hair tied-back Vaughn walks on stage to share and trade lines with Clarke. He leaves just before the song reaches its climax, leaving Warrior Soul to bask in the applause, take photos, and leave us exhausted.
I’d go home content now. More truth to be told, I’m hardly aware of Tyketto’s musical output. Heard new album Closer To The Sun only yesterday, and am basing a lot of my being here on singer Danny Vaughn having survived a two-year stint with Waysted, back when he was barely out of his diapers – A little research later will inform me drummer Johnny Dee will also admit to being in that band on his cv.
As the stage lights go down for a third time tonight bodies close in around me, while roars, whoops and the odd scream are heard as the Tyketto logo blazes into life across the length of the stage and on smaller screens either side of it, entrance music beating out over the PA, then as the lights go up, chords slash out vibrantly full on, the bandana-touting Dee’s behind his kit and stacked on a small riser, to his left decked-in-denim Chris Childs pumps out a sturdy bassline, further to their left and more upfront Ged Rylands is on guitar, while across the way is lead guitarist Harry Scott Elliott – Long black hair, younger than the rest of the band but defined more by his upper body frame that visually informs he likes to workout, and he’s already attached himself to either standing on a monitor or perching precariously on the pit barrier (the crowd down the front blocking confirmation), however one false flick of his head and we’re likely to see blood pouring from him because there’s a whacking great PA hovering less than a foot above him.
A fiery riff shuffles into ‘Rescue Me’, as taken from their second album I’ll later find out. By now, their lead singer is on stage giving it his all, with Danny Vaughn having changed into his stage clobber, and that predominantly being an ornate black overcoat over which his very long silver fox tresses gracefully hang. He’s in fine vocal form, and as with Clarke I can hear every line he sings, but even more distinctively.
At various points during the night, everyone save Elliott will add backing vocals and comparisons to, say FM, are fair game in those regards. Halfway through this first number – upbeat despite its title – Rylands will also multitask on keyboards, as he does on second number ‘Wings’ where Vaughn barely has time to ask “Are you ready to do some singing now?” with the crowd deivering loud and impressively in tune with a song that’s obviously a fan favourite, and one I concur I’m enjoying too.
Vaughn is 64 years old. He’ll tell us this a couple of times tonight. Let’s not fool around here; he’s in statuesque good shape, his grey locks a badge of honour worn where those decades younger shave their heads, vitally he’s impressive vocally. It’s worth noting, because even as he’ll crack jokes about how since reforming Tyketto, they’ve put in the work and the last couple of years has resulted in a steady upward curve in their popularity, it means they have to work that much harder just to maintain that level. And, unless you’re travelling by private jet with Mick Jagger and an oxygen pack just off stage, you might feel it in your heart but on stage it’s a young man’s game.
Making life easier for yourself is having songs crowds can sing along to. For singers whose voices are shot that’s a bonus we’ll put to one side, and just appreciate people become fans because those songs mean something to them personally. Surround yourself with band members who both get on with each other and get off on each other’s talents and that’s got to make life easier. The smiles on stage appear to say that box is ticked. Having a good business head is possibly the key to survival most people don’t want to hear about, but it’s the reality. The way other bands have been talking about Danny Vaughn on stage more than suggests he’s developed that skill in a positive way. A nice guy by the sounds of it. Sure, he smothers us with large doses of talk about love and getting on with each other, but he doesn’t go the full-blown hippy spiel bit. So, he understands what it takes to make it through the day. He also knows you’ve got to present a good package because none of the bands are writing it in tonight, and while it’s true he possibly took Tyketto playing alongside April Wine and Uriah Heep on The Magician’s Farewell Tour as a blueprint; it works. Naturally, there are backroom managers and staff involved, but it appears he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. It gives a band longevity, and a career.
“This month 35 years ago we released this next song,” he notes as keyboards commence, followed by anthemic guitar chugging, some brief pogoing by a couple of the band and practically all of KK’s Steel Mill singing along with arms raised clapping to ‘Burning Down Inside’. The venue is itself next given a name check as we’re told they filmed the video for new album track ‘Higher Than High’ here – Elliott offers us a funk heavy riff, the song shrugging and strutting out in equal measures before it truly explodes, freewheeling into a ferocious guitar solo that’s picked up by a harmonica solo from Vaughn, then things go slightly bluesy before making out with power chords and some exceptionally high harmony vocals before reaching its climax.
“Thanks for taking in a new song and not going the bar!” calls out the singer before jumping off the drum riser as ‘Strength In Numbers’ rocks out with both Elliott and Rylands back on guitar as Vaughn offers his mic stand out towards the crowd to sing along, though the final screaming “Owh! he delivers personally the song punctuated by big heavy chords.
Somewhere earlier in the set Vaughn set aside his jacket and has been racing about just in t-shirt and black strides, smoke bombs and fireworks going off all night. Now, he straps on an acoustic, band introductions are offered, and a new song “for all you lovers” is offered with ‘Reach’. Thereafter, we’re asked if we’ve seen the rock movie Almost Famous, and told how a similar free-spirited girl he knew in his youth influenced ‘Closer To The Sun’ – The version offered tonight being both epic and varied in style, an edited version would be apt for a feelgood Hollywood movie theme track. ‘The Run’ proves a little more laidback with just acoustic and voice, even when the band kick in with Elliott and Childs facing off each other in front of Dee, before the guitarist runs back to perch on his monitor and solo away. “Where are the singers in KK’s tonight?” comes the question from up on stage, having us question if Vaughn is indeed showing his age and gone too deaf to hear the party atmosphere that’s been raging through the venue all night. The rock hard shuffle and hook heavy chorus of another new number in ‘We Rise’ is next wherein Rylands incorporates a melodious vintage prog-inspired keyboard solo prior to Elliott letting rip on guitar. Once more taking their collective foot off the peddle a little, ‘Circle The Wagons’ proves an anthemic rock waltz, Rylands soloing on organ this time before handing over to Elliott again.
Performing solo, Vaughn offers us the first part of Tears For Fear’s ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ before leading into ‘Seasons’ as the band join in. With a good airing of the Closer To Sun album tonight we’re told that in looking for a cover they chose ‘Harleys & Indians (Riders In The Sky)’, and apparently this Bo Diddly-come-cowboy rocker is a Roxette number, and has Vaughn toking on his harmonica once more. Elliott changes guitar and Vaughn’s on acoustic 12 string as we’re told that while Glasgow and Nottingham have been the most vocal audiences of the tour, and this being the last date Wolverhampton has to prove its worth prior to the nearest thing we’ve come to a power ballad this evening during this headline set with ‘Standing Alone’.
‘Lay Your Body Down’ proves big on harmonies between assorted roams around the stage on this funky strutting rocker, the high point being Childs’ bass solo that proves way-impressive with a meaty expressive groove to it. Between-song banter and the songs themselves, Vaughn’s philosophy to life has been readily apparent. He tells us how during covid his admiration for nurses, supermarket staff who ensured we had food, and even postmen led to him writing the final song of this evening’s set, and such is Tyketto’s assurance of their new album, it’s another one from it in ‘The Brave’ – Showing no signs of tiredness, it being a big-hearted power-chorded anthemic number, strong on lead vocals and harmonies, with Rylands once more passing the baton onto Elliott ome solo time.
With a wave of hands and a “Thank you so much, you’ve been awesome!” the band begin to leave the stage, only to be replaced by Planet Rock radio presenter Ian Danter. As he calls them back on, he informs us the band weren’t aware why he was here, but it’s in celebration of Tyketto reaching #1 in both the UK rock and metal charts with Closer To The Sun, and that the UK rock industry is now honouring them with special award plaques, for each of them. It’s a nice ending to a fine evening, only it isn’t; there’s an encore and “I don’t think it’s a secret what happens now!” calls out the voice on stage.
Uber-fan Angelo Tristan from Collateral is invited back on stage by Vaughn, as they launch into their evergreen, ‘Forever Young’ – Hey, even I knew this one before coming! Fireworks blast off and with arms wrapped round each other the singers duet or trade lines, there’s a lot of jumping off drum risers and monitors between dancing around the stage by all present and while that tends to make it not quite as pitch perfect or tight as on record, I doubt many at KK’s gave a damn, it’s party night!
The evening ends on a high, but then it was stacked pretty tall right from the start. A class evening throughout.
Setlist:
- Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Encore
