Monster Truck/Those Damn Crows –
Corporation, Sheffield, Sunday, 16th October, 2022
Set List: Intro: Who Did It/Long Time Dead/Don't Give A Damn/Send The Reaper/Wake Up/Blink Of An Eye/Sin On Skin/Go Get It/Rock 'N' Roll Ain't Dead.
Tonight marks the 3rd time we have covered these Welsh boys for the website. This occurrence being as openers – 5 lads who have ramped it right up in over just a year and really strengthening their fan base. Ladies and Gentlemen, Those Damn Crows!
I must admit that the guys on stage seem to have grabbed a stronghold of noisy female fans who line up the front barrier. Thank the lord I had the earplugs while in the photopit as I surely needed them. More to protect my tabs from the female screaming at high decibels than from the volume of the band themselves. I personally haven't noticed it as loud as this since Wednesday 13 played here about a decade ago.
Four of the Crows walk on, these being Ian "Shiner" Thomas & David Winchurch (Both on Guitar), Lloyd Wood (Bass) and Ronnie Huxford (Drums) with an up-tempo bouncy feel and full of glee for what's to come, greeting us all from the stage, while Frontman, Shane Greenhall bounds on, pointing at various individuals in the packed audience which encourages them to applause and wail like their lives depended on it.
The rocking quintet get more prominent and cock-sure every time you see them, pumping out a powerful set with no time for any piano or acoustic moments. This is indeed a straight-up rocking and rolling nine song strong thram of meatiness that keep everyone on a high that begins with 'Who Did It?' - does anyone know? Answers on a postcard right?
They 'Don't Give A Damn' about appearing to just about upstage the headliners, making them 'Wake Up' to what the new breed of bands are obviously capable of if they put the work in like these guys have. Big credit to the 'Crows too!
The crowd are invited as much as humanly possible to get involved as being part of the performance with them being asked to sing along – not that needed any persuasion whatsoever to be completely honest with you.
The cuts go down so well in here with the Steel City crew that it feels like it's over in the 'Blink Of An Eye'. Never fear because the boys are back for a UK Headline Tour next year so be sure to put it in your diary.
Yet again, they prove 'Rock 'N' Roll Ain't Dead' and ensure they have plenty of merch available in the small room, Did you 'Go Get It'? Hopefully you did. In the grand scheme of things, if you look at bands like The Rolling Stones, Those Damn Crows have only just begun but I can seem them being here for many decades to come.
Set List: Why Are You Not Rocking?/Old Train/She's A Witch/Denim Danger/Golden Woman/The Enforcer/Black Forest/Fuzz Mountain/Live Free/Country Livin'/For The Sun/Seven Seas Blues/Get My Things And Go/New Soul/Sweet Mountain River.
Encore: Don't Tell Me How To Live/The Lion.
And now, after a short interlude, it's time for those Canadians to conquer the stage in the form of Monster Truck, who have the rock 'n' roll wheels firmly fixed on and are ready to give us the juggernauting ride of a lifetime. Fuel may have got expensive over her but it does not stop these truckers from touring their wears and ways all over Great Britain.
The band, from Hamilton, Ontario, CA an area also famous for many notable folk like Actress, Quinne Suicide of The Suicide Girls & Eugene Levy (of the American Pie Films). They are made up of Jon Harvey (Lead Vocals/Bass), Jeremy Widerman (Guitar), Brandon Bliss (Keyboards) & Theo McKibbon (Drums – who has only recently replaced original member, Steve Kiely). I've got to say that Brandon's organ is the musical icing on the cake, giving the band that Uriah Heep/Deep Purple flavour and style.
A group that really do have that quality yesteryear retro approach, showing the young end of the spectrum how good things sounded back in the 70's with even a bit of Humble Pie feel creeping in there too. As well as this they have a molten mix of Hard Rock, Stoner, Metal, Blues and Southern Rock creating what can be described as their own unique sound.
What do you mean, Why Are You Are Not Rockin'? We certainly are in here boys. Lol. The numbers started well audience-wise and the audience amount kind of doubled just about. The 'Truck made sure to include a few songs from their latest album 'Warrior' such as the racing and pounding title track itself. A song that booms and builds to the name-checked chorus.
Another newie, 'Fuzz Mountain' had a riff that reminded me of 'Call me' by Blondie with Steve Cooper spotting some 'Over The Hills And Far Away' in there by Gary Moore. These Canuks never let up for a second and got very Purplesque on us with 'Live Free' that has a real pumping chorus to it.
Easily the best number of the night though was the Dixie Tootin' 'Country Livin' that would not be out of place if performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd or Blackberry Smoke at one of their shows – the song had everything a Southern Rocker loves to hear – that riff is just utterly glorious to put it mildly for a start. One that will stop in their set for sure for many tours to come I reckon!
A healthy handful of past gems are also cranked out that no doubt pleased some older members of the fanbase that were there from the beginning with cuts including the stomping diamond going by the name of 'The Enforcer'; the fabulous live statement that is 'Seven Seas Blues' or the anthemic 'Sweet Mountain River' that has become a famous song at ball games for their own Ontario team, The Tiger-Cats.
The fans loved them and gave us a fabulous encore that included 'Don't Tell Me How To Live' that went on for quite a while, reminding me of 'Mississippi Queen' by Mountain, one of my all-time fave songs actually so no complaining from me.
Another full night at the Corp in the big room!
By Glenn Milligan