After slowly coming down from the great weekend at Black Deer Festival we are back with a bang with the Black Keys on their first European tour for eight years. First though a moan. Why is it so difficult for venues/artists/promoters to publish stage times? Tonight is a classic example with conflicting times given for doors. I turn up at 7 and first act Shannon and the Clams were already on stage. I appreciate that venues want punters in early to maximise beer sales but this it could have worked the other way if you were a Shannon fan.
The aforementioned Clams delivered a bouncy thirty minute set before Spoon, the second act, came on for an excellent forty five minute set taking in tracks from across the catalogue and nice to hear ‘Jonathon Fisk’ from one of my favourite albums ‘Kill the Midnight’.
It’s been nearly twenty years to the day of me first seeing The Black Keys at the 100 Club and then a few times since in progressively larger venues. Those early rough edges have been massively polished over the years but I got a sense of a return to those raw blues roots beginnings on their album from last year ‘Dropout Boogie’.
Being the O2 it’s a big production and the light show, back screen and projections were superb, really adding to the feel of the show. Buts it’s the music we are here for. Another big difference from that early gig is that they are now a six piece complete with percussion, organ, bass player and second guitar. It does that extra layer of depth but it still boils down to the twin attack of Carney’s drums and Auerbach’s many guitars. It’s a big sound and it needs to be to fill the cavernous room.
It’s a great set going right back to debut ‘The Big Come Up’ and taking in most of their albums in the interim. The band are great, Carney keeps that driving rhythm going with apparently little effort and Auerbach flicks the switch regularly from singing/ chord playing frontman to a mighty axeman belting out the solos with aplomb. There is no stand out track as it’s a consistently great show throughout.
So it’s a triumphant return to form after a long absence to these shores proving they’ve still got the licks and can rock out with the best of them.
Keep on scuzzy, blues, rockin’ y’all