First up though it’s a support set from the Matthew Logan Vasquez, leader of the brilliant Delta Spirit. With a pick up band of Glen and Gary who he only met at sound check they rattled through a 30 minute set. It was the classic combination of wailing guitar and Vasquez extraordinary voice. There was even time for a ‘Middle Brother’ song from the short lived supergroup. The perfect starter for the main course.
It’s hard not to describe them as a country rocking White Stripes such is the intensity of the electric guitar drum combination. To describe either as a drummer is doing both a disservice. They alternate between guitar and a drum set up that has a bass, a snare for one hand and the other hand is used to play a mini keyboard.
Vocals are shared between the two and often both take the lead, their voices complementing each other with Trent’s throaty pitch dovetailing with Hearst’s traditional female country twang albeit belted out full bore for the whole show.
They joked that the main souvenir that they bring back from Europe is heavy colds and you can tell Trent is suffering between songs but his performance was no less diminished by this. Lesser players would have bailed.
It’s a ninety minute treat of the finest hard rocking country by two talented musicians. Their intensity and connection can only come from being husband and wife and you sometimes felt you had gate crashed an intimate moment but we were grateful that they shared this with us.
‘St Ann’s Parade’ and ‘Hail Hail’ were highlights for me in a set full of them. They served their state well and matched everything that the North has thrown at them recently.
A great night and keep on country rockin y’all