Firstly, apologies for the tardiness getting this review out which is a good ten days ago. When you haven’t been to a gig for so long I just got out of the habit. So after the punk energy of Fontaines DC in August, this time around it’s a full on rock n roll show of this new duo His Lordship. Led by one of the finest guitarists out there James Walbourne. If he wasn’t busy enough playing lead for the Pretenders, half of the Rails with wife Kami Thompson or supporting mate Peter Bruntnell in his pickup band he’s got time for this new adventure.
Good to be back at the Moth Club, a quirky working men’s club in Hackney complete with gold spangled ceiling with matching gold streamers as the stage backdrop. So John, Graham, ‘Birds Eye’ Andy and I take our place amongst the North London massive including a few of the Rockingbirds on a trip out East.
Dressed as musical Reservoir Dogs, black suits and skinny black ties, Walbourne and drummer Kristoffer Sonne take to the stage and from note one you knew this was going to be a: loud and b: good. It was both in spades. Musical references were from all over the place with them curating the very best rock n roll covers putting their own stamp on each tune with driving rhythms and killer guitar chops. Room too for some originals which more than held their own.
Part Gene Vincent, part Elvis, part Eddie Cochran, part Chuck Berry, Walbourne owns the stage and I’m not sure I’ve seen him better. Word for Sonne who doesn’t miss a beat and is a blur of sticks but also provides some nice harmonies too with the bass player who joins the duo part way through the set.
Its brilliant stuff and the only criticism was that it was over too quickly. Let’s hope that this is one side project that has some legs and continues to deliver killer sets like this.
Keep on rock and rollin y’all