In the summer of last year, I reviewed The Howling Tides debut EP. In amongst some truly godawful puns I wrote this at the end: “Recently I’ve reviewed a few of the new breed of British rock. Allow me to humbly suggest that this mob might be the best of the lot.” Now, to be totally honest, I had no idea they were on tonight, but their presence is a welcome surprise. Even better, their live show backs up what I said about them. Singer Rob Baynes has a mighty voice to carry the likes of “Running Blind”, while older material like “Painkiller” takes on a heavier, funkier feel in this setting. The packed bill means they only get half an hour but the Staffs mob clearly intend to use it to the fullest, as “He Told Me” rather proves. Keep an eye on this lot, I said it before and I hope to be saying it again.
Liberty Lies seem to have been around forever. As far as I can tell, dusting off the annals of my old notes, the first time I saw them was eight years ago, two weeks shy, when they opened for Rival Sons. So, I guess we can call them stalwarts of the scene. Which presents it’s own issues, because as singer Shaun puts it: “this is our hometown and it’s the quietest crowd of the tour…..” As when they opened for Crobot a few months ago, there is plenty of new stuff in the set. “Fate Of The People” and a more ballad-like “Letters” are from a new album, out next month, but they do dip into the back catalogue for “Undivided” from the fine EP they stuck out a few years ago and “The Wire” which has survived from that gig back in 2011. Still ready for a breakthrough, the next few months are important for Liberty Lies, you feel.
If you’re in a band and want an intro song, it must be tough. I mean, not every one can be as iconic as “Doctor Doctor” is for Maiden, which is probably why most just blast some AC/DC loud at you. Not Inglorious, though. No sir, they play well, Inglorious, actually. Literally. The title track from their debut. So, Inglorious plays as Inglorious come out for an Inglorious show. Which is either brilliantly ironic, or egotistical, depending on your point of view.
And, that, actually, will do as a metaphor for the whole thing. Because increasingly it has got to the point where people have strong feelings about the band either way.
It’s been tricky for main man Nathan James too. A brand new line up after everyone bar drummer Phil Beaver left just before “Ride To Nowhere” came out earlier this year, and as good as that record was, I must admit to being slightly more intrigued than usual to see what it would be like this time.
The answer: just as good as every other time, but different all the same.
For one thing James has done what we might call “an Ozzy” and got a flash young gunslinger in. Danny Della Cruz is only 20, apparently, but crikey the kid can play. Towards the end of the set they play a cover of Alanis Morrisette’s “Uninvited”. I am not going to lie here, I don’t know the original and I don’t like this version, until that is Cruz cuts loose, and boy, does he go. It is stunning.
And the rest of the band matches the quality of James’ voice – which to avoid doubt makes them good. Very good. As they plough through 90 minutes of stuff from all three records there is plenty of highlights to be had.
“Where Are You Now”, which starts things is one, but there are noticeably more from the debut than any other. “Breakaway” shows the class of that, and why so many of us tipped them, but the acoustic tinged “Glory Days” shows they’ve still got it, for all the tribulations.
“High Flying Gypsy” is like a mid-set reboot, and “Girl Got A Gun” has been dusted off too, which is fun, while “Read All About It” is perhaps the pick of the smattering from the second album.
For “I Don’t Know You” James is joined by his friend Heather Leoni, who wrote most of the lyrics on the track, and the two play a wonderful version of it here. Usually, that would herald the end of the set and an encore, but not tonight.
If I had to guess I’d say that given that he mentions it so often, the late finish here isn’t something that the frontman relished, and they don’t do the usual encore, just play the final two songs.
The last of them, “Until I Die” is stunning. And all the proof required, in truth, to suggest that this plateau in the upward trajectory of Inglorious – they sold out this venue two years ago, let’s not deny it – is not terminal.
As the old football cliché goes: form is temporary, class is permanent and that applies here. Rebooted, reinvigorated, Inglorious are ready to make another assault at the big-time.
