Simon RushworthHillbilly Vegas have been adopted by the UK as the nation’s favourite Southern Rock sons. Here’s what Simon Rushworth learnt from the band’s Long Way Back tour.
Fronting a band’s about more than being a singer
Steve Harris — no, not that Steve Harris — has the charisma, character and kick-ass attitude you simply can’t teach.
As much a compelling storyteller as he is a composed vocalist, he makes Hillbilly Vegas’s fans feel like part of the family.
Spend a few minutes in the singer’s engaging company and you immediately want to become best buddies. Rock and roll swagger courses through his veins.
But here’s the thing: Harris is as humble as he’s cocksure and it’s a combination that’s utterly addictive.
Assets? Hillbilly Vegas have a few.
But Harris is the jaw-dropping jewel in this brilliant band’s crown.
Nothing beats experience
Hillbilly Vegas might still be creeping into the UK’s rock and roll consciousness but these good old Southern boys have been around for some time.
Even before the band’s 2011 debut — the critically acclaimed Ringo Manor — the various members of the Oklahoma collective had cut their teeth as live performers across the US.
And it shows.
It’s clear Harris and co. don’t lack confidence and from start to finish the Long Way Back set is a masterclass in on-point delivery.
Like every great live band Hillbilly Vegas put all those hours of practice, all of those miles on the road and all of those forgettable gigs in front of one man and his dog into making the next show their very best.
It’s Miller time… with added Loudness
How to up the ante on a classic Frankie Miller cover approved by the man himself?
Enlist the help of Geordie rock royalty Lorraine Crosby.
On the Newcastle leg of the Long Way Back trek, Harris invited none other than Mrs Loud (Meat Loaf’s partner on the global smash I Would Do Anything For Love) to duet on Down The Honkytonk.
And the Trillians crowd went suitably wild.
Harris is a huge fan of Miller and Hillbilly Vegas have included the track on their latest EP.
Nods to Miller, Paul Rodgers et al simply underline the authenticity of a band that leans as much on British blues rock royalty as it does on Skynyrd, the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers et al.
No wonder they’re laying waste to this side of the Pond.
The Howling Tides make a splash
Midlands quartet The Howling Tides need no introduction to Rushonrock readers: if these boys aren’t classic rock’s next big thing then we’ll eat our Bad Company hat.
Work can’t finish soon enough on the hotly anticipated debut album after the breakout success of back-to-back EPs.
And the brief glimpses of new music trailed in support of Hillbilly Vegas suggests Rob Baynes and co. have lost none of their appetite for reinvention and ambition.
Looking to pigeon-hole one of the most exciting acts on the NWOCR scene? Good luck trying.
The Howling Tides remain a heady mix of Kossoff-styled heavy blues, Cornell-inspired post-grunge and a few neat flourishes of prog for good measure.
The Tides are turning… heads. And for good reason.
Images by Adam Kennedy