Simon RushworthHillbilly Vegas @Newcastle Trillians, November 27 2024
Newcastle’s like a home from home for Hillbilly Vegas.
And given the year they’ve just had in the US, maybe it’s time to make the move permanent.
The poor souls lost all of their instruments and equipment following a studio fire in September.
Such was the ferocity of the blaze at the band’s Hillbilly Hangar, the metal doors welded to the frames.
And nobody could have complained if the Oklahoma crew opted to pack it all in and limp into the sunset licking their wounds.
But anyone who’s seen Hillbilly Vegas live will know a sense of self-defeatism simply isn’t in this bullish band’s DNA.
Singer Steve Harris said at the time they’d come back stronger.
And true to his word, Tyneside’s favourite Hillbilly underpinned another triumphant return to the Toon with typical zeal and ardour.
On the (slippy) surface, a wet Wednesday in November’s a tough sell.
But such is Hillbilly Vegas’ rock solid relationship with Newcastle’s riff-fuelled loyalists, Trillians was packed again.
And there were plenty of familiar faces watching on from the bar — Black Eyed Sons’ Paul Guerin and Mrs Loud herself, Lorraine Crosby, amongst others, reaffirming their support for one of 2024’s breakout bands.
The latter needed little encouragement to join her new best buddies on stage for the second time in as many months.
Crosby and Harris nailed Frankie Miller and Tina Turner… now it’s surely time to get this blossoming partnership on tape.
Hillbilly Vegas headed ‘home’ to the North East on a high after news that Let It Ride had landed inside the Billboard rock chart’s top 10.
And don’t bet against more of the band’s Southern rock-fuelled countryfied bangers making a big noise in 2025.
En route to Winter Storm and Planet Rock’s Rockstock, this reliably raucous crew of veteran crowd pleasers continue to enjoy a long overdue Indian summer.
Forget the fire that almost destroyed everything we know and love about a band that refuses to die.
This was another brilliant blaze of glory from the hot as hell Hillbilly Vegas boys.
Images by Adam Kennedy