WORDS WILL MAXWELL / IMAGES JOE JONES
Just two days before the release of their eighth album ‘LIGHTBRINGER’ Rival Sons are at a sold-out Manchester Academy to treat us to a night of old-school rock n’ roll.
Kicking off with “Manifest Destiny, Part 1”, this jam-style effort sets the benchmark for the evening. The effortlessly cool Scott Holiday is in full flow already in this guitar solo-heavy opener.
“Do Your Worst” is played surprisingly early, with 47 million streams and counting on Spotify suggesting it is by far their most popular song but it makes sure the crowd are in good voice early on.
Although only days away from the new album release, it has only been a hot minute since their last one. ‘Darkfighter’ was released in June and dominates the set list with “Mirrors”, “Rapture” and “Bird In The Hand” all played early on. “Rapture” in particular shows off Jay Buchanan’s stunning vocals.
Buchanan and Holiday are so mesmerising on stage. Their whole personas are entrenched in their music. Their flamboyant style could not be in more contrast to bassist Dave Beste. He seems more than happy to take a back seat with his super laid-back demeanour and wearing his flat cap and shirt that looks like he’s come straight from a pub in one of the surrounding mill towns of Greater Manchester.
Buchanan shines throughout the night but shows his versatility on “Jordan”. This touching track about loss and heartbreak captivates the audience as the emotional outpouring on stage is felt amongst us all.
The new songs are going down just as well as the classics which shows that they have an engaged fan base. It’s an older audience, which is understandable given the retro sound. With their extensive back catalogue, they cannot be accused of just being a rip-off throwback but the standard bearers of a new generation that keeps the spirit of rock n’ roll alive. “Open My Eyes”, “Radio” and “Pressure and Time” keep us rocking.
The acoustic “Shooting Stars” was the highlight of the evening. As Jay Buchanan performs this song solo, the crowd act as the backing choir in a memorable moment where artist and fan are truly united as one.
The only song from the upcoming “LIGHTBRINGER” was the soaring “Mosaic”. I was lucky enough to be one of the people in the room to have already heard this and you can read my review of the album HERE. It’s a stunning track that will surely become a staple in the set.
As “Secret” brings the night to a close, the crowd stick around anticipating an encore but it wasn’t to be. Rival Sons did what they do best, they came, they rocked out, and left us happy but still wanting more.
SET LIST
1/ MANIFEST DESTINY, PART 1
2/ MIRRORS
3/ DO YOUR WORST
4/ RAPTURE
5/ BIRD IN THE HAND
6/ JORDAN
7/ OPEN MY EYES
8/ RADIO
9/ BRIGHT LIGHT
10/ PRESSURE AND TIME
11/ FACE OF LIGHT
12/ SHOOTING STARS
13/ ELECTRIC MAN
14/ DARKSIDE
15/ NOBODY WANTS TO DIE
16/ MOSAIC
17/ SECRET
FOLLOW RIVAL SONS
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
