The Struts lead singer, Luke Spiller, summed the night up in just a few short words: “I came to do one thing. Shake my fu**ing ass tonight.” The Struts brought their “Everybody Wants” tour to the Brooklyn Paramount on Friday, Aug. 22. This year’s tour is in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the band’s debut record. Tonight’s show was a successful return to the metropolitan area. Last summer, rain put an early end to their show at the Stone Pony Summer Stage (Click HERE for the review). Tagging along on tour for this year’s festivities was Los Angeles, California natives, Dirty Honey—the combination of the two young rock and roll bands made for a spectacular evening.
Dirty Honey took to the stage around 8:00 p.m. to a loud roar from the audience. It’s been almost a year since their last show in the metropolitan area. The band’s last show in the NYC area was back in October of 2024. So the crowd was very eager to see them again. The band, led by New York native/lead singer Marc LaBelle, kicked off their set with “Gypsy” and a loud “Good evening, New York City!” which received a resounding roar from the crowd.
For the next 45 minutes, the band blasted through ten original songs. Luckily for them, fans were well familiar with them and treated them as the headliners during their set. By song four, the audience was treated to a surprise when LaBelle announced that their next song, “Too Good At Being Bad,” would be off their upcoming record. Throughout the set, they kept their foot on the gas and never let go. There was a sense of urgency in their set. Dirty Honey played like they still had something to prove and that they were still unknown. Their underdog-like mentality had them win over new fans at the show with their hunger to win.
By the time the band got to “Another Last Time” and the classic riff from guitarist John Notto kicked off the song, some fans in the general admission area took out their lighters while others elected to turn their flashlights on. The intimate setting on the floor allowed the band to interact and feed off the fans’ energy. Some of those fans turned out to be younger kids who were not even born for the release of The Struts’ Everybody Wants. But during Dirty Honey’s set, Notto threw a few guitar picks to the crowd. This symbolized a “passing of the torch” to the next generation of rock.
It’s easy to tell that the Notto, drummer Jaydon Bean, and bassist Justin Smolian had great chemistry. They were able to know when songs were ending without Bean needing to count down. The band knew their parts well and added great fills to empty spaces, giving a great wall of sound to the audience. While the instrumental pandemonium was taking place, during “Don’t Put Out The Fire,” Labelle grabbed a chair and planted himself right in the middle of the sea of fans. It was a sight to behold, seeing LaBelle stand on his mini island among the crowd.
Dirty Honey Is:
Marc LaBelle – Vocals
John Notto – Guitar / Background Vocals
Justin Smolian – Bass
Jaydon Bean – Drums / Background Vocals
Setlist:
1. Gypsy
2. California Dreamin’
3. Heartbreaker
4. Too Good At Being Bad
5. Another Last Time
6. The Wire
7. Don’t Put Out The Fire
8. When I’m Gone
9. Won’t Take Me Alive
10. Rolling 7’s
By 9:15 p.m., a bomb siren blared through the speakers, the lights dimmed, and shadows of The Struts crept on stage. The four members of the group have been with the band ever since their inception. The Derby, England, natives were dolled up in black sparkly gear, instruments in hand, and were ready to conquer another audience.
Ironically, the first song that they played, “Primadonna Like Me,” appears on their second record, YOUNG & DANGEROUS. But, fans did not seem to mind that the band started with a tune off their sophomore record. After “Primadonna Like Me,” and “Body Talks,” they played the entire 13-song record, from start to finish, as advertised.
As if the first song didn’t prove the band’s aura, by song two, “Roll Up,” there was a noticeable hunger. The last time that the band was in the area, they had a short due to rain and weather. Drummer Gethin Davies played with his heart on his sleeve by bashing the drums all night long. But especially for “Roll Up,” he played the song at a much faster pace. This brought a spark of electricity to the other band members and the crowd.
By the end of the second song, there was a noticeable thrust forward by the audience. They wanted to inch as close as possible to the band. Throughout the night, the crowd danced, jumped and clapped along with every song of theirs. At one point, during “Mary Go Round,” fans broke out their lighters. While during “Put Your Money On Me,” one fan was on top of someone else’s shoulders to try to get the best view. It’s safe to say that the crowd would do anything to get as close as possible.
It’s clear that after almost 16 years of the band being around, they are a tight, well-oiled rock and roll machine. Spiller knows the exact moment for guitarist Adam Slack to take command at the front of the stage. Whether Slack was playing a guitar with the Union Jack on it, or one of his numerous Les Pauls, each solo was played just like the record. Bassist Jed Elliot mainly stuck to his side of the stage but was all smiles throughout the night.
During most songs, Spiller would command the crowd with authority to jump around or wave their hands side to side. There’s a great connection that The Struts have with their fans. The band has a unique way of making the fans feel like they’re an integral part of the performance.
The band capped the night off with two other songs that did not appear on the original record. “One Night Only” and “Pretty Vicious” featured as the encore tunes for the evening. “One Night Only” is one of the perfect songs to end the show on. The title itself is amazing to sum up a concert, but it also showcases the band’s abilities. Whether it’s Spiller at the piano or Slack and Elliot with pitch-perfect harmonies, having “One Night Only” as the encore song one and then pairing it with “Pretty Vicious” was the perfect one-two punch.
The Struts’ “Everybody Wants” Tour is a perfect celebration of the record. Throughout the show, Spiller told tales of when they first started, and the songs accompany his stories and take fans down the beginning of a historic career. When some bands do anniversary tours for albums, it comes across as hacky, but when you have a record as enjoyable and great as Everybody Wants, then the celebration is needed, even if it’s for “One Night Only.”
The Struts are:
Luke Spiller – Lead Vocals / Acoustic Guitar / Piano
Adam Slack – Guitars / Background Vocals
Jed Elliot – Bass / Background Vocals
Gethin Davies – Drums
Setlist:
1. Primadonna Like Me
2. Body Talks
3. Roll Up
4. Could Have Been Me
5. Kiss This
6. Put Your Money On Me
7. Mary Go Round
8. Dirty Sexy Money
9. The Ol’ Switcheroo
10. She Makes Me Feel Like
11. Young Stars
12. Black Swan
13. These Times Are Changing
14. Only Just A Call Away
15. Where Did She Go
16. One Night Only
17. Pretty Vicious
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area. I am always looking for the next concert to attend.