I reviewed their latest album in july and felt like: ok, let's do an interview and see them on stage. For some reason they didn't had time (maybe having a baby from just after the album was recorded)? Anyway: I melted for their sound and got a mail a few days prior to the concert in The Botanique in Brussels.
Daniel Romano's (CA) Outfit had to do the warming up part. They are with four and 3 of them also sing, it's basically the drummer who doesn't sing. From where I was the bass player played really loud (but in an excellent way, he really has that thing that good bass players have), but if you move a bit more to the center you could hear the leadsinger a bit more (just as his lead-guitar sound). As I was on the right sight I didn't hear much from the guitar play and vocals from Julianna Riolino (If I have it right). Their global sound can be described as Psych 70's hard rock, dressed up as bickers and forgetting about the weed. It ws a hard a,d fast set with merely some words twoards the end. It was Speedy Gonzalez on stage!
Blues Pills, where Elin Larsson is dressed all in blue and they are opening with: You can wish us a happy "Birthday". Yup, the tone was set! They directly start to rock at first slowly building up and creating the needed tension and once ready letting it all go: Birthday rocks (just like I predicted in my review)!
The audience is already clapping hands. Elin doesn’t stand still for more then a second (a bit reminding me of Black Mirrors, who played here before her). After this comes a slower one: Don’t You Love It. This time the sound is a bit sweater (and fits the title). I also adore the drums here. I even hear some 60’s influences (Motown and co). Bad Choices is a very summerish track and once again: the vocals are great! It’s clear that this ballad also works on stage! Top Of The Sky is somehow reminding me of Adele. It’s a great blues minded rock ballad with great vocals! A real tearjerker! It’s clearly the perfect choice as a single as I call it a top track! I see some lighters and arms waving in the air. Yet another to ballad! Time for some old school rock with the first track she write ages ago: Bliss. It’s their strongest song in the set. Proud Women is what she is on stage & clearly all fired up (in a positive way). After this comes another older one: Low Road. California combines blues, soul and rock. Like A Drug: the vocals sound nice and mixing blues and rock like only the best can! I hear a slice of a psychedelic sound. Piggyback Ride is the only song that sounds stronger on the album, but still rocks smoothly. Holding Me Back works really great on stage (just like I predicted) and sounds live as good as on the album!
After this they rock on with: High Class Women, Ain’t No Change (from 2019), Black Smoke (from 2011 If I have it right) and close the regular set with a blast called: Somebody Better and a very emotional one from 2012: Little Sun.
It doesn’t take teem long to come back on stage and continue to set the roof on fire with: I Don't Wanna Get Back On That Horse Again.Bye Bye Birdie (thinking is this already the very last track), creating a real loud sing a long momentum. Elin even descends into the crowd and present them the micro (noted: she needed some real gentlemen help to get back on stage). The real end comes with Devil Man (2012): from a capella to raw and brutal and another round of fans singing along. What a voice, what an energy flow and what a show!
They surely took the right pills and performed like the best! I’m sure we will see them again this summer! By then they might have more time for an interview, who knows?
