By David O’Neill
Über Rock have always been supporters of the flame haired siren Beth Blade having promoted the launch event for her second album a few years ago (and had her appear on our tenth anniversary gig back in the pre-Covid era). Personally, I also have been waiting for the return of Danish heavy metallers, Statement DK to these shores since they blew me away in the same venue in 2019, so off I trotted camera in hand to get an earful of two great bands. I always go with an open mind to bands I’ve not seen before, so had no preconceived ideas what to expect from Blind River.
I had been chatting to Beth prior to the event and she said she had been ill for a few days and wasn’t sure she could make it. Anyway, she kicked the evening off at 7.30 with ‘Tonight I’m With You’, and without a doubt she really was. With absolutely nothing to worry about, she hit every note; her voice is just getting better every time I see her live, and ill or not you’d never know. Appropriately, ‘Give It All You’ve Got’ from ‘Show Me Your Teeth‘ was up next, and whilst Beth is a very good vocalist, she is also an accomplished guitarist, playing both lead and rhythm throughout the night and at some points playing riffs on her knees.
The majority of the hour long set came from the latest offering ‘Mythos, Confession, Tragedies and Love‘ which really shows her varied talents from in your face rock with attitude (‘This Bitch Bites’) to slower rock ballads like ‘Ozymandias’ where her power vocals really shone, whilst the set also included the crowd pleaser ‘I Ain’t Got Nothing (If I Ain’t Got Rock N Roll)”.
She added two really good covers, the first an acoustic solo version of Halestorm’s ‘The Silence’ and a really good version of AC/DC’s ‘Shoot To Thrill’ before finishing with a shot of ‘Jack And Coke‘. Whilst Beth is obviously the front person in the band, the guy at the back, Sam Brain continues to impress with his drumming, but the two additions on lead and bass guitar are no sloths either, the thumping bass lines of Dan Rowe were clearly evident. There were some really impressive riffs from Luke Gilmore too. The band are really tight.
If this is what she’s like when she’s ill, it would be a belter of a show when she’s in full form. She really needs to support in a much stronger arena to get where her hard work can be recognized at a higher level.
Next up were Blind River. Now I have never seen this band live but the attitude of frontman Harry Armstrong is seriously on the nail, repeatedly giving us some serious thanks for keeping live music in smaller venues live… after all this is where the majority of bands play on a regular basis. However, they are no small venue band. Ear ripping riffage and bone shaking basslines thunder through the venue from beginning to end of their hour long set.
I wonder at times how the guitarists Dan Edwards and Chris Charles didn’t unplug each other the way they were swapping sides. Given it was only two degrees outside, the appearance of bassist Will Hughes with no shirt on made me shiver at times but there was no lack of energy from anyone in the band.
When you see a band for the first time as a photographer/reviewer it is difficult to catch much detail from the first few tracks other than the feeling, which left me impressed. So once I had put the snapbox away I got to enjoy the rest of the set. Harry saying “well here’s some new stuff from our album due out in May! But if you haven’t seen us before its all new!” This was definitely me. With serious blues based rock, and heavy rock infused throughout the set it was definitely a set that was firmly in my wheelhouse.
‘Skeleton Thief’ was one of the new tracks along with the seriously grooved ‘Snake Oil’. Despite this, the two tracks that blew me away were ‘Freedom To Ride’ (good choice for a track in this venue!) and ‘Can’t Sleep Sober’, which is obviously their regular set closer, with call and return guitar harmonics and that bone shaking bassline it’s a real crowd pleaser.
I will definitely be catching these guys again when they are in the area and a more attentive attendance it will definitely be…
Finally, Statement enter the fray to the appreciative crowd. Jannick Brochdorf (vocals) and the rest of the band rip into the a capella opening for ‘Don’t You Hide It’ before Niels Alex Larsen (lead guitar), Lars Ulrik Le Fevre (guitar) grab you by the ears with immense riffage. I am not sure I have seen such an energetic drummer as Daniel Rasch Nielsen (well since I last saw John Fred Young anyway). To top it off, if you wanted a Viking in your midst you need look no further than bassist Martin Poulsen, fully adorned with braided beard. Great start to the set.
‘I Wonder Why’ carries on in the same vein: heavy metal mayhem done with class. ‘The Reaper’ and latest album title track ‘Dreams From The Darkest Side’ really let everyone know what the band are about, especially the drumming in the outro. Without missing a beat, Daniel opens up ‘Escaped’ with some incredible drumming accompanied on bass by Martin Poulsen. Another period of impressive guitar playing from Niels and Lars and the drumming continued throughout to a five minute solo at the end – I was short of breath just watching!
Another full energy track, ‘Fade Away’, from the latest album, continued in the same vein before returning to ‘Higher Ground (Force of Life)’ and ‘Heaven Will Burn’ from the album of the same name. Niels introduced the next track as one that was “loaned” to the Mamas and Papas after the band “wrote it”: this raised a few sniggers but I have to say it is probably my favourite version of ‘California Dreaming’ (next to the original). A brilliant heavy rock version of a classic.
The rest of the set continued in the same vein: brilliant musicianship and a unique sound (probably due to the accents and Jannick’s vocal talent as well as the musicianship). What’s more they are really really nice guys to talk to, no pretense, just honestly loving everything they do.
IMO, these guys are definitely the best thing out of Denmark. If a certain beer did metal bands then StatementDK would be it!