By DJ Astrocreep

A rock triple bill awaits me tonight with two sets of local heroes, Attic Theory and Revival Black, sandwiching a real up and comer from south Wales in the form of Scarlet Rebels. With each of the bands high on melody and musical talent, a good evening of music should await in a venue that was previously one of Liverpool’s oldest clubs, The Cabin Club, prior to its new incarnation. A short bus ride into the city centre later and it’s time for what should prove to be a night high on aural delights.

Attic Theory live at Jimmy's in Liverpool, 24 January 2020

Attic Theory are an act I have covered on multiple occasions and I’ve never yet had any reason to give them any negative feedback. Even when I last caught them, supporting Tantric in December, when vocalist Lewis was recovering from having lost his voice and had been unable to sing for a couple of weeks, they still put in a strong performance and it’s reasons such as that that likely explain why the venue is looking good on numbers as they take to the stage, such is the affection they are garnering with their ability and performances on stage.

It’s good to be able to say that this continues tonight, as Tim and Peter still strike good melodies to back up Lewis’s vocals, while the rhythm section has never sounded better than with Kenny and Matt on bass and drums respectively, with Matt even getting the chance just before the end to show off his skills with a bit of a solo, showing how well he has bedded in since joining the five piece last year. Another top notch set from the alt-rockers.

Scarlet Rebels live at Jimmy's in Liverpool, 24 January 2020

Welsh melodic rockers Scarlet Rebels are next to take control of the stage and it’s good to see them improve further still on the showing from when I caught and interviewed them at last year’s HRH AOR. They get the audience participation going early in the set and keep it coming through the set, a nice trick for making sure people are paying attention, though this backs up some quite catchy hooks and strong vocals which does just as much as the former. A brief verse and chorus – again with audience participation – of Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’ works well as they head on to ‘Part Of Me’ and the band repeatedly show they are well rehearsed and excellent musicians, one noticeable error apart. The crowd take very well to the excellent performance, showing a good level of appreciation in our cheers and applause both between songs and at the end of the set,  showing it’s a case of job very well done.

Revival Black live at Jimmy's in Liverpool, 24 January 2020

Revival Black are the only band on the bill that I’ve not previously caught live, though that is something that will definitely be remedied on multiple occasions in the future, based on this performance. The Scouse blues rockers come out swinging from the very off, with a ridiculously tight musical set, most notably with Jamie and Ash on bass and drums respectively working exceptionally well in tandem. Dan’s vocals are drenched in soul and smothered with grit in a mix that shows a truly talented performer for exactly as he is, while there is a clear camaraderie between the different members while they play, showing quite how much fun they’re having  absolutely making the stage, the entire room, in fact, their own. Musically it veers from a more blues orientated rock to a ‘70s AOR sound, something that they manage seamlessly and without losing any sense of direction with the set.

Revival Black live at Jimmy's in Liverpool, 24 January 2020

Their blues-infused rock works really well with the crowd, with songs such as ‘Midnight Oil’ and ‘The River’ – which follows a ln extremely well performed blues cover of Deep People’s ‘Burn’ – working just as well as the likes of ‘Believe’, a new track they have recently completed. The crowd go mental for what they’re putting out, with loud shouts of appreciation as ‘Wide Awake’, which has fronted the likes of Classic Rock magazine, is only just starting, even. Their ability to both craft and keep such a good atmosphere bodes extremely well, showing quite how they have managed such a stratospheric rise over the last year. It proves to be an excellent set and they can now definitely count me amongst their fans – I daresay I’m far from the only one after this performance, either. A remarkable finish to an excellent evening of music.

  • PHOTO CREDIT: Photos by the author.

The tour continues:

Poster for The Rising Tour with Revival Black and Scarlet Rebels

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