Review & Photos by Charlie Steffens
It’s been over 30 years since the release of Kingdom Come’s self-titled debut, an album that for many, is cited as a cornerstone in hard rock. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Kingdom Come, four of the band’s original members — James Kottak (drums), Danny Stag (guitar), Rick Steier (guitar), and Johnny B. Frank (bass) — are playing various dates in the U.S. Vocalist Keith St. John (Montrose, Burning Rain, Lynch Mob) has joined the fold, replacing Lenny Wolf, who was the band’s frontman up until 2016.
The band’s set at the Whisky a Go Go was an assortment of material from their first two albums released in 1988 and 1989. Opening with “Shout it Out” attracted the attention of the crowd, before the group slid into “Perfect O” from the sophomore record, In Your Face, and the hook was set.
The draw up front was St. John, a great singer and charismatic frontman with an undeniable resemblance to Robert Plant in both appearance and style. It may have been the absence of original vocalist Lenny Wolf, or just the passage of time, as the reason the Whisky wasn’t packed to the rafters.
When St. John asked, “How many of you were fans 30 years ago?” prior to playing “Get It On,” it became apparent that more than a dozen of the attendees who were gathered near the stage hadn’t yet been born when the chart-busting hit was getting continuous airplay, and the band was sharing the stage with Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, and Metallica on the 1988 Monsters of Rock tour.
Tucked behind the drum kit, Kottak drew attention with a powerful and highly-visual display of drumming, as well as with his antics between songs. The ex-Scorpions drummer, who began getting mainstream exposure years before in Kingdom Come, delivered the unfailing backbeat throughout the show, joined by Rick Stier on rhythm guitar and lead guitarist Danny Stag, who performed impressive solos.
How this reunion fares going forward is anyone’s guess. St. John brings a fresh approach to the songs, and the players still have the chops. Maybe some festivals and opening spots with bigger headliners will remind 80s hard rock fans of the band whose sound and style was often compared to the mighty Led Zeppelin.
