Review by Jo-Jo Anthony
Photos by Joe Schaeffer
The Dead Daisies are a unique band that has featured some of the best musicians in rock n’ roll yet they are also one of rock’s best kept secrets. Founded in 2012 by guitarist Dave Lowry, the band has released five studio albums. Past members have included vocalist John Corabi (Mötley Crüe), bassist Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy), keyboardist Dizzy Reed (Guns N’ Roses) and drummer Deen Castronovo (Journey), just to name a few. They have continued to tour the world building up a legion of fans primarily because of the number of stars that have toured and performed within the ranks.
The current lineup features Lowry, guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), drummer Tommy Clufetos, who played with Black Sabbath on their final tour, and Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple fame on lead vocals and bass guitar. The band is currently on a North American tour in support of their latest album Holy Ground, released January 2021.
The performance in Los Angeles was before a packed house of Angelinos. Opening their set with “Unspoken,” a new song, the Dead Daisies were at the top of their form. One can’t help but immediately notice Hughes’ amazing vocals. His voice is just as strong and precise as it was the first time I saw him performing with Deep Purple at the California Jam in 1974.
Other highlights were “Rise Up” and “Dead And Gone,” both from 2018’s Burn It Down. Both songs featured some great guitar work from Aldrich who is one hell of a shredder, yet he also has the finesse of many blues legends. All the members are seasoned pros and worth watching. The set also featured some great classic covers like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and one of my personal favorites, “Midnight Moses” by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
When the Daisies performed the classic Deep Purple track “Mistreated,” the crowd was silent as Hughes passionately sang. The man has one of the best screams I’ve heard, and he delivers each one with the same intensity as the previous. Hughes has had some stiff competition with the likes of David Coverdale and Ronnie James Dio both known for performing the song in the past.
Clufetos played one of the most impressive and entertaining drum solos I have seen in some time. His hand and feet coordination were very impressive, and he managed to keep the audience entertained and no one made a quick exit to the bar or the bathroom.
When the band returned for a much-deserved encore, they busted out one of my favorite songs of theirs, “Long Way To Go” from 2016’s Make Some Noise. The song has that classic AC/DC feel that has always makes me want to stand up and throw my fists into the air. This was followed by another Deep Purple classic, “Burn.” The band was on fire with this track that featured the talents of Aldrich, Clufetos and Hughes.
I can’t close out this review without mentioning the opening act for the evening, Australian born guitarist Orianthi. She has played with Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper. These days, she has one fantastic band — but most important of all is that she writes some really damn good songs.
I found myself instantly enjoying every song in her set, especially “Contagious” and the bluesy, sultry “How Do You Sleep.” Her cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” was a pleasant surprise. The band delivered this version was so much power. The lady is one amazing guitarist who can definitely shred, but she sure can also play the blues. I look forward to hearing more of her music.
The Dead Daisies and Oranthi were one of the better double bills I’ve seen as of late making this one enjoyable evening. I can’t express enough how great is to see people out and enjoying some live music again. A small shout out as well to Comedian Don Jamieson, who performed a short set of comedy to warm up the crowd for the music that followed.
