Review by JoJo Anthony
Photos by Joe Schaeffer
Some music fans may consider British band the Struts a revival of 70s rock, but that is merely too simple of an analogy. I think this band is the start of a revolution. I liken them to the original British Invasion of the mid 60s pioneered by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones or the Animals. Now before you rock n’ roll “scholars” can unleash an attack on me, let me explain.
The Struts came along at a period when rock music, particularly guitar driven rock music was at major decline in sales and even live performances. A generation of music and its core fan base were simply disappearing. The Struts have revitalized that lost generation as well as seducing and embracing a slew of millennials, wherein there lies the rub. Can these two generations embrace the Struts for their nostalgic yet contemporary sound? Of course they can which is evident from the sold out performance at the House of Blues.
The venue was packed as the fired up crowd of fans ranging from 10 to 60 eagerly awaited the house lights to dim. Opening their set with “Primadonna Like Me” from their sophomore album “Young and Dangerous,” lead vocalist Luke Spiller wasted no time engaging with the audience. Spiller is one of the most entertaining and charismatic front men I’ve ever seen, but more on that later.
The set was a mixture of songs from the band’s two albums on Interscope Records. “Body Talks,” “Put Your Money on Me,” “Fire (Part 1),” and my personal favorite “One Night Only” were but a few of the songs performed. If you don’t own either of the Struts albums, I highly encourage you to pick them up. The Struts are a talented and tight unit. Guitarist Adam Slack is one of those musicians who never overplays and is more concerned with song composition instead of flash and pomp. The rhythm section of bassist Jed Elliot and drummer Gethin Davies hold the songs steady allowing Spiller to simply sing, engage the audience and show them a great time.
From start to finish, Spiller works diligently to get the audience members to participate in every aspect of the show. Visually he’s as stunning as Freddie Mercury or Mick Jagger, and he never takes his foot off the accelerator. One of my favorite parts of the show was Spiller pulling a very young girl up to the stage during the band’s rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” to recreate the Boss’ classic video. Standing at the back of the venue, it was such beautiful sight to see every member of the audience clapping and bouncing up and down in unison, something that’s been missing at rock shows for many years.
The band closed their set with “Where Did She Go” from the album Everybody Wants. It was quite the sight when Spiller asked every audience member to drop to their knees and at his direction to jump high into the air. Again, standing at the back of the venue, this was certainly an impressive visual. I must admit that seeing a bunch of Baby Boomers that were struggling to get down on their knees, then springing to their feet was entertaining in itself.
The band returned for an encore of three songs, which had Spiller seated at the piano to perform “Somebody New” and “Ashes (Part 2)” from the Young And Dangerous album. Visually this was very reminiscent of a Queen concert with Freddie Mercury for me. They closed the show with their biggest hit “Could Have Been Me,” which the audience sang along with from start to finish. Again, something I haven’t witnessed in a very long time.
I’ve been following the Struts’ career since 2014 when a good friend showed me a performance on YouTube. I was blown away then and I continue to be more impressed every time I see the band live. The Struts are the start of a revolution featuring a return to guitar oriented rock bands that write memorable songs and deliver a high energy performance that would rank right up there with many of the greatest rock bands ever.
They have managed to do something that most bands haven’t been able to do in a very long time. They cross genres and age groups while managing to pull an entire audience into an unforgettable rock n’ roll experience. These lads are rock stars in the true sense of the word.
If you haven’t seen the Struts or heard any of their albums, I would advise any rock fan to get on board for the revolution that is the Struts. I guarantee it could be a life-changing experience for you.
