Emma Scott Presents....

Voodoo Johnson/Cheap Thrill/JD and the FDCs and Nightblade

The End, 51 Dale End, Birmingham 4th December 2011

With more varieties of rock than Blackpool, The End was certainly the place to be tonight!

First band up tonight were Nightblade and with a sound that is instantly comparable to some of the great new wave British metal bands such as Motorhead and Iron Maiden, it would be easy to make the mistake of only hearing the obvious and not looking for those things that make Nightblade worthy of putting their own stamp on this genre. Band details on the website confirm that these guys individually, have a history of hard playing rock 'n' roll and collectively, within the lifespan of Nightblade, have already created a significant wealth of formidable metal, which is soon to be unleashed through the impending release of their first album 'Servant To Your Lair'. If you like your metal rich and rigorous, then this is one to check out or just simply head over to the Boars Head in Kidderminster on December 26th to catch Nightblade in action.

JD and the FDCs were the next band on stage tonight and what an intriguing bunch these guys are. I first heard of JD and the FDs a few months back via a friend who had seen them play at a festival in Nottingham and been told in no uncertain terms go, seek, see and listen, and what good advice that was. These guys are notably distinctive, having an unrestrained blend of punk and rock music, and a visual performance that tires you out just watching. Front man Jamie Delerict, is all character and with his rebellious vocals plus in between song banter, you couldn't fail to feel the growing connection tonight between him, the band and the audience. As for JD and the FDCs set, many memorable moments came through the speakers tonight, but most notable for me were 'Stupid Music Played By Idiots' with it's distinctive Green Day meets Joey Ramone melody and their last track of the evening 'Recognise', which is the title track of the soon to be released album. I very much hope to see and hear more from these guys in the New Year.

Third band on stage this evening were West Midlands based Cheap Thrill and straight away these guys hit like a hammer with their own brand of explosive 80's sleaze. First admirable impressions about this band was the confidence they demonstrated on stage, with prowling front man, Glenn Cross daring to deliver note after stratospheric note of acid vocals and the stand out wealth of impressive shred guitar which was delivered, up front and in your face. With a set list tonight that included 'Crash n Burn', 'Broken Halo', 'Faster Than A Loaded Bullet' and the raunchy little number 'Sweet Surrender', their high energy performance swept away the last of any dust left on stage, as Cheap Thrill gave nothing less than 100%. Big suprise for me was that this band have only been together approximately twelve months and if tonight's performance is an example of what they have already achieved, I can't wait to see what the next twelve months will bring! If sleaze is your bag, then make a b-line down to The Flapper in Birmingham on the 22.12.11 to catch Cheap Thrill's last show for this year.

Having already experienced one must see band, expectation was high for tonight's headlining band, Voodoo Johnson. Being no newcomers to our music scene, this band have tirelessly worked, both in the studio and performing live, to earn their reputation and with the charismatic Nik Taylor-Stoakes up front, their set tonight was nothing less than celestial bliss. Following on from the recent EP release of 'Black Powder Mother Loader', tonight's set served up a healthy portion of it's content, including 'Dogs Of War', Swear It To The Sun' and 'United Divided'. However, ultimate song for me tonight simply had to be the epic 'Black Skies Mist' with it's 'freight train at full throttle' rhythm and pure power vocals. Good times were had by all tonight, with no shortage of mirth and misdemeanours happening up on stage, culminating in Voodoo Johnson's tongue in cheek, end of show epitaph 'We'll Meet Again'.

Once again, Emma Scott has provided a line up fit for rock royalty. With four highly talented bands that were Voodoo Johnson, still hot from their adventures at Hard Rock Hell, Cheap Thrill, who are anything but, JD and the FDCs who are fresh to our shores and the high velocity rock that is Nightblade, tonight has the makings of a night that will stay with you long after the bands go home.

Words and photographs by Sue Wardle