Live Review: Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons - Thekla, Bristol
18th November 2021
Support: The Outlaw Orchestra, Florence Black
Words & photos: Paul Hutchings
It’s been a while since I’ve crossed the bridge and ended up on a boat but the siren call of Bristol’s unique venue The Thekla has started again. A rush hour drive was surprisingly uneventful even with doors at 6.30. As we left later the queues of students clamouring to enter the boat for some ghastly Club night explained the early kick off.
This three band bill have been on the road for the best part of a fortnight, with stop offs at various indoor festivals along the way including Planet Rockstock (Florence Black) and HRH (PCATBS) and all outfits were in fine form.
The Thekla is a cramped venue. The stage is in the hull of the ship, after all. Opening artists, The Outlaw Orchestra just about found room on the stage to get their lap steel, guitars, drums, and mic stands in position. Bang on 6.45pm they began their set, a short 30 minutes which was fun, humour packed and very enjoyable. The band have been treading the boards for a few years now and play a hybrid mix of rock mixed with country in a style that is unusual but downright entertaining. Alongside lead singer and guitarist David Roux's banter and abuse of banjo player Pete Briley, this is a band that can play with a confident and relaxed style. The slowly filling venue was buzzing by the end of their set.
Is there anyone in the world of hard rock who had not heard of Florence Black by now? The Merthyr three-piece finally released their fabulous debut album ‘Weight of the World’ a few months ago and the band have used it as the catalyst for bigger things in the next year. Guitarist and vocalist Tristan Thomas is symbolic of the swagger that the whole trio possess in spades. Confident, classy, and fluid, the band raced through a frantic 30 minutes which unsurprisingly centred on songs from the record. Whilst Florence Black is at their best when hitting the high energy rockers, it’s the likes of the calmer ‘Sun & Moon’ which showed the band’s real quality. Thomas doesn’t stop, shouting thanks to the crowd, his enthusiasm infectious. The standard set closer of Budgie’s ‘Breadfan’ quelled the hardcore fans relentless cries for ‘Zulu’ and left those present reflective and eager for more. Remember this type of set because you won’t see Florence Black in venues of this size for much longer.
It was my third viewing of Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons this year, quite a feat given everything that has gone on. Last time was a raucous, drunken Saturday evening in the Sophie Tent at Bloodstock, where 4500 fans moshed and rocked out to a headline set which was designed to please. This show was somewhat different, albeit still littered with Motörhead songs as one has come to expect. It’s curious to see the band in smaller venues, up close and personal after the luxurious amount of space at Bloodstock, but PCATBS don’t really care where they play.
Having had Andrew Hunt stand in admirably during the summer, it’s the turn of Bootyard Bandits frontman Joel Peters to take over the microphone. Peters is the total anthesis of Hunt, with his biker look and bombastic approach, and he’s probably better suited to the rabble-rousing songs that the Bastard Sons deliver. He certainly had no trouble with any of the tracks and tore a few holes in the hull with his exhortations during ‘Get on Your Knees’.
It was pleasing to hear a changed set list as well, with the introduction of ‘Spiders’, ‘High Rule and ‘Bite My Tongue’ adding fresh material. The continued desire to play ‘Ace of Spades’’ and ‘Silver Machine’ bemuses me somewhat, and I do hope that they can move away from these songs in future years. Classics they may be, but they come from a time long before even Phil was part of Motörhead and whilst ‘Ace of Spades’ is a real crowd pleaser, the band have more than enough material available.
Minor gripes of yours truly aside, this was another full throttle show that left nothing but smiling faces in the boat. Plenty of beer, fist pumping and shaking off the dandruff. It’s what this band do best. Bring the good times and there couldn’t have been anyone in the venue who left with anything but good memories. Three times in four months is okay. I’ll be looking for four next year, for sure.
All Photo Credits: Paul Hutchings
