The Moshville Times - Jizzy Pearl (Love/Hate) / Knock Out Kaine / Emperors Of The Wasteland

Who would have thought that when Love/Hate’s Wasted in America came out in 1992 that in 2017 we would be celebrating it’s 25th Anniversary, here at Bannermans in Edinburgh with Jizzy Pearl himself on the first date of the tour. We have two bands to get through before the main man hits the stage so on with tonight’s festivities.

First up tonight from Derby we have Emperors Of The Wasteland, a fairly new band from what I could find out online. The boys play a short but lively eight-song set with the highlights being “Under the Skin” and “Whiskey and Pills”, the latter with its slow low intro building into a good crunching rock track. Musically they were great, but I’m not sure if there were sound issues but the vocals were a bit thin sounding and the harmony vocals from bass player, who played a blinder, were lost if on his own. All in all a good solid set. With some work on the vocals and harmonies this will be a good rock band.

Up next Knock out Kaine, who kick off with the fantastic rocker “16 Grams of Heart Attack” from the excellent Rise of the Electric Jester. Sticking with said album “Cascading” is up next. These boys just get better every time I see them, such a tight unit. We enter the House of Sins album next to meet up with the “Backstreet Romeo” which just reeks of early Ugly Kid Joe meets Gn’R Lies, a fantastic track with tasty acoustic guitar.

The boys reckon that “Nothing Ever Changes” – not true, guys, you just get better all the time as we get “Little Crystal” from House of Sins. Sticking with the same album, we get a huge swagger of a track in “Time”, one of my favourite songs from their record. It’s epic and certainly a highlight for me tonight. We end a ridiculously short set with the fantastic “Flying Blind” from Rise of the Electric Jester.

Knock Out Kaine are just amazing as always, and what can I say about Dean? He is one of those great frontmen with an air raid siren of a voice and a great stage presence. They are on tour now with Jizzy, go early and catch them live – a band that never disappoints.

So, 25 years ago we got the epic installment from Love/Hate with Wasted in America. Fast forward to today at Bannermans and we get the main man Jizzy Pearl about to indulge us with the complete album and other tracks. The band takes to the stage of a packed sold-out venue followed by Jizzy… complete with the Budweiser Cross in hand. Stevie’s guitar heralds title track “Wasted in America”.

There are albums that date and fade but this is as fresh and vibrant as ever. With a tight band behind him, Jizzy is on fire with the crowd singing along in fine voice. A little bit of “Spit” bounces along nicely next before we meet the stunning “Miss America”. We enter the Redroom next with a little funky “Tumbleweed” before Christian’s thumping bass lines herald “Fuel to Run”. The voice is in top form as Jizzy screams the chorus.

A little bit of “Cream” up next as Mickey pounds us in, with that nymphomaniac in black wanting it all the time. A real funky bass line from Christian brings us into the bouncing “Yucca Man” with its killer guitar/bass chorus, a crowd favourite tonight as the roof gets shaken by all the voices singing along. We are all definitely having one as “Happy Hour” kicks in.

We don’t need one as we quieten down a touch for “Tranquilizer”, before going back to the ‘room to catch up with “Mary Jane”. A rare treat next with “Time’s Up” from Wasted but thankfully time is anything but up as we are told “Don’t Be Afraid” before “Don’t F*ck with Me” shows his voice off in all its glory. The crowd again takes up the sing-along baton with gusto for this classic anthem.

A bit of a “Social Sidewinder” now before we head into a “Straightjacket” then “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah!” brings in the tremendous “She’s an Angel”. There is a reason these songs have lasted: quality. Pure and simple quality, and it is on full show tonight.

A nice rendition of “Spinning Wheel” next before the classic “Why Do You Think They Call it Dope?”. The killer bass riffage has the crowd singing along again. The “Evil Twin” rears his head again before the classic “Blackout in a Red Room” closes a very hot and sweaty show.

This is probably the best I have seen the man, a full on sonic assault on the senses tonight. The band made up of Stevie Pearce on guitar, Mickey Richards on drums and of course Bannermans’ own Christian Kimmett on bass just nailed it tonight.

They are on tour now with plenty of dates to go. See them or you will regret it forever! Now roll on the 30th for the special acoustic show at Bannermans…

All photos by Gary Cooper.