The New Roses attracted a very decent turn out on the second night of their Spanish tour and I’m certain that not a single person left the venue without a smile on their face. If the performance of a band you’re new to can be judged on buying merchandise, then the fact that my friend and I both bought a t-shirt should hint at what a spectacular event this was.
The New Roses were formed in around 2014 and play the familiar sound of Southern infused straight up rock n’ roll. But they happen to do it astonishingly well. Influences stem from a collective love of the usual suspects; Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Black Crowes. Singer Timmy Rough explains in our interview (coming soon) that his love of music runs deeper to include many heroic blues and soul legends, as well as iring the lyrical artistry of Bob Dylan and the captivating vocal delivery of Aretha Franklin.
After our chat and before the gig, the overriding impression I had from Timmy, together with fellow founding member drummer Urban, was that they are ionately driven by the dedication to keeping rock n’ roll alive and to share great live music with as many people as they can.
Right from the off there was an air of professionalism here, from the sheer amount of gear they brought with them, to the time spent on the sound check, to the mounting of a small video camera to capture the show for their own playback so they can see where to improve for next time. It’s a convenient generalisation to make, but there was undoubtedly something Germanic in their approach – and yet from the moment the music started you were transported to the heart of free and easy, whiskey-laced, southern blended true rock n’ roll.
The charismatic quad commandeered the stage from the opening notes of “Thirsty” to the closing notes of “Without a Trace” asking the crowd in the snug venue to move closer to the stage so they could even more effectively infect them with their enthusiasm. That tangible cyclical energy transmitted from band to crowd and back to band was formidable and you could almost reach out and touch it.
Timmy made reference to it being 2am at one point and someone shouted out “Play ‘til 3am!” – another sign of a brilliant reception, as if any more evidence was needed. It can sometimes be tricky warming up a Spanish crowd when they’re being addressed in English, but tonight was going to be no challenge. When instructed to repeat the chorus for “It’s a Long Way” they lapped it up and then heartily ed in for the chorus of “Old Time Rock n’ Roll”. At one point a new fan was waving the CD he’d just proudly bought – getting the thumbs up from all the band. And there was even momentarily a mosh pit of two giving it their all.
Title track from the latest album and tour name “Dead Man’s Voice” went down a treat and served as evidence that The New Roses are definitely a live band whose music really comes to life on the stage.
I was expecting the set to wrap up a few times as we approached 1.5 hours, but the songs kept coming as the band responded to the atmosphere they’d so intelligently crafted. They barely stopped for an encore as they blazed through a non-stop glistening and faultless two-hour set.
If I didn’t already have it, I too would have bought their CD there and then. But for now I will wear my t-shirt with pride and look forward to the new release in August.
You can catch The New Roses in the UK when they play Hard Rock Hell in Wales in November and then headline the Rockmantic Weekender in Carlisle in February 2018 – but I recommend you don’t wait that long if you can help it!
