If ever there’s been a more appropriately named tour than “About Time” for Shaman’s Harvest and Blacktop Mojo, then I’ve not seen it. Given they each have their own blend of classic and Southern rock alongside their own personal accoutrements, the UK is a prime target for touring. And after what seems like an age, they’re finally over here on UK soil, especially as Shaman’s Harvest have come close a few times to making it a reality.
Give the people of Birmingham their due, they aren’t hanging around the bars of Digbeth, they’ve set up camp in the venue so by the time tonight’s make their opening assault, it’s to a room fit to burst. And when I say assault, it’s the only adjective fitting of The Virginmarys. Added to the bill at the last minute, they make their presence known immediately with Ally Dickaty’s razor-sharp riff before he’s ed by Danny Dolan’s foundation-shaking drums for their opening salvo of “You’re a Killer”. A last-minute message also meant I was at the back of the room to sell their merchandise, rather than my usual spot in front of Ally’s feet. Even with the most distance I’ve had at a Virginmarys performance, you can feel the power and ion emanating from the pair of them.
There’s still a personable feel to Ally’s vocals, aiming his imioned throaty screams at everyone on an individual level whilst Danny’s drum will still loosen your fillings, a manic blur on his tiny kit – getting more out of it than a drummer with twice the setup could. It’s more rough and ready tonight, allowing for a much rawer performance from the pair of them, working their way through their all-too short set, largely comprised of latest album, the November tour. They make the most of their thirty minutes, a relentless barrage of alternative rock played with skill and panache without straying into arrogance and whilst they may not match tonight’s headliners sonically, the applause after every song isn’t polite, it’s as genuine as they are.
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Take Clutch, Black Stone Cherry and Black Label Society, sprinkle a bit of grunge on top for good measure and you have Blacktop Mojo. The first of tonight’s headliners, they take the momentum built by The Virginmarys and build on it. Controlling the crowd without being domineering about it, they batter through a riff rock masterclass and the crowd lap it up. This isn’t just people who fancy a night out or want to see live music on a whim, it’s a room full of legitimate fans. Riffs are plentiful and with only an hour to play with, they don’t waste their time on ballads, other than dropping half a gear or so to inject some more grungy-type elements into the music.
Although they do check those influences with a round of Alice in Chains’ “Them Bones” but there’s still a good portion of straight-up muscular hard rock to keep their own identity. Needless to say, it’s a cracking rendition of a classic but I have to say I was waiting for that cover. That one which was everywhere for a time a few years back without being overplayed (looking at you, Disturbed, with your version of “The Sound of Silence”). Naturally, it would have been held back for near the end or the finale itself but alas, their version of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” did not make an appearance. Despite this, it’s impossible to fault their gargantuan set as they pull from every corner of their career, doing their best to make the debut UK appearances for a room who have likely never seen them not only a show to but also a chance to essentially batter through a “best of” set. It might not be quite as sludgy but if Monster Truck came from the south of the US rather than Canada, this is what they’d be.
There’s great musicianship from the band as they play off each other easily, guitar work chugs and crunches in equal measure. It’s not delicate but there’s oodles of skill to make sure it’s delivered with the force needed. They may have some lost time to make up for but there’s a sure sign they’re embracing their time over here when they present guitarist Malcolm Booher with a birthday cake. But this is not just any birthday cake, this is a Colin the caterpillar cake. Not only that, the interaction with the crowd doesn’t feel fake – it’s real gratitude that they’ve not only made it over but they’re doing it to a packed crowd.
Gratitude continues with Shaman’s Harvest who close the night. After a few missed opportunities ing some big names, instead, they’re here under their own steam and showing they don’t need the big dogs to help them. Whilst there’s still plenty of riffs and opportunities to nod your head, Shaman’s Harvest aren’t quite as in-your-face as their touring partners. Instead, they use light and shade to their advantage to make for big atmospheric numbers which pack a punch. They have their own identity but similarly, you can see why they’re sharing a bill with Blacktop Mojo. They’re their own entity with their own set of influences.
It’s not quite about battering you over the head with sledgehammer-powered riffs. Instead, melodies are more intricate and thoughtful. Self-described as “Texas grunge”, there’s less high-octane moments but when they come, they hit all that bit harder. Their use of dynamics never feel like a gimmick and is a fully-fledged part of their sound. Guitars are robust, butting up against sumo wrestler-sized drums. There’s definitely been some real consideration put into the setlist for this. It’s not been a case of just grabbing the best songs and throwing them into an hour’s set. Instead, they want to create a moment and experience for you. Thankfully, it works. It doesn’t feel pretentious against Blacktop Mojo’s down-to-earth approach and frankly, if they both went out and just played a bunch of riffs, it’d likely backfire for whoever was on second – you need that variation. Thankfully, that variation is found in Shaman Harvest’s music itself as they’ve been around for the best part of a quarter of a century – you can hear the growth and maturity in certain songs.
Interestingly, for a co-headline show, there’s not been much of an exodus like you usually see. Whether it’s because it’s a Saturday night and people just want to be out or because there’s a massive crossover is anyone’s guess. But it means Shaman’s Harvest are playing to just as many people as Blacktop Mojo, fuelling the double-header. Like they’re touring partners, they’re made up of some exceptional musicians and vocalist Nathan Hunt is magnetic, delivering his vocals like they’re sermons. He doesn’t strut across the stage – his band mates covering the stage for him but his static stance works in tandem with his brooding drawls.
For their first visit over the Atlantic, it’s a successful one for both bands, at least from a performance and reaction standpoint. There isn’t any real science to it other than the fact that every band has great songs to work with, their own identity and all of them are unashamedly authentic. It would be disingenuous to say one band was better than the other – that’s not the point of a co-headline tour and it certainly wasn’t the aim of this one. Hopefully, this is the first of many visits for Shaman’s Harvest and Blacktop Mojo, separately or together, it would be a night just as good as this one.
Photos by Skull Lens Photography
Shaman’s Harvest: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
Blacktop Mojo: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | soundcloud | spotify | youtube
The Virginmarys: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube | store
