‘Divine providence’, the last album from tonight’s headliners DEER TICK was released with a promise of a sound that reflected the noisy rambunctiousness of their live show. Over the course of four albums the Providence, Rhode Island rockers have drawn on their love of alt-country, blues, classic rock and a mutual love of The Replacements scuzzy, earlier work. From the classic and southern rock of earlier efforts ‘Born on Flag day’ and ‘War Elephant’ to the pensive, late night Americana of 2009’s ‘The Black Dirt Sessions’ the band sometimes have the tendency to misstep and fall flat on record but always give the listener the unspoken aural reassurance that the live show is where they hit their musical stride. The controlled temper tantrums of their recorded output that get reduced to a dull thud should explode in tonight’s venue and let the band be at their rowdy best and judging from the wave of anticipation from tonight’s crowd the bar has been set to high expectation for John McCauley’s crew.
Tonight’s support comes from London’ s own Danny & the Champions of the World, ex Grand Drive frontman Danny Wilson’s Springsteen obsessed band of karaoke E-streeter’s. Playing each song with a smile as wide as the Holloway road outside it’s hard not to warm to the band as Danny leads the five piece through a set of songs from last years ‘Hearts and Arrows’ a record that was an uninspired pastiche of ‘70’s new jersey rock’n’roll and faux Gaslight Anthem Heartland radio punk rock transplanted to the not-quite-the-same London streets. However tonight’s set is played loud, fast and energetic, putting Danny Wilson’s lyrics thankfully in the passenger seat where songs like “Soul in the City” and “Every beat of my Heart”, the unfortunate sound-alikes of David Brent’s “Free love on the free Love Freeway”, belong.
By the time the headliners take to the stage the bar at the garage has been solidly packed for hours with queues of thirsty gig goers determined to take ‘Divine providence’s” message of alcohol fuelled good times to heart (the mid set evacuation of a couple of drunken punters by furious bouncers a testament that maybe it’s not wise to take it too literally). The band amble onstage and kick in with the drugged out shuffle of “the Bump”, the shaggy haired McCauley yelping lyrics of Pills, “dust” and booze with the scratchy rasp that is fast becoming one of the identifiable sounds of the band. “Baltimore blues No1” And “Main Street” follow and are a raucous delight musically as well as visually with McCauley’s furious Slayer-esque headbanging halfway through “Baltimore…” and the (now sadly overused) Phil Spector drumbeat of “Main Street” Driving home the lyrical loneliness of John McCauley stumbling through another night of partying on his own.
Not that Deer Tick is a John McCauley one man show. Backing his frazzled rasp and ragged rhythm guitar are four fantastic musicians. During the course of tonight’s set the crowd are treated to drummer Dennis Ryan’s warm phosphorescent style vocal tones as he takes lead on a stunning “Clowning Around” and at least at two points during the show Pianist Rob B Crowell busts out sax solo’s that the big man would be proud of. Lead guitarist Ian O’Neill sings on a handful of songs tonight and shines, taking songs like the acoustic country lament of “Ashamed” and driving it into sparse, distorted cowpunk territory. McCauley’s solo take on “Christ Jesus” shows that whether it’s played as a lonely Piano dirge, a bass led gritty howl or tonight, solo and backed by just the stabs of electric guitar , it remains the bands finest hour. Displaying the vulnerability that gets lost under the bluster and sloppiness that Deer Tick feels the need to bury songs under and what made “Divine Providence” such a frustrating record to listen to, it’s a moment of goosebump inducing emotional weight and the highlight of the night.
The obvious pre-planned attempt to recreate that shitfaced magic that made obvious influences like the Replacements and the Stones so magical and legendary on record also makes for a sometimes annoying set as the band, at points, fall into a trap of attitude over songs. Luckily Deer Tick have a knack of saving such musical lulls by immediately following mediocre songs with something great that hits so fast it cancels out whatever averageness preceded it. A barnstorming “Walking out the door” kicking any memory of the lumbering “Chevy Express” out the way. A jaw dropping cover of The Replacements Classic “Bastards of Young” thankfully lingers long enough to wash over a misguided attempt at turning “Spend the Night” into embarrassing look-at-your-feet pop reggae.
The set ends (obviously) with the rousing “Let’s All Go to the Bar” and delivers on that promise of live show raucousness that never materialised on much of “Divine…” Complimented by a mass sing- along and the visual sight of the crammed punters of the Relentless garage losing their collective inhibitions and dancing and singing like grinning fools , This is the live show magnetism and vibe that cannot be captured on record ,the sight and sound of a band feeding off the crowd and vice versa. It’s a fitting end to this, the last show of their European tour and as they exit to drunken applause from a satisfied crowd Deer Tick show us all that the stage, not the recording studio is where they are most at home.
