When the Stone Gods first hit Newcastle back in January for the most part they were an unknown quantity. Sure they were made up of three quarters of the final incarnation of The Darkness but for all that they didn't have any product available and bar a couple of songs posted on MySpace the music was pretty much unheard. For this show, although the band have released the Burn The Witch EP in the intervening period, it was to all intent and purposes the same situation as the band's debut album “Silver Spoons And Broken Bones” doesn't actually land until July 7^th with the lead off single “Knight Of The Living Dead” released mid-way through the tour.

However before we get onto the Stone Gods there was the small matter of opening band Big Linda. ” Currently creating quite a “buzz” in the press with critical acclaim coming from reviewers in The Times, The Guardian and Classic Rock amongst many others. To that list you can now add Hard Rock House as, for this reviewer at least, they are one of the best bands I have seen in a long while. I’d read the band being compared to such hallowed names as Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes and being hailed as the future of classic rock and although accurate such comparisons don’t show the band off in the best light as their sound steeped in classic rock as it is has so much more to offer.

 

They organise and arrange their music in a very Zeppelin like way but when they play it you can hear stoner rock, psychedelia, hard and fast blues, pop and grunge all mixed in a blissfully intoxicating way. The guitar playing of Patrick Murdoch is a heady mixture of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page and maybe a bit of Joe Perry thrown in for good measure whilst the drumming of Geoff Holroye is pure Bonham meets Dave Grohl. Rob Alder is a charismatic front man looking for all the world like a young Bryan Ferrybut with vocals reminiscent of Robert Plant .He even has his own instrument in the shape of a second microphone that he dips into for spooky flanged vocals that he controls by hand via an effects pedal. Harder to describe is Vezio Bacci who just has to be one of the coolest yet intense bass players I have seen. As a rhythmic partnership Baci and Holroye have to be some of the most potent makers of trippy and full on grooves that you will hear this year and maybe next year as well. Songs like “Get It While You Can” and “Suddenly Attacked” certainly mine a huge Zeppelin influence but “Golden Girl” and “IDELU” (I Don’t Even Like You) walk a more edgy indie path with angular guitar riffs and quirky tempo’s. For this reviewer it was their musicianship and ability to take a song down to the bare bones and bring it back roaring like a lion that impressed the most and you feel connected to the music from the off. Definitely a band worth catching live if you can.

There may have been a few people wondering how Stone Gods would follow Big Linda but they needn't have worried. Kicking off with the rampaging “Burn The Witch” the band made sure everyone knew they had come to deliver a consummate display of aggressive, yet accessible rock that takes no prisoners. Stone Gods are blessed with a superb front man in Richie Edwards and he had the whole room eating out of his hand within minutes, his gravely voice perfectly suited to the gung ho music. You Brought A Knife To A Gunfight” quickly followed then came “Making It Hard”, a heads down, fists in the air rocker before the band changed pace for the gorgeous Magdalene Street”. An almost ballad like number it gave both crowd and band a breather before they launching into the new single “Knight Of The Living Dead” with its chorus of “fuck you, you liar, you’re not taking my life” getting everyone singing along. The up tempo spiky rock of “Don’t Drink The Water” is the musical equivalent of Red Bull and by the time it had finished Newcastle Academy was rocking like Wembley Arena.

Currently without drummer Ed Graham Bush's Robin Goodridge is standing in and seemed to give “Lazy Bones”  but the highlight of the show was definitely  the epic motherfucker “Defend Or Die”. I remember when I saw them perform this in January and being blown away. Tonight by the end of the song my throat was hoarse the sweat was running down my back but more importantly the hairs on the back of my neck were well and truly up. The bloke next to me tapped me on the shoulder and asked “I take it you like them mate?” to which I could only reply “too fucking right!” As the band left the stage to rapturous applause there was never any doubt of an encore, which came in the shape of “I’m With The Band” followed by a super tight and full on cover of Metallica's “Whiplash”  which saw most of the packed venue headbanging  and then there was time for one more, the anthemic “Beero” which closed out what was a truly impressive performance.

With bands like Stone Gods delivering such exhilarating shows its safe to say that hard rock has a very bright future and hopefully, in the months to come as the album is released and the promotion drive starts in earnest,  the band can look forward to moving ever onwards and upwards. They deserve it.

Al Hey & Steve Cummings