By Lisa Burke
September 23rd 2016, The Wiltern, Los Angeles CA: Sometimes rock and metal shows catch your eye last minute and you end up having an unplanned adventure, which is more often than not the best kind of adventure because expectations are usually left at home and atypical evenings incur. That said, go figure, I had one of these nights on Friday September 23rd 2016 at the Wiltern where I went to see British rock trio Band Of Skulls. They have been performing since 2004 under a different name until 2008 when the new title was born and life picked up its pace for them.
What is great about Band Of Skulls is not only the vocal elements where on certain songs they switch up from male vocals to the female vocalist and then harmonize together while on other tunes they only duel or dominate with one, but also that they are as appealing as a modern rock n’ roll band should be where the blues elements stewed in with the indie rock and grungy style make for a fluid sound that can rightly be termed as rock n’ roll for everyone.
This headlining appearance from Band Of Skulls featured two openers one of which I didn’t see and Moving Units was the second, of which I really don’t find worth a mention due to lack of originality in sound as well as t-shirt designs. I find it offensive and not at all cute to blatantly use a famous design from a well-known band and change it up a bit to make your own design when you sound nothing like the original band and could have just simply found your own voice. Music can have heavy influence, but it should not be copied without its own twist, voice, or leg to stand on.
I had never seen Band Of Skulls prior to this and while they don’t seem to come around too often, they were definitely held in high regard by the people in attendance who by the way were so not my usual crowd of people, as majority were among the hipster persuasion and I definitely experienced some social anxiety in my out-of-place all-black clothing until I just let the music take me to a more comfortable place. I must say I really can’t think of a rock or metal band from England that I don’t like as there is definitely something wonderful there about the culture and even the accent alone stands out in its pleasantry. They performed a peaceful, heartfelt and smart set list that was almost two hours in length and some of those that were specifically here for Band Of Skulls weren’t even aware at first that there would be openers. After giving it a fair chance I later deemed them to be completely unnecessary at this show because Band Of Skulls speak for themselves and have enough material and stamina to carry on for a worthwhile show without distractions. The drummer was of a special breed as well, because he played in a white button-up shirt without the sleeves rolled up and if it wasn’t uncomfortable for him it was for me just looking at him despite his hard-hitting creativity that seemed effortless and skipped no beats. Later on, he blew some more minds while he played an acoustic guitar while sitting behind the drum set and using the bass kick. There was great talent to be spread around by all members of this trio from start to finish, and while I responded to their blues-oriented tunes more than others, none of it was unappealing or unappreciated. There was also a synth drummer that stepped in and played next to the main drummer and this was a noble alternative to backing tracks that even though odd in nature fit in perfectly well. They also played a song off the first album followed by one off their newest album and it further proved their rock n’ roll timeless appeal and also how they have something for everyone. The diversity in the song structures alone sets them above most competitors especially in the indie rock category, although sometimes those bands have too much diversity and need to find their voice which is not a problem in the least for Band Of Skulls.
More often than not with this brand of a rock n’ roll show, two points are certain which are that of course there will be moments of tambourine because no rock show is complete without it, and secondly due to the lack of metal on the bill, security will definitely not give you a hard time even if you look like a delinquent because apparently gentle music means gentle people. Of course some of the most gentle mosh pits I’ve seen have been at black metal shows, but I suppose there is a point to be made that no mosh pit is safer than a gentle mosh pit, so there you have it. At least at a metal show you never catch the security guards taking a nap as there are always plenty of feet flying through the air and faces diving towards the ground for whatever that’s worth. Rock n’ roll is still alive though, and if we can keep groups like this popular, who appeal to many different types of people from all walks of life, then we have a chance of reuniting a ridiculously divided world from all issues at hand other than just musical taste preference.
Remaining Tour Dates:
10/02/2016 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
10/03/2016 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
10/04/2016 – Washington DC @ Black Cat
10/06/2016 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
10/07/2016 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer