Clover, SC to Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas, NV to Clover, SC

Band Of Skulls & Vintage Trouble @ Vinyl

There is nothing better than going to see a show on the strength of one song (in this case Band of Skull's Sweet Sour) and getting to see two bands just kill it with a small enthusiastic crowd.

Erik and I arrived just as Vintage Trouble were starting.  Apparently this LA band have done a bunch of shows in Vegas in the past, but I had never hear about them.  They were awesome!!  In the style of old school R&B this band tore it up.  Singer Ty Taylor has a stage presence that makes you want to move.  And  the sound from the rest of the band was fantastic.  I don't know any of their songs but I picked up a few names of stand outs, like Nancy Lee, You Better Believe It and Total Strangers.  To think that either side of this show they are opening for The Who in the Joint - I believe that in the near future we will be seeing Vintage Trouble headlining their own big venues - much in the vain that I saw Black Keys play a 2pm slot at Coachella 2009 and today.....  So impressed was I with this show that the moment I walked in the door I downloaded  The Bomb Shelter Sessions and spent half the night looking for clips of the band (it's been a long time since I've done that).

To their credit, Band Of Skulls had a tough act to follow, but did a fantastic job in their own right and style.  They kicked off with Sweet Sour - the song I wanted to hear - and then delivered a rocking hour plus set of blues riffs and four on the floor rawk!  Again I knew nothing else, but some songs that really stick to mind include Death By Diamonds And Pearls, Hollywood Bowl and Devil Takes Care Of His Own.  Another thing that stood out for me was the sound of the voice of singer Russell Marsden.  His singing voice sounds so different than when he spoke to the crowd.  He'd finish a song and then a booming Southern English accent would come out of his mouth to speak.  Sounded weird.

Overall a great night with at least 1 (though I'm sure many more) new fan for both bands.  For any future bands I see this year, you have your work cut out for you to put on a better show than this.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 352nd concert.
This is my 2nd concert at Vinyl.
This is my 146th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 146th concert in Nevada.
This is my 158th concert in the USA.
Vintage Trouble is the 414th band I've seen.
Band Of Skulls is the 415th band I've seen.

Nashville Pussy & Ditch Diggers @ Las Vegas Country Saloon

At the start of 2012 I set a New Years Resolution to have seen 350 shows before I turned 40.  It meant seeing 27 shows in 15 months - a tall order and not something I'd done since my early 20's - but I made it tonight with a month to spare.  And all the better that I'm seeing my mate play with the Ditch Diggers for the second time.

A midweek show downtown unfortunately didn't bring a big crowd.  I arrived just as Roman and the boys were loading in, so by the time I had a beer, was joined by Mike & Brandon from work, and picked our spot, the Ditch Diggers were kicking off.  I had seen them a while back at the Double Down, but this show was miles ahead. The new line up was tight, and Roman seemed relaxed and was enjoying himself.  And the sound was also worlds apart.  Hearing them through a PA made it so much better.  They tore through their 40 minutes of rock/psychobilly and won the crowd over.

Nashville Pussy is one of those bands that's been around for ever, and now that I've seem them, I don't understand why this hadn't happened earlier.  It was great 4-on-the-floor rock, with a twisted sense of humor.  Tons of songs about drinking and drugging, but my favorites had to be "Gonna Hitchhike Down To Cincinnati And Kick The Shit Outta Your Drunk Daddy" and "Go Motherfucker Go".

A great night of rock.  But I'm so glad I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to work tomorrow.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 351st concert.
This is my 2nd concert at Las Vegas Country Saloon.
This is my 145th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 145th concert in Nevada.
This is my 157th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Ditch Diggers concert.
Nashville Pussy are the 413th band I've seen.