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 | |  Knock Out Kaine 'Rise Of The Electric Jester' Album Launch Show! | |
Knock Out Kaine 'Rise Of The Electric Jester' Album Launch Show!
Support from Thirteen Stars and Universal Law
Liquor, Lincoln, UK Saturday 28th February 2015
SCORE
9/10
I always knew this gig was going to be a good one for a number of reasons. Firstly, as the title above alludes to, it was Knock Out Kaine's new album launch and if you have read my review of 'Rise Of The Electric Jester' then you know how much I love the album. If you haven't read it go and do it now;
https://brutifulmetalradio.forumotion.com/t706-knock-out-kaine-rise-of-the-electric-jester-2015-album-review
Secondly I know how good Knock Out Kaine are live (and they seem to improve every time I do see them), thirdly the venue was a complete sell out guaranteeing a thunderous reception and lastly I had lots of my friends also attending and it's always a pleasure to meet up with them. I had never visited the 'Liquor' before and although it isn't the biggest venue I was impressed with the layout and there is a good atmosphere and friendly staff. It was also the perfect venue for Knock Out Kaine to introduce us to the new album and kick start their tour!
First up were Lincoln based Universal Law who are just a little bit different as they blend an aggressive mix of Hip Hop, Rock and Funk. Being a new name to me Universal Law's material was completely unfamiliar and the mixture of genre's unexpected and a little jarring. I'm sure once I am more familiar things will click but I'm certainly not the world's biggest Hip Hop fan which could prove a barrier. Regardless of that, they put on a tight set, enjoyed themselves and certainly got the evening off to a loud start!
Drinks replenished (after all, the place is called 'Liquor') and more laughs and hello's I settled down to watch a band I had been told to look out for. 'Thirteen Stars'. Once again it was my first brush with their music but this set was quite brilliant. Based in Cumbria they are a four piece Southern Rock band with a Country Music swing and they ROCK. There are loads of influences from Skynyrd, Blackberry Smoke, The Stones, Trapeze, The Answer...the list is endless, but they are as authentic as any of those and are not mere copyists. This is smoky, whiskey fuelled heaven. They look the part, sound the part and won the crowd over within two songs. I'm very much looking to their forthcoming album and will definitely be going to see them gig again!
With about 20 minutes to spare before Knock Out Kaine hit the stage it was a trip outside for some fresh air and to cool down, oh okay and a smoke, before hitting the bar and getting back into position. You know my thoughts on Knock Out Kaine and how I've watched them develop over the last six years so all that matters was this nights performance and bar a couple of small microphone and tuning issues they absolutely nailed it. Playing a bundle of songs off the new album met with instant approval from the packed crowd, whom already seemed to know all the words and were singing along heartily!
Most of these new songs are still in their infancy in a live setting so they will naturally develop over the coming weeks and months but you really couldn't fault Knock Out Kaine. Vocalist Dean Foxx gets better and better with each outing. He's always been confident onstage but his voice is improving hand over fist and his stage presence is commanding. He is also a very intelligent and interesting person to talk to and I'm proud to call him a friend! Drummer Danny Krash was in his element. The smile on his face from beginning to end was infectious and he put in a faultless performance. Guitarist Jim Bohemian is a vastly underrated talent. He is generally the quieter member off stage but onstage is a different matter as he also demands your focus. Lastly there is Bassist Lee Byrne. Lee is the joker and madman in Knock Out Kaine and I think even he would admit that, at the beginning, he wasn't a brilliant bass player, but he has improved so much, he drives the songs forward with Danny and he provides good backing vocals. This wasn't all about the new tracks though, Knock Out Kaine peppered the set with some classics from the debut album 'House Of Sins' which went down magnificently, as usual, and they also threw in a couple of covers just to keep everyone guessing!
Was there a highlight? Well, what was most apparent was how happy all the band members were. They are rightly, extremely proud of 'Rise Of The Electric Jester' and know they've delivered a stunning second album. There is also the fact that not one person left the venue that night without a Cheshire Cat grin on their face. As a launch party for album and tour the whole event was a complete success. Knock Out Kaine are definitely on the move and hitting a UK venue near you soon. DON'T miss them!!!
http://www.knockoutkaine.com/
https://www.facebook.com/knockoutkaine
https://www.facebook.com/ThirteenStars
https://soundcloud.com/13-stars
https://www.facebook.com/universallawband
https://soundcloud.com/universallawband
Review written exclusively for Brutiful Entertainment by Rick Tilley:
www.facebook.com/richard.tilley.351
Many thanks to my good friend Pete 'Six' Widdows for supplying the pictures
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