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“The King Billy” is a great pub in Northampton that has a long history in putting on great nights of live rock music. The venue is relatively large and has the performance area in the corner opposite the bar. This makes it a very up close and personal gig, if you have a band like The Rocket Dolls that really want to interact with their crowd. So, imagine it is a Sunday afternoon, just about the time you would start to ask yourself if you should open a bottle of wine, but instead you find yourself on the way to a gig, with doors opening at 5 and the bands starting at 6. I managed to catch a couple of minutes pre show with lead singer Nikki Smash, and asked him how the tour was going. He replied that it had been really great, but that he was recovering after an operation to remove his tonsils only 10 weeks before the tour started! Also, their drummer, Benji had sciatica, and had only just got up from resting his back. However, they were in really good spirits and eager to impress the crowd. The Rocket Dolls hit the stage, and built expectation by getting the crowd ready to catch the heavy, riff-laden tunes that they were about to impart. Nikki encouraged the crowd to “come forward and feel good on a Sunday afternoon”, and the crowd were happy to comply. Kicking off with masses of attitude and swagger, they deliver, both in terms of the music, and just generally being the kind of people you want to see play live. There is an intensity and passion that drives this band forward, not to mention the talent on show. Nikki is a great front man, happily making eye contact and great facial expressions at the crowd as he leads the march into dirty riffs, combined with thunderous but eloquent drumming from Benji and funky, throbbing bass lines from Joe. The start of “None Of This Is Right” was delayed by Nikki shouting “Fuck Aerosmith whilst we are trying to play!” as the sound system in the pub was still on. The intensity of the driving bass line was like a rattle in your chest, bringing in the infectious chorus, which certainly got the crowd moving and singing along. “Strain” was dedicated to a friend in the crowd, who loved it so much he went in for a selfie with the band! This song allowed the drums to shine, but in all of the songs there is space for every instrument and vocal without overbearing the senses. “The Last Thing On My Mind” is set to be the next single in the summer and is a belter, allowing the vocals to come to the fore, whilst still showcasing the marvellous interplay between drums, bass, and guitar. This was the standout track for me; vibrant and intense with real depth. All too soon, it was the last track of the evening. “Deadhead”, the title track off The Rocket Dolls’ new album, bringing both deep, resonating bass and beautiful riffs that bring pure brilliance. This song got everyone bouncing and putting huge smiles on every face. What The Rocket Dolls bring is real entertainment, combining clever arrangements and accomplished playing from people who really understand how to construct a song. This is a band that you should go and see live, as their energy and fantastic tracks will blow you away. I caught up with Nikki again for a moment after the gig and told him how much I loved the set and admired what they were doing. He said he had learnt that “less is more” and “the biggest ego in the room should always be the song.” Sounds like pretty perfect advice to me. Review: Samantha Lamb Images captured at Bannermans, Edinburgh by Dave Jamieson [gallery type='flickr' user_id='132278830@N06' view='photosets' photoset_id='72157694856641374' columns='3' tag_mode='any' sort='date-posted-desc' per_page='22' layout='square' caption='title' thumb_size='s' main_size='z' ] ]]>
