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three quality tours added Devon to their itineraries is unusual, but hugely gratifying. Early concerns that this might saturate the market proved unfounded when the doors opened and the Phoenix Theatre quickly filled… even the posh seats up in the balcony. Unfortunately, the three band bill was reduced to two even before those doors opened as “Everyday Heroes” had to pull out at the (very) last minute. Patience was a virtue, as the fast-growing crowd simply refilled on more beer and took their places for Those Damn Crows, who would have the bigger than usual challenge on this tour, playing to a cold audience. Well, that process took about three notes! They simply launched into a blistering set with immense energy (and no small amount of humour and camaraderie), and the crowd were in the palms of their hands. Opening with “Don’t Give A Damn” on an odd stage layout (Ian “Shiner” Thomas ended up as “Billy No Mates”, hidden from the rest of the band by Ronnie Huxford’s drums), they absolutely blitzed through their set. At the end of that first number, I looked back from the pit at my partner, who simply mouthed “Wow!” “Long Time Dead”, “Someone Someday” (with a glorious segue into Pinball Wizard”), “Fear Of The Broken”, and “Behind These Walls” made up the core attack. Twin guitarists Thomas and Winchurch don’t hog the limelight visually, just providing a huge soundscape, but to be honest, their chances of displacing Lloyd Wood on bass and the effervescent Shane Greenhall on vocals from the spotlight would be non-existent. Shane is everywhere. His voice is note perfect and powerful, and the twinkle in his eye constant, whilst Wood is usually in the vicinity with hair flying and a ready pose for the camera. The final third of the set shows just how far the Welshmen can go. “Blink Of An Eye” is genuinely one of the best songs produced by ANY New Wave of Classic Rock band playing. In fact, it is one of my favourite songs, full stop. Lyrically, it is thought-provoking. Played acoustically, it can stir all the feels. Tonight, played loud and to a crowd that were being totally won over, it is an anthem that I found myself singing at the top of my voice along with just about every other soul present. It is followed by “Breakaway”, another cracking crowd-pleaser and then, not allowing time to draw breath, they close with another anthem, “Rock And Roll Ain’t Dead”. Before the gig, I had Those Damn Crows marked as a band to watch, who were capable of something special. After it? The sky really is the limit with the right nurturing and exposure. Stone Broken are on the trajectory that TDC could achieve. A headline appearance at last year’s Steelhouse Festival allowed them to develop a full set and start to incorporate changes in pace and emotion. Tours in the States and Europe have allowed them to sharpen the act even further, and tonight the sheer professionalism of the show is a step up from most of their peers. The stage is bare. Amps are hidden behind branding banners which sandwich the drums. There are no monitors either. Two ego risers continue the branding, as does a huge banner at the back of the stage. “Stay all Night” opens the set. You know what you are going to get musically from Stone Broken, and they don’t disappoint. Rich; centre stage, diminutive in stature, but huge in presence. Chris and Kieron flanking him; Chris pulling off every pose in the playbook whilst making the art of lead guitar look effortless, and Kieron slightly more subdued, but providing the freedom for Chris and Rich to enjoy as he holds the sound together with punchy bass. Behind them, the sheer joy on the face of Robyn Haycock, as she appears to be living out every kid’s childhood fantasy when they ask their parents for drums for Christmas, is infectious. “Doesn’t Matter”, “Heartbeat Away”, “Better”, and “Let Me Go” comprise the early part of the set, before Rich takes some time to chat to the crowd. Thanking them for coming out midweek, someone shouts out, “On A Tuesday!”, and it becomes a running joke throughout the whole set. If I had one (very minor) criticism of Stone Broken, it would be that the professionalism of the show is so tight that, at times, they seem to forget to have fun. The moments that Rich spends with the crowd show the band as they are, and I would like to see a little more of that creep back in. Post chat, we fly through “Home” and “The Only Thing I Need” before Rich brings out one of those changes in emotion to perform “Anyone” on the piano. In another moment of humour, he finishes the intro and steps back, taking a breath to sing, and the audience take the moment of silence to give a rousing cheer as comment to his keyboard skills. It visibly takes him by surprise, and his reaction is delightfully human and humble. “I Believe” leads into a drum solo, and whilst I normally find them exercises in ego, Robyn gets it just right, both in terms of timing (keeping it brief but VERY engaging) and skill (boy, can she play that kit!). “Let Me See It All” and “Just A Memory” take us into my (and most of the crowd’s, it would appear) favourite Stone Broken song; “Worth Fighting For”. There is a brief break before Rich returns alone for another of those “light and shade” changes in pace and emotion. Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar for “Wait For You”, his voice is probably at its most raw and soulful, and you can hear a pin drop before he invites the crowd to join him. The rest of the band join him and bring a crashing end to the song before they ramp the pace and energy up one last time for “Not Your Enemy”. As always, the fans are at the centre of both bands thoughts, and it is almost impossible to leave the auditorium due to the scrum already forming to meet the guys and get various souvenirs and mementos signed. Something always good to see, and something I hope that both bands, as they continue their rise to the top, never leave behind. Review and Photos: Rob Wilkins [gallery type='flickr' user_id='132278830@N06' view='photosets' photoset_id='72157703732359092' media='photos' columns='3' tag_mode='any' sort='date-posted-desc' per_page='83' layout='square' caption='title' thumb_size='s' main_size='z' ] ]]>
