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You don’t open for Tremonti, Eagles Of Death Metal, and Cheap Trick without gaining an extra spring in your step. Three very different bands, three very different genres, but one common denominator – Anchor Lane.
Watching vocalist/guitarist Conor Gaffney hold his guitar up tonight in true Excalibur rock-star pose, soaking up the applause from the crowd, you could see just how much confidence the frontman has gained from these invaluable learning experiences. This newly found confidence is also visible in the backbone of the band: bassist Matthew Quigley and drummer Scott Hanlon. Both spend the evening grinning like the proverbial ‘kids in a candy store’.
New guitarist Lawrence O’Brien possesses that touch of cockiness that all lead guitarists should have. Lead guitarists should not be shy and retiring, and O’Brien is neither of these. He brings a heavier sound to the band, and is partial to the odd windmill here and there. In fact, you can see him in all his glory in the video for new single ‘Fame Shame’.
Speaking of ‘Fame Shame’, tonight’s gig serves a dual purpose: the official launch of ‘Fame Shame’ as a single, and the announcement of forthcoming debut album ‘Casino’. VIP ticket holders were treated to a special acoustic performance before the doors opened, and all the talk afterwards seemed to be of how good the new material sounded.
With one eye on the fact that most in the crowd would be unfamiliar with the new stuff, the band wisely dots a few older tracks throughout the 60 minute set. ‘Annie’, ‘Finished For Twelve’ and ‘Flatline’ all appear at key moments, and it’s obvious that great thought went into the setlist.
But what of the new material?
Absolutely mind-blowing how strong it sounds. At times you had to take a step back and remember just how young these guys are. But if you are good enough then you are old enough..yada yada. There seems to be a strong Audioslave-meets-Foo Fighters influence running through the band, and the end result sounds massive.
‘Honey’ has a big, big sound, very guitar driven, although the drum work from Scott Hanlon does steal the limelight from those in front of him. ‘Dead Run’ was co-written by Ricky Warwick, and if you didn’t know that you would have suspected he had a hand in it, as it bears loads of Warwick trademarks. ‘Stone Cold Hearted’ is slower with an almighty crunch, whereas the title track has a killer groove. ‘Shell Of Me’ features Conor beginning the track on his own, with only an acoustic guitar for company. It seems a deeply personal track, and as it starts to grow the band filters back onstage and joins in. The acoustic hangs around for a quick jaunt through ‘Whiskey In The Jar’, and with it being the weekend the crowd are in the mood to sing along.
With a curfew looming, and the need to get out and press the flesh, the set comes to an end with ‘Fame Shame’, the perfect example of how far Anchor Lane have come in what seems a short period of time. It doesn’t seem that long ago that the (even younger) guys were handing out CD-Rom copies of their EP at local club gigs. They seem to have wise heads on them and are not getting too carried away, but, if the planets align correctly then Anchor Lane could be the next band to break out of Scotland.
For information on how to pre-order ‘Casino’, connect with the band here.
Review – Dave
Images – Dougie Souness
