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Having supported major league names such as Kiss, and Guns N’ Roses (in Europe, and the US) as well as opening for newer names like Rival Sons on their last UK tour, Californians Dirty Honey are incredibly well-traveled for a band still in the fledgling stages of its career. The reason for that is that they can play. They have the chops, and more importantly, they have the songs. They also look like they are having a blast onstage, whereas similar retro-ish bands such as Rival Sons and Greta Van Fleet can at times come across as being a bit too cool to smile onstage. It might not seem that important, but when ever-smiling DH vocalist Marc LaBelle is doing his thang and making sure that everyone within his gaze is feeling like a part of the show, it helps raise it to another level. Likewise, guitarist John Notto is a master of making it look effortless, but unlike some other guitarists, he is also a showman and wants to connect with his audience – even though the shades stay on the entire time.
Setlist-wise, it’s very similar to the UK debut last year, but with a few changes. After the AC/DC intro fades out, ‘Gypsy’ kicks in, and LaBelle, Notto, and bassist Justin Smolian are on the front foot and getting very upfront and close with those on the barrier. The guitar parts from Notto during the breakdown have a subtle Malcolm Young influence to them, but when he lets fly it is with the force and power of Angus. Magic stuff. ‘Break You’ has a killer extended solo from Notto and a big-ass bass groove from Smolian that is capable of rattling free the dental work in everyone within a five-mile radius. The Aerosmith-tinged ‘Heartbreaker’ is dedicated to all the women in the crowd – and there are quite a few in, all hanging on every word from the engaging LaBelle – and here is where the Aerosmith comparisons kick in. The way that LaBelle and Notto interact with each other sparks major flashbacks to the Toxic Twins Perry & Tyler in their heyday, and with the chances of ever catching Aerosmith back in the UK looking slimmer with each passing day, the self-titled Blue Army of Aerosmith fans could do worse than latching onto Dirty Honey. And no one can say that it’s purely coincidental that ‘Tied Up’ is aired right before a bodacious cover of the Aerosmith classic ‘Last Child’. Packing a massive Aerosmith-sized strut, ‘Tied Up’ could be ‘Last Child II’, and Notto shows once again why he is a guitar hero in the making. The strut is bloody massive on this one, and LaBelle packs more Tyler-isms into a few minutes than the great man himself.
One of those setlist changes touched on earlier is the dropping of the solo sections from the last time around. In a 75-minute set, an extended run of solos is unnecessary, especially when the band has enough material to perform. Some songs are fleshed out here and there by a solo midsong from Notto, and these add to the songs. Alongside the Aerosmith cover is a stunning version of Prince’s ‘Let’s Go Crazy which begins slowly before the pedal is floored toward the end with another killer solo from Notto. Throw in some “new shit” in the form of ‘Ride On’ and the forthcoming sophomore effort is shaping up to be something rather tasty.
Since their last visit, there has been a change behind the kit, with original drummer Corey Coverstone stepping down and Jaydon Bean taking over. The transition in personnel is seamless and given how darkly lit the back of the stage is unless you follow the band and Corey on social media then you could be forgiven for not picking up on the change. What hasn’t changed though is the stagecraft that Dirty Honey has by the bucketload. The trio of LaBelle, Notto, and Smolian never stops moving. Trips to the barrier are frequent, and during one of them LaBelle takes a hat similar to his trademark one from someone on the barrier and sits it down on Notto’s head during one of his many incendiary guitar solos, Notto smiles, doesn’t miss a beat and keeps playing the rest of the song – and a few others – with the hat on. Add to that LaBelle cracking open a bottle of Scotch toward the end of the show and saying “They said because we sold out the show that they would get us a nice bottle of Scotch…so might as well open it!”, and you have that warm feeling of togetherness between the band and the audience that can sometimes be elusive for other acts (ever seen Seether in concert?).
The only concern about Dirty Honey is if they sign with a major label, then they get major label interference. Losing that independence factor is a risk to be weighed up alongside major label support. For now though, just enjoy the sweet music that they make.
All tour dates can be found here.
Review – Dave
Live images – Dave Jamieson
