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11 shows in 11 days. Starting on opening night in London, gradually making the journey north to Glasgow (all live images are taken from Plymouth, 2023), turning 180 and heading back down south for pitstops in cities like Manchester, and Huddersfield, before ending with show number 11, in the coastal town of Bournemouth. Christ, that’s a punishing schedule.
For German rockers The New Roses though, it’s 11 opportunities to spread the gospel of rock & roll and they are doing it with smiles powerful enough to power a small city for days on end.
The best decision the guys from Wiesbaden in western Germany made was continuing as a five-piece once guitarist Norman Bites returned to the fold after his brief hiatus which saw original guitarist Dizzy Daniels strapping on his Gibson Les Paul once again. This excuses vocalist Timmy Rough from his guitar duties and gives the likeable frontman the freedom to move around the stage and work the room like a seasoned pro – during the closing stages of the gig, he steps off the floor-level stage and mingles with the sold-out crowd, offering up high-fives, posing for selfies, and making it a night to remember for everyone savvy enough to buy a ticket.
Rough, along with the others (Bites, and Daniels on twin guitar attack, Hardy on bass, and merch, and Urban Berz on drums and backing vocals), makes it look effortless and it’s clear that every arena show where The New Roses opened for acts such as Kiss was an invaluable learning experience.
With new album ‘Attracted To Danger’ continuing the hot streak of form that the band has enjoyed pretty much since the sophomore album ‘Dead Man’s Voice’ landed in 2016, The New Roses have an enviable arsenal of material to call upon, with the common denominator being that the songs are high-class and easy to sing along to. And it’s with the guitar-led driving pace of the new album’s title track that the band turns to open the show. Even to those not 100% yet familiar with the new album, it’s instantly memorable because it contains The New Roses’ trademark massive hooks. Within seconds of the first listen, you can sing along. Job Done.
Sticking with the new album, the band, ahem, bring the thunder on the swagger-filled Def Leppard-with-bigger-balls-like ‘Bring the Thunder’ which features both guitarists combining to great effect, and although any guitar solos are brief, they pack a wallop. The songs are always the most crucial factor and with early moments such as the blue-collar groove of ‘When You Fall In Love’ (played after a shout-out to their mates in Massive Wagons), and the towering “little rock n’ roll song” ‘Dancing on a Razor Blade’ (lifted from 2017’s ‘One More for the Road’, as is the belting ‘Forever Never Comes’) The New Roses highlight how well the nothing-fancy approach works for them.
‘For a While’ is the first dipping of the toes in the early material and after Rough introduces it as “One of the first songs that I ever written in my life…” there is a brief moment of silence while guitars are readied, Urban Berz leans into his mic and utters deadpan “Coming tomorrow…” – cue Timmy Rough creasing himself with laughter and the crowd following suit. After the song, Rough mentions how excited he is to be finally playing Glasgow because one of his favourite records was recorded in the city: ‘Paul Rodgers: Live In Glasgow’, and he jokes “I felt that I could sing, before I heard it, then after hearing it I was crying because I found out that I know shit about singing!”
Rough is a fantastic frontman, at ease with making eye contact with anyone he can and there is a fantastic moment later on in the set when he asks if tonight is anyone’s first time catching the band and a lady near the front puts her hand up, Rough asks “More importantly will there be a second time?!” and the lady responds that she braved travelling from Northern Ireland through Storm Ashley to make sure that she didn’t miss the gig. Nope, the brogue is lost on Rough as he stands looking bemused, but he gets the gist, and his face breaks out in an enormous smile.
As the set enters the home straight it is one banger after another; ‘Every Wild Heart’, ‘Thirsty’, ‘The Usual Suspects’, and ‘Down by the River’ all send the crowd out into the night hoarse and more energised than they were when they entered the venue.
Special mention for ‘Hold Me Up’ which of course features Gill Montgomery of The Hot Damn on co-vocals. As Rough jokes during the intro; the song was recorded with Montgomery from along the road in West Lothian, and now the band are in the UK, Montgomery is in Germany, so plans to have her come out and perform were shot down in flames. Still, the version that Rough performs with just himself and an acoustic guitar is nothing short of sublime.
With opening act Leonie Jakobi playing her part (a welcome return with her band is hopefully on the cards), this was one of those gigs that genuinely had you looking at the next date on the tour and pondering what excuse you could come up with to call in sick to work when you are winging your way down the motorway to another city. Bryan Adams needs to book these guys for his arena tour next year.
Remaing tour dates:
24.10.24 UK – Frome / The Tree House
25.10.24 UK – Exeter / Cavern
26.10.24 UK – Bournemouth / Bear Cave
31.10.24 NL – Heerlen / Nieuwe Nor
01.11.24 NL – Den Bosch / Willem 2
02.11.24 DE – Osnabrück / Rosenhof
06.11.24 DE – Stuttgart / Im Wizemann
07.11.24 DE – Bochum / Zeche
08.11.24 DE – Hanover / Musikzentrum
09.11.24 DE – Leipzig / Hellraiser
14.11.24 DE – Cologne / Kantine
15.11.24 DE – Jena / F-Haus
16.11.24 DE – Nuremberg / Hirsch
21.11.24 CZ – Prague / Club Storm
22.11.24 DE – Berlin / Hole44
23.11.24 DE – Hamburg / Fabrik
28.11.24 AT – Vienna / Szene
29.11.24 AT – Wörgl Komma
30.11.24 DE – Munich / Backstage Werk
06.12.24 CH – Pratteln / CH Z7
07.12.24 DE – Aschaffenburg / Colos Saal
14.12.24 DE- Wiesbaden / Schlachthof
THE NEW ROSES online:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
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NAPALM RECORDS
Review – Dave
All images Rob Wilkins Plymouth 2023
