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Triple-bills are fantastic value for money and UK audiences have been spoilt of late with this top-notch triple-bill crisscrossing the country at the same time as another fantastic trio of acts: The Dead Daisies, The Treatment, and The Bites. Tonight it’s the turn of headliners Tyketto, special guests Little Caesar, and opening act Dan Byrne to wow.
Anyone who invested in a ticket was treated to masterclass performances from two well-loved American acts with decades of experience between them, and a fledgling homegrown talent from The Republic of Liverpool who is starting to make waves for himself in the murky waters of the music business.
For softly-spoken Dan Byrne, this is the perfect tour. Not only does it offer up the chance to gain more of that much-needed exposure, but perhaps more importantly, it gives the guy a chance to listen and learn from two vocalists who have been there, got the t-shirt – and the scars – and have came out the other side still standing. Who better to take advice from about their shared craft than two vocalists who busted their chops in the late ’80s/early ’90s when MTV featured music, and Geffen Records ruled the world?
With his aptly-named debut EP ‘Beginnings’ almost a year old, Dan Byrne has built up a name for himself through hard graft, show-stealing live performances, some killer songs, and an extraordinary voice. It is one of those voices that when you first witness it in the flesh, the immediate response is to stand slack-jawed in amazement at such a powerful, soulful voice coming from someone so young. The live stage is where he was born to be, and tonight Byrne quickly sets out to prove that the buzz surrounding a young artist is worthy for once.
‘Hard to Breathe’ is a fantastic set-opener. Atmospheric and brooding, it’s a slow-burning gem that builds up a head of steam with a few short bursts of power from Byrne. Perfect for the lucrative modern American rock market (the stomping, hard-hitting finale is primo-Shinedown); it’s easy to imagine this one ringing out over the airwaves Stateside.
Likewise, the singing-guitar tones peppered throughout ‘Control’ showcase a desire to come up with something different from the rest of the pack…a Billy Duffy influence in Glenn Quinn’s guitar playing, perhaps? The pick of the bunch however is the towering set-closer ‘Death Of Me’; again, a bit of a Stateside influence here and there, and if Byrne can continue to come up with material of this high quality then his debut full-length album will be something special indeed.
Containing three-fifths of the original line-up that launched the band in 1987, Little Caesar 2024-style are the opposite of the countless bands from the same era where it’s often one original member and a handful of nameless/faceless session players. They also buck the trend because they are in great shape. There is nothing rock & roll about watching a band clutching at straws while the singer struggles to hit heights previously achievable. Not so with LC frontman Ron Young. Looking as lean (and as cool) as he ever has, Young rolls back the years and (as Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn also does later on) acts as the perfect role model for Dan Byrne.
Alongside Young are LC mainstays Tom Morris (drums) and Michigan music legend, lifer, and guitarist Loren Molinare – no stranger to these shores having first visited the UK in 1978 with his seminal Detroit rock outfit The Dogs – and two newer members Mark Tremalgia (guitar) and Pharoah Barrett (bass), although, they have been part of the line-up long-enough to no longer be called “new members”. With his deadpan facial expressions and constant pogoing, Molinare is a joy to watch. If you need a comparison for comparison’s sake, maybe Iggy Pop wielding a Gibson SG is a great starting point. With a 50-year 24-song retrospective from The Dogs on the horizon, perhaps the livewire guitarist will make a return sometime soon.
Tonight though, Molinare is on Caesar duty; and what a glorious show it is. ‘Piece of the Action’ opens the set, and sounds as full of life today as it first did in 1992 when the sophomore album ‘Influence’ landed. Young sounds immense and keeps up the high standard throughout the set whether it’s on roadhouse rockers such as ‘Rock-n-Roll State of Mind’ and ‘Drive It Home’ or softer, more soulful moments like the partnering of Caesar’s classic cover of Aretha Franklin’s ‘Chain of Fools’, with two more from 1990’s self-titled debut album; ‘In Your Arms’ and The Temptations ‘I Wish It Would Rain’. Other standout moments from the set are ‘Cajun Panther’ where Danny Vaughn joins the band to add some backing vocals and break out a harmonica, a raucous version of Merle Haggard’s ‘Mama Tried’, and Tremalgia’s killer solo on ’21 Again’.
Little Caesar were always the square peg of the LA scene, whereas the rest of the bunch were the round holes on the Sunset Strip. The soul and R&B connection made them stand out – not many LA bands would tackle an Aretha Franklin classic on their debut, and then say “Fuck it, we’re here so might as well go for broke and add The Temptations to the mix” – in a way that doesn’t happen very often. They still sound amazing, and have a blast onstage, which in turn spreads to the audience; and you cannot ask for more than that. They also enhance their legacy, rather than besmirching it by dialing it in.
Like Ron Young before him, Danny Vaughn has found the fountain of youth and drinks from it regularly. Dan Byrne must stand and watch these two and soak up how to have a career where longevity is the keyword. Honesty and integrity also help, and the result for Vaughn is a second act with Tyketto that has seen the much-loved melodic rockers stock continually grow in the UK and the band is reaping the rewards with audiences growing each tour. It also helps that THE voice is still there, and if Glenn Hughes is “The Voice of Rock” then what the hell is Danny Vaughn?
Taking to the stage like homecoming heroes, recent recruit Harry Scott Elliot picks out the familiar opening riffs to ‘Nothing But Love’ – the first of many tracks to feature from Tyketto’s debut album ‘Don’t Come Easy’ – and Vaughn sets out to connect with every single person that he can make out through the darkness of the venue. His voice is akin to coming home to a roaring log fire on a bitterly cold day; it’s warm and immediately welcoming. By the time the applause from the opener dies down and ‘Reach’ kicks in, the band (with Vaughn now on acoustic guitar for added texture) is purring like a finely tuned Rolls Royce engine. The classic ‘Wings’ follows on and the crowd gets an early opportunity to bellow the lyrics back at Vaughn; 33 years and change for an album that still holds a special place in the hearts of many here tonight. And an album that holds its own in the top 3 melodic rock albums of all time (‘Escape’ from Journey, and Hardline’s ‘Double Eclipse’ being the other two).
The previously mentioned ‘Reach’ is the title track from the 2016 studio album, and Tyketto makes multiple stops at the album throughout the set: ‘Tearing Down the Sky’, ‘Circle The Wagons’,’Kick Like A Mule’, and ‘The Run’ all figure in the 15-song setlist, as do ‘Rescue Me’ and ‘The Last Sunset’ from 1994’s sophomore album ‘Strength In Numbers’. ‘Rescue Me’ is introduced by Vaughn explaining how the song came to be through something that in the instant digital age has gone the way of the dinosaurs: letters. Actual letters that you write and post. Although not as successful as the monster debut album, ‘Strength In Numbers’ had some bangers, with ‘Rescue Me’ being the biggest of them all.
With a fantastic band alongside him (Harry Scott Elliot, Chris Childs of Thunder (bass), Ged Rylands (guitars/keyboards), and hard-hitting Doro drummer Johnny Dee) Vaughn makes it look easy and the closing 20 minutes or so of the set would give any band a run for its money. A spine-tingling version of ‘Standing Alone’ gets the choir/crowd back in full voice; a stunning cover of UFO’s ‘Only You Can Rock Me’ raises the roof; ‘The Last Sunset’ has a campfire singalong vibe that sees Johnny Dee come down from his riser and patrolling the front stage with a tambourine, and then there is the small matter of THAT song. Even though everyone knows what is coming, it’s still such a thrill when ‘Forever Young’ lands. Hearing it live, in 2024, is just as much of a buzz as it was first hearing it back in 1991. A timeless classic that stands the test of time, and every change in rock music trends that has been thrown at it over the last four decades cannot compare.
Tyketto are going from strength to strength and with Vaughn teasing that there is a major announcement for 2025 on the way, the band shows zero sign of slowing down. As for Little Caesar, somebody needs to get them back over in the Summer of 2025 for the festival season.
Review – Dave
Images – Dave Jamieson
