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“I don’t know if you have ever lost your voice on the morning that you are supposed to play a show, but we are going to do our fucking best…and that’s way better than having to cancel this shit, right?!”
Amigo The Devil (aka Danny Kiranos) is having issues with his voice. Had he not mentioned it, chances are that no one in the crowd would have suspected he was struggling, because Danny Kiranos running at 75% capacity will still reach heights that other similar acts can only dream of. It’s only when the gig ends 80 minutes later and Kiranos slows down and thanks the crowd that a hint of a strain starts to become apparent and underlines how special tonight’s gig was. The enthusiasm from the congregation gathered in front of him will have played a part in getting Kiranos over the line, but it’s more about his indomitable spirit and that desire to punch through the discomfort; after all, it’s “…way better than having to cancel this shit, right?!”
Opening for Amigo The Devil on this run of UK & Ireland dates that end in Dublin on July 22nd, is Nashville-based singer-songwriter Nate Bergman who is no stranger to these shores thanks to his time with genre-melding Lionize that included a fiery performance at Bloodstock Festival in 2017.
Now a solo performer, Bergman is telling his stories through heartfelt songs that, judging by his reception tonight, are finding a home. Part of the attraction is that they deal with subjects that most can identify with, such as heartbreak and loss, but, a great deal of the attraction is down to Bergman’s instantly likeable persona (“Scotland, you never let me down…that sounded sarcastic, but it wasn’t…”). He’s your buddy that you can trust; you can call him drunk at 2 a.m. on a weekday knowing that he’ll come pick you up, and he won’t mind if you puke in his car.
On one almighty hot streak at the minute, Bergman has released stand-alone material over the last 10 months or so that takes the baton from 2022’s debut solo album ‘Metaphysical Change’ and doesn’t merely run with it; it laps it. From the tenderness of ‘Sweet Elle’ (not to be confused with the roadhouse rocker ‘Sweet Maria’ from the debut album) that ebbs and flows as Bergman highlights the full extent of his incredible vocal range, and the heartache of ‘Deep End’ and ‘Wish I Was’ (despite the latter being a break-up song, it is hugely uplifting thanks to an infectious chorus) to the hopefulness of ‘Back to Nashville’ – preceded by Bergman’s thanks to Danny Kiranos and his sister Katerina for basically packing him into a van and relocating him to Nashville – where the audience are cajoled into some boisterous audience participation.
This early chance to sing serves the audience well for what follows on; a throaty rendition of MCR’s ‘Helena’ – introduced by Bergman declaring “I’m not going to tell you what song it is, you know the words to it, and if you pretend to be too cool to know the words to it then everyone is fucking going to know you are lying, and, shame on you…” – has the pissed-up throng bellowing out the “So long and goodnight” parts. Add in the towering set-closer ‘Into My Arms’; the set was perfect from start to finish.
Stay up to date with all things Nate Bergman, HERE. The guy has fantastic social media content so give him a follow.
So after letting the audience know about losing his voice earlier, and dealing with some pesky feedback, Amigo The Devil takes up his position front and centre as his sister Katerina’s piano begins the set with the gentle waltz-like intro to ‘Small Stone’. The song gradually builds with Danny pacing back and forth across the stage like an old-school heavyweight boxer waiting for the bell to sound. His voice soars in a way that anyone brought up in a household that had Roy Orbison and Jim Reeves on heavy rotation will suffer from constant flashbacks, and then just after he releases a lengthy note – BLAM, he raises his guitar like Excalibur and slams it back down again to signal the band to come in with an explosion of sound. Patricia Arquette/Alabama Whitman has just slipped him a note on a napkin saying “You’re so cool!”
How the hell do you follow up a set opener that plays more like a set closer? By slipping into the insanity of ‘Murder at the Bingo Hall’ with the introduction of “Some call it enthusiasm, others call it an addiction, but I do love playing fucking bingo”, that’s how. Dropping the song that ended the show last time around in Glasgow (2023, where the live pics featured in this review were taken) so early in the set is a risk that paid off handsomely. Give the audience a gentle opening few minutes, then drop the big one and watch the carnage that ensues. Pints are flying skyward, sporadic outbreaks of pogo action like it was a punk gig back in ’76, and a pit opens up. All the while bellowing out the lyrics to one of the standout songs of this decade thus far. The stellar drum work from Carson Kehrer expertly controls the pace and slams the audience for six, especially after the quiet interlude when Danny adlibs the line “And in the famous words of my Father…GET IN THE FUCKING CAR!”. Utterly superb.
Amigo dips into the current album ‘Yours Until the War is Over’ for the quirky ‘It’s All Gone’ followed by ‘Cannibal Within’ (“I didn’t know I’m neurotic/I never thought I was scared of dying at all/I always thought my biggest fear would somehow be love-related, not fentanyl”) and what is rapidly becoming a fan favourite; ‘Once Upon a Time at Texaco Pt. 1’ – complete with masses of audience participation on the “La la da die” parts. Wicked, macabre lyrics like only Amigo The Devil can write, and this theme continues on the jaw-dropping, throaty version of ‘I Hope Your Husband Dies’ which still has to be witnessed live to be believed. Hooky lyrics that are simple to remember and audiences can quickly join in with, something demonstrated by how well the brand new track ‘My Body is a Dive Bar’ goes down.
An impressive run of ATD classics brings the set to an end; ‘Stray Dog’ (admittedly it’s relatively new, but Jeez, it slams in a coked-out Elvis kind of way), ‘Hungover in Jonestown’, ‘Hell and You’, and set closer ‘Perfect Wife’ which Danny performs solo in amongst the crowd after his amazing band takes their leave and offers up the heartfelt introduction of “One of the first songs that I ever wrote for the project [ATD] and I never believed that I’d get to play it so far from home for this many fucking people” – such a clever, witty song where even though you know that the protagonist has to get their comeuppance, there is always the chance that because it is an Amigo The Devil song, they might just get away with it. When the song ends, Danny Kiranos stands wide-eyed, soaking up the rapturous applause from the mass of people surrounding him, and utters “What a fucking night”. What a fucking night indeed.
Equally at home playing at Welcome To Rockville Festival alongside acts like Anthrax, Judas Priest, and Motley Crue, as he is playing at 2000 Trees Festival alongside more mainstream acts such as Frank Turner, and Don Broco, Amigo The Devil is an unmissable live act. Everybody needs a little ATD in their life. It should be mandatory, a bit like despising U2.
Connect with Amigo The Devil, HERE
Review – Dave
All images – Glasgow Classic Grand 2023 – Dave Jamieson
