It doesn’t feel like it’s been a whopping nine months since I spoke to Andrew Knightley, the namesake of AK and the Red Kites, yet, according to our website, that’s exactly how long it’s been. Then, their EP had only just been released but now, it’s firmly in the rearview but tonight is only their fifth gig and their first outside of London and surrounding areas. So where better to do so than Wolverhampton’s Giffard Arms?
It’s a packed line-up for a Friday evening and they’ve managed to squeeze three bands into just over three and a half hours, if not less time. Opening for us tonight is the Stafford quartet, Skint Lilly. They’re a bit of a left-field choice for tonight’s bill but that’s not stopping them from giving it everything they’ve got and battering through their slot as if they’re playing to a sold-out KK’s. Performance-wise, you can’t fault them, the four of them lock in as a unit, as tight as can be. Their Weezer-meets-classic rock sound is energetic, full of bright tones and hook-led melodies. The only real deviation comes at the end when they blast through their final number, punk-fuelled with a diversion into classic rock. But they make it work. As far as warming up the crowd, they do exactly that and whilst it may be disconcerting to watch four people on stage look like they’re part of four different bands, when they’re playing that well, it’s easily overlooked.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Following the fastest changeover ever, Eddie and the Wolverhamptons, sorry, Eddie and the Wolves (had to be done) are out to impress, clearly with some fans in the room. There’s a couple of wolf howls through the set (has to be done) from the foursome. Social media implies they’re a five-piece but for whatever reason they play as four tonight. They’re unfazed by it, playing as if it’s the norm. As they blend rock and blues into a supercharged noise, they’re what Black Stone Cherry would sound like if you stripped out the Southern elements and the Kentucky guys were British. Or as they themselves describe it “future blues”. It may be Eddie Saffell’s name on the band but you can tell it’s a genuine group effort and let’s be real, it’s a pretty cool name for a band. As Joe Griffiths’ massive bass tones lock in with precision drumming, it’s matched by soulful fretwork delivered with every bit of passion Saffell can extract from himself. Meanwhile, his wife, Charlotte, chimes in, varying between lead and backing vocals, belting out notes with enough intensity to raze the Giff to the ground. She also has her own drum to bash when she’s not singing, each thump going toe to toe with Ben Gaines, the pair of them contributing to the heaviness found in their music and it’s this setup which makes them stick in your head. Plus it helps that the music manages to avoid throwback trappings and delivered by a band who more than know how perform.
Wolfmother’s “Woman” is blaring from the PA as the second and final changeover of the night is underway. It brings a wry smile to my face as there’s a passing resemblance between Andrew Stockdale and Andrew Knightley with their similar mop of curls. But these Andrews play very different kinds of music. While they’re both trios, AK and the Red Kites opt to blend blues, Southern rock/boogie and classic rock into a palatable cocktail. They balance heaviness with melody so it’s hardly blues on steroids but nor does each song meander.
For a band only on their fifth gig over the course of the last year or so, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a band out performing every week. They’re unperturbed by the lacklustre turnout and like the bands before them, take it in their stride, playing as if it were to a full room and making it all that bit more memorable for those who are there. The band focus largely on their own material, playing numbers from their debut EP, new songs they’re working on and revisit Knightley’s old band, Trident Waters. Those songs get some whoops from the connoisseurs. Indeed “Good Time Roller” has a bit of ZZ Top boogie to it whilst “Control the Animal” is a more muscular rocker with a dose of blues injected into it. It’s a welcome insight into Knightley’s past without him leaning on it heavily.
However, the band have their sights firmly fixed on the present and future. “Cosmic Train” has a real swing and boogie to it. Think of all those Status Quo classics from the Frantic Four era and you’d be along the right lines but without the commerciality of the pop sheen found on their music. The boogie feel doesn’t end there nor does the ZZ Top influence only feature on Trident Waters as it can be found in their own material with “Baby Don’t Love Me” whilst also working in a bit of classic Free. It’s hard not to notice there’s a touch of Paul Kossoff to Knightley’s guitar work and it’s a song like this which highlights it.
The band also manage to keep the crowd on their toes with their diverse catalogue. Latest single “Proverbial Storm” has a filthy groove to it, massive dynamics and could be The White Stripes on steroids. “Karmic Rituals” is when the band gets properly bombastic for the heaviest song of the night and “Tear it Up” is the complete converse with its funk-driven melody. Meanwhile, “Stronger” is the band’s traditional bluesy number before they revisit it on the closing songs, going all-in on the sludge and could have been extracted by all the trailblazers from the Deep South of America.
There’s a great chemistry to be found within the band. Rob Hoey’s bass thunders mightily throughout without becoming overbearing and whilst his jokes aren’t as great as his actual bass work, his banter with Knightley is as sincere as it gets. Meanwhile, there’s few drummers who hit their kit as hard as Ash Sims does – I can only think of two, three at a push. There’s a hypnotic allure to his playing, locking in perfectly with Hoey as their rhythms form an unbreakable foundation for Knightley to do his thing. Switching between his Telecaster and Les Paul, Knightley is effortless on the six strings, and if he isn’t already, should be fighting off offers of session work. It all comes together seamlessly for a sound which is retro with modern sensibilities and they’d go down exceptionally well at Call of the Wild and Maid of Stone.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Despite not being familiar with the material, it allows for a night without any preconceptions and it’s over before I even realise it. Those who were there saw something rather specials. The walk back to the car reveals Manic Street Preachers were playing over at the Civic and as a couple behind be recount how great it was, there’s not a chance it was better than tonight. Mainly because the Manics are about as vanilla and inoffensive as an ice cream cone, only far less cool than any of the three bands above.
AK and the Red Kites: official | facebook | instagram | youtube
Eddie and the Wolves: official | facebook | instagram | youtube
Skint Lilly: facebook
