Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

In a world that becomes ever more complex and awash with more art being produced than ever before and from all parts of the globe, it is natural to miss something or someone in which when you do finally catch up with them can either be embarrassment or a blessing. In the case of The Dead Daisies, the performance they gave at the 02 Academy in Liverpool was greeted with an air of enthusiasm that befitted the occasion of main support to Black Star Riders and was firmly in the court of a band that should be appreciated.

With the impressive figure of Jon Steven cajoling the audience from the off, The Dead Daisies took the crowd through an remarkable set which included tracks such as Face I Love, It’s Gonna Take Time, Washington, the brilliant Fly, Miles in Front of Me and the outstanding and heart thumping Lock ‘N’ Load.

Jon Steven may have taken the audience on the vocal trip of wonder and bruising affection but in the figure, hidden away due to the nature of his chosen instrument, was the passionate figure of Charley Drayton, who provided a sense of the incredible as he provided the beating, unrelenting heart to the Dead Daisies live set. For a drummer to provide this type of live performance to a crowd that may have been unsure of the band to start with was nothing short of heartening and full of professionalism, outstanding.

If a band is every going to endear themselves to a Merseyside audience, then the Dead Daisies took this particular gathering all the way, acting as a fantastic conduit between the fearless Western Sands and the sensational Black Star Riders and in the end becoming a band that surely could make the city of Liverpool a home away from home. This was illustrated with a storming rendition of The Beatles track Helter Skelter at the end of the Dead Daisies set, which for a city that grips onto its past as well as embracing its future was a brave ask but one that was full appreciated by all.

In a night when the Black Star Riders were greeted like heroes returning home, The Dead Daisies did much to start and add to the overall celebratory feel of the evening.

Ian D. Hall