The following article was written by our newest staff member, Sam Rock aka Rockabella:
It wouldn’t take a genius to have worked out who everybody had come to see tonight. Although pleasant and melodic, Ari Shine were merely a warm up for the proceeding band with whom they have been touring, Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants.
Chris Shiflett’s latest project, Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants, were culminating their month long tour of the States tonight, promoting their self-titled debut album, at a predominately female-filled Mercury Lounge. Within seconds of Chris appearing on stage, the crowd had moved in and filled any space that gave them the opportunity to get closer to the Foo Fighters’ guitarist in order to prepare them for the Americana/country induced set that was to follow.
Opening with “Helsinki”, the emotionally charged statement of intent, the band got the audience swinging with immediate effect and where it was soon obvious who knew the lyrics, by the end pretty much everyone couldn’t help themselves at least miming along. This was to be the pattern of the evening.
Although a super talented backing from the Dead Peasants, Chris’ charm, charisma and serious credentials are what people had come to see; and with a sound far and away from the vicious rock of the Foo Fighters and more honed on a Ryan Adams/Wilco groove, they got all that and more. One lucky lady even fought the dim light of the floor and the feet of other Shiflett-tranced women to locate and cherish the ‘first broken string of the tour’, that Chris had tossed needlessly away.
Playing a full 13 song set with favourites including, “Baby, Let It Out”, “An Atheists Prayer” and “Get Along”, the Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants-express fulfilled expectation and opened a country-fied door to this indie/electro, English music photographer’s previously cotton-filled country ears.
The gig was great, the company was fantastic and would I see them again? Yes, yes I would.
Set List:
- “Helsinki”
- “Burning Lights”
- “Bandaged”
- “Not Going Down Alone”
- “Baby, Let It Out”
- “God Damn”
- “Lifeboat”
- “Break Every Heart”
- “Long Black Limo”
- “An Atheists Prayer”
- “Sunset”
