The Answer

25.03.2015

The Answer made their way to the seaside for some Brighton Rock as they continued to ‘Raise A Little Hell’. They may have rocked the boat in Bristol the night before but with a brilliant set from start to finish, at the Concorde2 they were supersonic.

They may be on trend by being a duo but a lot of similarities end there, as The Picturebooks brought an originality to their style of music. With an almost primitive beat from Philipp Mirtschink, pounding the drums with his fist at times, to the complex percussion that accompanied each song, it was loud, it was heavy and as the set proved, can involve blood and sweat when producing such a vibrant sound. To match this, Fynn Grabke played a heavy, reverberating guitar, full of flithy riffs, which was in contrast at times to the vocals and harmonies. So when they played ‘PCH Diamonds’ with its almost southern feel to it, you were struck by how different they sound to many bands around at the moment. ‘Woman (Tears Of Gold)’ and ‘Your Kisses Burn Like Fire’ were stand out songs, with their sublime harmonies and it was an excellent opening set from them, that was impressive to watch. The Picturebooks are certainly our favourite two piece.

Bad Touch had that hard rock style that was also bluesy in places, with a touch of a southern vibe thrown in for good measure. With singer Stevie having a certain charm and a lot of style, and songs that rocked from the very start, this was a band that went down well with those there. ‘Waste My Time’ with its tambourine and harmonies adding that little bit extra, gave a taster of just how excellent the new album due for release in April was going to be. It was the first time in Brighton for the band but they were clearly liking it, as the crowd joined in on some of the tracks. ‘Half Way Home’ and ‘Wise Water’ with the delicious vocals and some excellent riffs, won over quite a few new fans by that point. With a song that was “one for the men here tonight..for those that like wearing ladies trousers”, ‘Good On Me’ was very popular with its excellent guitars and ‘New Day’ saw the band turning things up a notch further, as they ended the set with more of those powerful vocals and crunchy guitars, along with a thumping rhythm. With a brilliant set from them, Bad Touch have everything it takes to be the band headlining in the near future.

With three of The Answer taking the stage to play an extended intro, Cormac Neeson took the stage to a rapturous cheer and ‘I Am What I Am’ opened what was a set packed with both old and new, and all delivered by a band sounding better than ever. Telling the crowd “they were spectacular” nicely led into, well obviously ‘Spectacular’ and with epic sounding guitars and a rhythm that pulverized the venue, this was rock at its very best. “Are you ready for rock and roll to permeate your soul” purred Cormac before launching into new song ‘Red’, which sounded brilliant live. ‘Aristocrat’ had a grooving sound to it, with a dirty sounding bass from Michael Waters, that showed why The Answer have just had a number one album in the rock charts (and yes brag all you like about that one).

Playing what was described as “a bit of a trippy one……that gets longer every time we play it” ‘Last Days Of Summer’ impressed the crowd with its extended jam, that showed off the excellent guitar, bass and drum skills the band have. Bringing a softer side to the evening and persuading the “shy” James Heatley to move out from behind hit kit to play the cajon and with Paul Mahon swapping to an acoustic guitar, ‘Strange Kinda Nothing’ was a metaphorical lighters in the air moment, before the band plugged back in on the end in a final flourish. “I love you Cormac” was shouted out by a woman at the front at one point between songs, which brought a response of “I love you more” from a man further back and a ripple of laughter went through the crowd, who were clearly enjoying every moment of it. ‘Raise A Little Hell’ required some audience participation as Cormac made his way into the crowd and got everyone there to crouch down with him during the chorus, which was quite impressive seeing that some of us in the crowd were getting on a bit, then getting everyone to rise again, to the sound of a few creaking joints no doubt, as he returned to the stage and finished off the song with those powerful vocals ringing out around the venue, to bring the set to a close.

Returning for an encore and starting with a song fans had voted for, ‘Nowhere Freeway’ had the crowd singing along to the chorus, before there was a return to singing I am what I am, I am an ‘Evil Man’ which led nicely into the final song of the night. With an album topping the charts, and what had been a truly excellent set from them, The Answer are at the top of their game and quite simply one of the best rock bands you are ever likely to see live.