Geen nieuwe song, wel een sublieme, extra lange live versie van dit nummer van hun zelgetitelde EP uit 2010. Ik heb eigenlijk weinig nodig om songs van deze band te publiceren. De wereld blijven overtuigen van het ongelooflijke talent van dit viertal blijft een missie. De stem van zanger Jay Buchanan alleen al zou reden genoeg moeten zijn hen te volgen, hun albums te kopen en hun shows bij te wonen. Dat Soul bakken soul heeft, hoeft geen verder betoog. Met het tweeluik Pair of Aces kan je alvast twee uitstekende live sets uit 2021 via YouTube bekijken. De band bracht zowel hun debuutalbum Before The Fire als de reeds genoemde EP integraal.
Pair of Aces, Pt.2 verschijnt op 13 december 2024 via YouTube.
Pair of Aces, Pt.1 kan je hier live bekijken.
Ter Info
In June 2021, Rock’n’Roll band Rival Sons delivered two live performances from Catalina Island, California. They were originally streamed via VEEPS to fans at home across the world, many of whom were still in lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the time the band stated: “We’ve all been through so much this past year and a half. We have longed to be on the road playing for you. As you know, we launched our label Sacred Tongue Recordings and have been re-releasing our early material. We felt that revisiting these first two records in a live, prestigious setting was the best way to give them the first-class treatment that our humble beginnings couldn’t provide.”
Frontman Jay Buchanan comments: “To finally release both audio and video of these performances feels good. When we recorded these performances the band was neck deep in what was to become the DARKFIGHTER/LIGHTBRINGER collection so breaking away from all of that heavy lifting to go blow some dust off of our origin story felt amazing. It’s a raw, unfiltered glimpse at a band raging against the isolation of the times.”
Santa Catalina Island is a rocky island, off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. The island covers an area of about 75 square miles. The Catalina Casino is a 92-year-old building built by The Wrigleys. Dominating the Avalon landscape from its regal perch along the bay, the casino exemplifies the style and romance of Catalina Island.
Buchanan elaborates, “It had been a dream of mine to play the Casino since I’d gone there as a child. Through the pandemic years we’d had the intention to record a live stream, but we’d been turned off by how terribly we’d seen it go for so many bands. We wanted to record a performance where we were just playing for each other without an audience. Generate the energy together for the sake of doing it. Along with everyone else, we hadn’t been able to tour or play shows at all in over fifteen months and it was killing us.”
Guitarist Scott Holiday comments: “You can see Catalina Island from the beach town I live in. I’ve been visiting it for years. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve made sure to visit the old historic casino that sits proudly at one end of the harbor in Avalon. And every time I’ve taken the tour I’ve thought the same thing… wouldn’t it be so great to play in these rooms and make a live film? And so… Rival Sons did just that.”
At the time the band stated: “It is beautiful, and perfectly exudes how we wanted to portray these recordings”. Scott elaborates: “In recognition of the 10-year anniversary of our first 2 albums, we played each album in its entirety over 2 different nights. One night in the ballroom (in the round!) performing Before the Fire, and the next night we played the self-titled record in the old movie theatre. It was every bit as cool and interesting as I’d hoped. A real honor and pleasure to fill this beautiful place with sound. The director did a great job capturing it for everyone to share in the experience with us and now it will be available to listen and watch anytime you’d like.”
