INGLORIOUS | LIVE REVIEW
The Globe, Cardiff, Sun 19 June
“Rock’n’roll isn’t dead. It’s alive and Gene Simmons is a god,” shouted frontman Nathan James. Two songs in and it was evident that Inglorious aren’t just another rock band and this wasn’t just another small gig in a back street venue.
Rock four-piece Western Sand warmed us up with their twin lead guitars and energetic vocals. It’s rare to see a support band that can engage the crowd and they were going to be a hard act to follow. Yet when James made his grand entrance (as grand as you can on a tiny platform), it was clear that Inglorious are of another calibre. The band have the stage presence of music veterans.
It’s as if someone (the record label?) took the best bits of heavy rock and formed a group with a comfortable, crowd-pleasing feel. There is something familiar about Inglorious: they play commercial rock, heavily influenced by bands such as Whitesnake and Led Zeppelin, but with a style that makes them interesting. And they connect with the audience, which works to a band’s advantage in an intimate setting like The Globe.
Inglorious formed in 2014 and have already built up quite a following. They don’t have a huge back catalogue and, as well as playing their entire first album, added a few covers to their set. At one point an assistant brought stools onto the stage, the band delivering an acoustic interlude which included an original slower version of Deep Purple’s Burn.
Nathan James (who was eliminated from television shows Superstar and The Voice) has an incredible vocal range. His days as a choirboy have served him well: he could sing every song acapella and it would rock the house. Harmonies are not usually a staple of heavy rock but these guys have them and they’re spot on. Bassist Colin Parkinson, meanwhile, told me, “We’re all about the melodies.”
In this little venue, with no air conditioning and just a few feet of stage, Inglorious put on a big show. The new band on the block will soon be selling out stadiums.
words LYNDA NASH