THE CADILLAC THREE / WHISKEY MYERS | LIVE REVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Sat 6 Feb
Bringing their sell-out Night Life Religion tour to a crashing conclusion, the Nashville natives took to Cardiff to show off their rough and raw brand of country rock one final time before jetting back to Music City. Not yet six months old, the Tramshed is starting to build a reputation for attracting top talent, Saturday night proving no different as the increasingly popular trio were welcomed to the venue.
Kicking things off were Texan outfit Whiskey Myers, who with a decent following of their own present were certainly not lacking in confidence during their warm-up stint. However, with no particularly distinguishable features the band were simply a cliché of a Southern rock group, content on delivering a Lynyrd Skynyrd impersonation rather than an original performance. Drawn out, near-identical solos were a common feature, contributing to a generally uninspired opening act which would struggle to excite anyone not already a fan.
Thankfully the main event was in stark contrast. From the moment the raucous trio swaggered on to the stage, beer in hand and grins on faces, it was obvious that they were in full party mode – and rightly so, given the success of their short time in the UK. While others might peter out when reaching the end of a tour, these guys showed no signs of slowing as the loud, brash, anthemic country rock flowed in abundance.
With the band’s critically acclaimed 2014 debut release Tennessee Mojo and their 2015 EP Peace, Love & Dixie providing the main bulk of material for the evening, the capacity crowd were always going to get their fill of gritty, singalong belters. Days Of Gold springs to mind as a particular highlight, likewise I’m Rockin’ where a blown amp, proudly welcomed by lead singer and guitarist Jaren Johnston, can’t even put a dent in proceedings. The more mellow and melodic new single Graffiti is a welcome addition to the set, standing shoulder to shoulder with anything else and sure to be a fan favourite in the future.
Sadly for the crowd – and for the trio themselves, it appeared – all good gigs must come to an end. With the undeniably cool Johnston exclaiming that it “looks like Southern rock is alive in Wales, man!” you just hope that they’ll be persuaded to come back in the very near future.
words GETHIN THOMAS photos LIZ AIKEN @ BLUESDOODLES.COM