Monster Truck/Those Damn Crows
Oxford O2 Academy – Oct 2nd 2022
It’s a sign of a good night to come as the queue to enter the venue has to be split into two and both doors are opened for the show. It’s a wise decision as the venue is full to capacity. Those Damn Crows are first up and the lads from Wales show why they’re the perfect band to support, they’re non-stop energy from the get-go. Support bands can sometimes be a bit slow to get the crowd on their side, but not with these guys. The crowd loves them and it’s not long before the singer is down off the stage and on the barrier encouraging the crowd to sing along with him. This is British blues rock at its finest and it won’t be long before they’ll be headlining here in their own right.
Canada has a fine tradition of hard rock, and Monster Truck don’t disappoint in this regard. At first it seems that the stage has been cleared, with a lot of space for four guys, more so given the keyboard player is tucked away at the back in the corner. It all becomes clear when the band comes out on stage and the guitarist starts moving around like a spinning top that has been revved up beyond its safety margin and let loose. He’s a wonderful lunatic and belies the style of music being played, you’d be forgiven for thinking he was at a punk show. The rest of the band play on and it’s some great Canadian blues rock. They know the crowd and they get them going as you would expect, with some great grooves and plenty of catchy songs to sing along to. The band is clearly enjoying the show, Jon Harvey grinning along as he belts out a greatest hits setlist and some new tracks. Apart from Jeremy Widerman’s antics on stage it’s a subdued crowd, more than content to sing along with the band, but then Canadian rock fans have never really been the ones to jump in a mosh pit. With Oxford being one of their earlier shows you can still catch them on tour before they close the UK leg at Rock City in Nottingham on October 17th. It’s sure to be a great night.
Review and photos Mark Bestford
