Esprit D’Air and Diamond Black
Rescue Rooms’ Nottingham
29/2/2024
You know you’re in for a treat from the start when Diamond Black are the openers. With Ben Christo (Sisters Of Mercy) at the helm quality is assured, and quality is what we get. This is heart on the sleeve rock with a dark undertone. It’s passionate, poignant and engaging. It has to be said most of all it is positive too. This trio have a pedigree that shines through from start to finish with some superb bass lines and sublime drumming adding to Christo’s deft six string work. With just two acts on tonight Diamond Black get a decent 40 minutes to wow the audience and they don’t waste a second of it. So much so this almost feels like a joint headline show.
Esprit D’air have built up a very loyal fan base in the UK. You can tell that just by how many fans are wearing their shirts from previous tours, or even from the current set of shows. Clearly this is an act many choose to follow around the country and that kind of loyalty is priceless. It’s pretty apparent why within the first few minutes of the show. It should also be noted at this point that Esprit D’air is the solo project of Kai who orchestrates the entire event but never overshadows the other musicians on the stage. The power metal on offer is quirky with touches of prog thrown in. Above all else it fizzes along at a quick tempo. The breadth of the vocals means the songs never fall into a pattern where you know what’s coming. That keeps the whole set fresh. Kai writes everything and runs everything with true DIY spirit. Tonight they prove that you don’t need a label to either perform at this level or succeed. For that reason alone they should be applauded loudly.
Review and photos by Gary Trueman