Review by JoJo Anthony
Photos by Joe Schaeffer
The Dead Daisies returned to Southern California to perform for a sold-out crowd at The Whisky and once again brought the energy for the enthusiastic audience. I have to admit I was taken aback to see that many people at the venue on a Thursday night. Nevertheless, The Dead Daisies put on one hell of a show.
Formed over a decade ago in Sydney, Australia by guitarist David Lowy, the band has featured some of the best talent in rock with the likes of Glenn Hughes, Deen Castronovo, and Marco Mendoza. The current lineup features Lowy, vocalist John Corabi (The Scream, Mötley Crüe), guitarist Doug Aldrich (Dio, Whitesnake), drummer Tommy Clufetos (Black Sabbath), and bassist Michael Devin (Whitesnake).
Opening the set with “Light ‘Em Up” from the forthcoming album of the same name, I was really impressed with how good they immediately sounded. The Whisky has always been a place where I’m seldom happy with the sound, but the Daisies were spot on.
With songs like “Dead and Gone” from the 2018’s Burn It Down, the band has the ability to write some anthem rockers to fire up a crowd. This was evident on the title track from their 2016 album Make Some Noise. They were not reluctant to perform new material like “I Wanna Be Your Bitch.”
They performed “Unspoken” and “Bustle And Flow,” which were originally recorded with Glenn Hughes on vocals. Corabi did an excellent job on those songs. This guy has always been a vocalist that I really admire. Hell, I’d listen to Corabi read the lunch specials menu at a Denny’s Restaurant…he’s just that damn good.
Kudos to the band for having one of the best introductions for the individual members ever. I loved that they incorporated snippets from some of the best classic rock songs. Aldrich is one of those players with a just a great rock and blues feel. He plays for the songs and never oversteps his boundaries. He’s just a solid player.
Their cover of the Muddy Waters classic “I’m Ready” had all the energy of the Humble Pie version from the album Performance: Rockin’ The Fillmore. You can never go wrong with beefing up a blues standard.
The choice of cover songs was perfect for the flow of the show. “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival had all the energy and angst of the original. The one song I’ve always loved to hear from The Dead Daisies is their cover of “Midnight Moses” by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. This always hits me in the sentimental gut because The Sensational Alex Harvey Band was the first show I ever saw at the Roxy in Hollywood. I was an underage teenage brat who snuck into the venue to see this fantastic band back in 1975. This was one powerful way to close the set.
Returning for an encore that featured “Long Way to Go,” and a powerful rendition of the Beatles classic “Helter Skelter,” and the show ended a high note.
The Dead Daisies are one of those bands that feature some amazing veteran musicians who just are so seasoned that every song they perform is nothing short of fantastic. I’ve always enjoyed this band every time I’ve seen them live. Look for their upcoming album Light ‘Em Up to be released this coming September. You won’t be disappointed.
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