Rival Joustas
Live (Carmen Pimps / Rising Times)
Coming in off a freezing Highbury Corner, and climbing ‘Upstairs’ at The Garage, I was warmly greeted with the no nonsense rock of Carmen Pimps.
Catching the end of a truncated set (due to a faulty bass drum), it was clear that this was a straight forward rock band, unafraid to wear their influences their sleeves ( and their AC/DC t-shirts.) That said, any lack of originality was challenged with a strong vocalist and competent musicianship.
After a lengthy interval, Rising Times took to the stage looking like they meant business. With a strutting confidence, they delivered a sharp set of tracks – the singer just the right side of arrogant, the guitarist and bassist wallowing in the music they were creating.
Leanings toward Kasabian and Primal Scream suggested a departure from perhaps more run-of-the-mill guitar music. This was showcased finely on the brooding and inventive guitar intro to ‘Smoking Gun’, whilst the epic set-closer, ‘Kaleidoscope’, left the audience visibly impressed as the band left the stage to the sound of applause and the song’s reverberating riff still bleeding from the PA. One to watch, methinks.
Rival Joustas have an impressive array of support slots under their belts and took the stage with a due confidence, and with good reason – by the end of the evening, the venue had been shaken, the audience invaded and the shirts had come off.
Their sprightly take on heavy rock and punk never got turgid, changing pace and direction at the drop of a hat, the whole band heaving the music in new directions with diamond cut precision. Tight, energetic songs like ‘Killergram’ and ‘Pinch’ stood like climbing frames for vocalist Tom to clamber all over and leap off, often into the audience.
It seems that live is where they live – Rival Joustas’ self-belief and enthusiasm projects them beyond the sum of their musical parts. Tonight, they could have held sway in front of an audience 10 times as big. An excellent live act.
Guest article from David S.
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