Itâs been eight long years since The Black Keys last played in the UK, so youâd expect demand to be high for their return. Tonight though, the cavernous O2 Arena in London is actually relatively quiet both in attendance and crowd energy.
As opening act Shannon and the Clams take to the stage the venue is eerily quiet, and it takes the band a few songs to hit their stride. As fans filter into the venue however, the band get into the groove and by the end of their time on the stage, the group has a check in the win column.
Next up are main support, US indie rock group Spoon, who are touring in support of their tenth studio album, âLucifer on the Sofaâ. New tracks âWildâ, âMy Babeâ and âThe Hardest Cutâ, all sit pretty in an assured set, which whilst enjoyable, does little to raise the energy levels in the venue.
By the time The Black Keys arrive on stage, the standing section at least is more dense and anticipation finally seems to have raised a few levels. Opening with âI Got Mineâ and âFeverâ and accompanied by a simple by effective stage set the band get the audience on side early.
Itâs telling from this point in that the majority of the audience are only really interested in anything âEl Caminoâ or earlier with any newer tracks getting a lukewarm response. When the band do drop a âTighten Upâ or âHowlinâ For Youâ though the crowd goes wild.
The lack of excitement in the crowd seems somewhat matched by the sluggish delivery from the stage. The duo have had a number of struggles in that eight year gap and it does feel a little like going through the motions tonight rather than a big return to past glories.
Again, when the likes of âGold on the Ceilingâ and âLonely Boyâ do arrive then there is a rush of adrenaline in the venue. What couldâve been a huge party though ended up being a chilled out family barbeque where the only excitement comes when the chef calls out that the burgers are ready!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we begin with a handful of festival announcements including one that is always a hotly anticipation one, who is playing Reading & Leeds Festivals?
Your headliners this year are Sam Fender, Foals, The Killers, Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish and Imagine Dragons. They’ll be joined by the likes of Wet Leg, Nothing But Thieves, Slowthai, You Me At Six, Baby Queen, Inhaler, Don Broco and The Snuts.
Sticking to the August Bank Holiday weekend, Victorious Festival also revealed their first acts for next year this week including Friday night headliner Jamiroquai.
Also playing over the weekend will be The Vaccines, Amyl & The Sniffers, The Coral, The Enemy, Crawlers and many more.
Red Hot Chili Peppers extend Stadium Tour into 2023
We move our News Report now onto the best tour announcements from the past week and we begin with the news that Red Hot Chili Peppers will extend their global Stadium Tour into 2023.
Next year will see the legendary act play in London and Glasgow with support coming from The Roots and King Princess.
The Black Keys have this week announced their long awaited return to the UK after an eight year absence.
The band will play arena shows in London, Manchester and Glasgow with support from Spoon.
âAfter 8 long years, we are excited to say The Black Keys are coming back to Europe and the UK. We canât wait to see you at the shows in these iconic venuesâ the duo says.
We have plenty of juicy tours in our News Report this week and next we turn to Deaf Havana. The band have revealed that they will be back on the road in March and April.
DMAâs continue to tease new music from their fourth album ‘How Many Dreams?’, with the release of new track, ‘Olympia’, which you can check out above.
Guitarist Matt Mason comments on âOlympiaâ: ââOlympiaâ was written for a crowd, and is a dedication to all of our fans, especially the ones whoâve been with us from the start. we canât wait to play it for you all.â
Their new album is out March 31st, pre-order your copy here.
Levellers have announced their brand new acoustic album ‘Together All The Way’ will be released on March 10th. You can listen to new single, ‘Down By The River ‘O” above.
Of the album and recording, the Levellers say, âIt was truly a fun record to make, under the rigorous guidance of Sean. Seanâs a musician himself, always bringing ideas and get out of jail free suggestions when we got stuck. Itâs a stripped back, raw iteration of the collective with deep folk leanings. As energetic as the first one but definitely different.â
Blondshell explains, “I was obsessed with the [US teen drama] show âVeronica Marsâ as a kid and I was revisiting it around the time I wrote this song. I wanted to sing about that childhood era when I was being exposed to a lot more than I was comfortable with. âGimme shelterâ refers to the song but Iâm also saying please give me shelter from graphic TV and film, from New York City, overwhelming lyrics, etc. I think the song is just about having my boundaries crossed and the effects of those transgressions (for example, growing up to think men are hot if theyâre assholes).”
overpass – ‘3AM’
overpass have shared their latest single, ‘3AM’.
They commented, ââ3AMâ is an innocent coming-of-age song that I think most people can relate to. Itâs about the excitement you get when youâre going out, knowing you might be able to connect with that person, or at least hope that they will call you back when the night is over and done with.â
Life In Mono – ‘Blackout’
Life In Mono have just shared double A-side singles ‘Blackout/Sex To White Noise’
Speaking about the inspiration behind the singles, vocalist Sarah Clayton says, âBlackout is about people in your life that you know are no good for you but are hard to give up, whereas Sex To White Noise is about trying to find a connection that makes you feel something when youâre feeling really numb. If youâve ever been on prozac youâll know!”
Flashback almost 10 years ago now and the already well established The Black Keys were on the cusp of real superstardom after the incredible success of âEl Caminoâ. Then the disruption began.
Whilst touring follow up album, âTurn Blueâ, drummer Patrick Carney dislocated his shoulder and several shows were cancelled. Once that tour concluded the band went on an extended hiatus, returning in 2019 with âLetâs Rockâ to somewhat of a whimper.
A covers album followed last year, and any momentum the band still had seemed to dissipate. Neither, âLetâs Rockâ or âDelta Kreamâ were bad albums, but neither lived up to the high standards and expectations of the band.
On now to March this year and a fantastic single, âWild Childâ peaked interest again. Could The Black Keys rediscover the magic that established them as one of the biggest and best live bands rock bands on the planet?
Well, here we are in May 2022 and we now have their eleventh studio album, âDropout Boogieâ, and thankfully that special touch seems to have returned. âWild Childâ and fellow single, âIt Ainât Overâ open the album superbly and remind fans just why they fell in love with the band.
Billy F Gibbons featuring track, âGood Loveâ is another highlight, but really there isnât a bad song on the album. Carney and Dan Auerbach have their synchronicity back, and fans have The Black Keys back on top form.
