Glenn Hughes & Dead Sea Skulls, Tramshed Cardiff, 19.07.23
Cardiff’s Tramshed on a Tuesday night saw a sneak peek at a tour that will be playing more venues towards the end of the year. But with a festival headline set at Maid Of Stone coming up at the end of the week, Cardiff and Norwich (A-Ha!) were chosen as the two dates to kick off “The Voice Of Rock’” first jaunt to the UK this year.
First though it was the Dead Sea Skulls (6) that had the unenviable job of warming up a room full of hardcore Deep Purple fans with their lively garage/punk/rock. A trio where Ash is both drummer and frontman (as well as trumpet player), it was a quite an odd thing to see a drum set at the front of the stage. The Walsall band were probably not really what the crowd wanted sound wise in the lead up to what would be a set of long drawn out rock epics but you can’t fault the band for trying to encourage the participation and interaction even if you could see the frustration on their faces towards the end. For me it didn’t help that most of their songs are quite similar and that their “party vibe” was rather wasted on a dull Tuesday in Cardiff. In the throes of their big city home on a raucous, alcohol-fuelled Friday night I’m sure the band go down like a house on fire however it was more home-made submarine in Cardiff.
It was now time for what everyone had come for the main event, promising a nine song hour and 30 minute set, the band consisting of Soren Andersen (guitar), Ash Sheehan (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keyboards) took to the stage before the man himself Glenn Hughes (8) arrived with his bass guitar strapped to him and they plunged into Stormbringer, that voice still in fine fettle as he drove the fuzzy rhythm of this Deep Purple classic. With a set featuring most of 1974’s Burn, there was time for two from Stormbringer and two from Come Taste The Band as well as Mk II song in Highway Star. With the majority of Burn being played they didn’t shift too much into the soul and funk explorations that came on the other two records that featured Hughes but Gettin’ Tighter and You Keep Moving Me still have that hip shaking groove to them as the soul credentials of Hughes are as strong as his rock ones.
First though it was the Dead Sea Skulls (6) that had the unenviable job of warming up a room full of hardcore Deep Purple fans with their lively garage/punk/rock. A trio where Ash is both drummer and frontman (as well as trumpet player), it was a quite an odd thing to see a drum set at the front of the stage. The Walsall band were probably not really what the crowd wanted sound wise in the lead up to what would be a set of long drawn out rock epics but you can’t fault the band for trying to encourage the participation and interaction even if you could see the frustration on their faces towards the end. For me it didn’t help that most of their songs are quite similar and that their “party vibe” was rather wasted on a dull Tuesday in Cardiff. In the throes of their big city home on a raucous, alcohol-fuelled Friday night I’m sure the band go down like a house on fire however it was more home-made submarine in Cardiff.
It was now time for what everyone had come for the main event, promising a nine song hour and 30 minute set, the band consisting of Soren Andersen (guitar), Ash Sheehan (drums) and Bob Fridzema (keyboards) took to the stage before the man himself Glenn Hughes (8) arrived with his bass guitar strapped to him and they plunged into Stormbringer, that voice still in fine fettle as he drove the fuzzy rhythm of this Deep Purple classic. With a set featuring most of 1974’s Burn, there was time for two from Stormbringer and two from Come Taste The Band as well as Mk II song in Highway Star. With the majority of Burn being played they didn’t shift too much into the soul and funk explorations that came on the other two records that featured Hughes but Gettin’ Tighter and You Keep Moving Me still have that hip shaking groove to them as the soul credentials of Hughes are as strong as his rock ones.
Glenn told us of how the Cardiff date came about, but couldn’t too much talking as there was a lot to get through, the bulk of that being the gargantuan version of Mistreated where guitarist Soren Anderson was fully entrenched into Ritchie Blackmore mode. There was of course lots of soloing going on from Bob Fridzema’s keys, to Ash Sheehan (who pulled a double shift with Dead Sea Skulls) getting a solo, as Glenn gave some bass leads. Mistreated is still a stunner, though the inclusion of Highway Star wasn’t needed when there’s a more tracks on Burn/Stormbringer/Come Taste The Band that could have fit in better, still on the climax of Burn (the song) the Tramshed was pumping as this legend of British hard rock closed the set with love for his band and the crowd. As a sneak peek for what is to come towards the end of the year it was very impressive.
Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live - Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the album BURN' October 2023 UK Tour runs from October 10 – 29th with special guests The Damn Truth. Tickets available from - https://www.thegigcartel.com/Artists-profiles/Glenn-Hughes.htm
Glenn Hughes Performs Classic Deep Purple Live - Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the album BURN' October 2023 UK Tour runs from October 10 – 29th with special guests The Damn Truth. Tickets available from - https://www.thegigcartel.com/Artists-profiles/Glenn-Hughes.htm