A rainy Friday night didn’t keep the crowds away from the Gaelic Theatre for Southern rock kings Nashville Pussy, says Christian Brimo.

The actual gig started promisingly enough, with local boys L.U.S.T demonstrating why they've been picking up all the best supports lately. Frontman Mikey Rollins cut a fine figure in leopard-skin pants and vest (no shirt) while the band's hair metal/punk hybrid went down easy. There was a bit of rockabilly influence mixed in with the straight up pub rock and, while they're not genius, L.U.S.T are a fun band that get better every time I see them.

Fireballs side-project Double Black traded fun for technical skill and heaviness. Despite the double-bass and rockabilly iconography they were more in the Motorhead hard rock mode, which they acknowledged with their tribute to them, 'Pedal to the Metal'. Guitars shrieked like buzzsaws, drums roared off in double time, and Double Black proved to be a solid, if stolid, rock and roll band. A cover of Van Halen's 'Hot For Teacher' was a nice touch.

Nashville Pussy took the stage to crowd roars and a bit of frenzied moshing. They delivered what they promised – straight up, honest rock and roll. A bit of metal influence, a bit of punk, but solidly in the tradition of 70s country rock – just sped up and loudened for a modern audience.

The band played it and they played it well, with bearded redneck frontman Blaine Cartwright drawling out lyrics and bitching about his record company and the lack of pot-smoking among the crowd. His wife Ruyter Suys and bassist Karen Cuda provided a bit of eye candy but mostly held down the guitar and bass ends of the performance.

Overall though, the band was tight, solid, and honestly a bit boring. A cover of Ike and Tina Turner's 'Nutbush City Limits' couldn't hold a candle to the original but it did demonstrate Nashville Pussy's love of rock and roll.

by Christian Brimo

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