There is nothing quite like an album launch tour; they’re energetic, a little anxious, a little boozy, and have a hell of a lot of passion. Redcoats’ debut self-titled album launch was no exception.
The fans were extremely excited about watching the Melbourne band perform songs from Redcoats on the third show of their Who’s Rollin’ Tour.
Willow Darling was the opening act for the night and received an enormous reception as they took to the stage. The duo of Jack Williams and Finbarr Kelly have a mature style of acoustic rock, and similarities to Neil Young wouldn’t go astray.
They had a great vocal harmony between the two of them which worked very well, particularly in contrast to the riffs in the heavier songs. At the end of the set the band thanked the crowd, clearly chuffed as the fans whistled and clapped.
Next up were rockers Royston Vasie, who put another notch in their belt with a ripper performance that had the packed room cheering and dancing. The crowd of mostly young people enjoyed the garage rock sounds as they danced with beers in hand.
“That’s My Girl” was the song that had most impact, with the fans dancing and singing along, whether they knew the lyrics or not. Royston Vasie belted out plenty of good old fashion rock that pleased the fans.
Redcoats stepped up to a roar from the crowd and belted into the very kicking first single from their new album, ‘Raven’, revving up the crowd up from the get-go. The band was as tight as ever and sounded incredible. Their brand of 70s rock has captured a disgruntled audience who want great rock and the Melbourne group certainly know how to put on an awesome set.
Rhys Kelly walked up and down the neck of the bass with ease, providing many great lines that would be highly entertaining on their own. Emilio Mercuri showed why he is the complete frontman; with his incredible vocals, swaying dance moves and good looks.
The band fed off the energy of their eager fans and played with pure passion. ‘Evergreen’ got people grooving with its crunchy chorus, while ‘One Hundred Seasons’ and ‘Mr. Young’ were absolute crowd favourites from the new album. The sweat-slickened patrons went bananas for both ‘Giants’ and ‘Kaytrucker’, two of the band’s best live tracks.
By the time Redcoats played ‘Dreamshaker’, the fans were well and truly satisfied; the Triple J Hottest 100 song capped off one of the best gigs anywhere in a long time from a local band destined to kick arse around the world. If you have never seen Redcoats live, get tickets now and enjoy.
