Meet the band who blew Paul McCartney away with their Jimmy Fallon performance

Not many bands have been awarded the clout that comes with Paul McCartney publically adoring your music.

Obviously, the man responsible for some of history’s most iconic music doesn’t throw around compliments lightly, but for acts like Kanye West, Radiohead and The Killers, the mighty Mac has often given his legendary tick of approval.

In August 2015, Rnb-meets-roots crossover Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats took to the coveted stage of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Whilst appearing on the show is a massive honour as it is, their performance seemed to garner one very special at home viewer.

That’s right, Paul McCartney happened to be indulging in a cozy night in, sipping an Earl Grey and taking in the comedic wonders of Jimmy Fallon.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Rateliff noted how nervous he was to appear on the show, saying that he was wary of matching Jimmy Fallon’s universally known enthusiasm. During the taping of the episode, Rateliff recalled that Fallon “kept putting the record on his desk,” cutting off guests saying, “you gotta check this out.’”

Jimmy was already a fan of the band before they appeared on the show – which would’ve made matters even more intimidating. Fallon was apparently blown away by an iPhone shot video of the band performing ‘S.O.B’ a friend had sent to him, to which his immediate reaction was, “this dude is insane. Where was this? Why wasn’t I there?”.

He even tweeted, “If you believe in soul… if you believe in rock n roll… if you believe in performing your guts out… Enjoy the band on our show tonight,” before the band hit the stage.

If you believe in soul… if you believe in rock n roll… if you believe in performing your guts out… Enjoy the band on our show tonight.
— Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon) August 6, 2015

Hype? That’s an understatement. Raw and enthralling talent is what has taken Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats around the world – which they’ll be bringing to Australian shores next month.

Pushing through the nerves, the band tore through a performance of their ultra-groovy track ‘S.O.B’, the lead single off their self-titled debut album.

Us mere mortals will most likely never be bestowed the chance to perform on one of the most-watched late night talk shows on the planet, but we imagine amidst the adrenaline rush and hysteria, the experience would feel like a total blur.

“But by the time we got onstage, I wasn’t thinking about playing to millions of people,” Rateliff says. “It was this tiny room. I thought, ‘We’ve got one song. Let’s tear it up.’”

Having cemented their status as a truly unique live band, spending years previously carving their teeth on the at times brutal touring circuit, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats undeniably smashed their late night TV debut.

Providing hip-shaking, Gospel-crooning goodness, the band delivered an arm-hair-raised, goosebump-inducing performance. Nathaniel’s gruff, emotive vocal powerhouse soared over the tight, bombastic instrumental that had audience members stunned.

The explosive performance was so good, even Questlove of The Roots, Fallon’s house band, sounded off on Twitter to sing praises of the Missouri natives.

a hellofadebut tonight on #FallonTonight @NRateliff wow!!!!
— ?st (@questlove) August 5, 2015

Rateliff recalls remembering seeing Fallon Jimmy “freaking out” after the performance, with the audience responding with a standing ovation.

The next day, Fallon received a call from none other than Paul McCartney himself.

“Who was that guy? That was fantastic,” said Paul.

If getting McCartney’s love wasn’t enough, their self-titled debut album released two weeks after the performance sold 20,000 copies in its first week of release.

A month later, Rateliff was in a meeting at his record label when, he says, “one guy who does statistics said, ‘You really fucked my job. TV supposedly doesn’t sell records. You’ve just changed everything.’”

As purveyors of a unique brand of fusion RnB, soul and gospel, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats are a must-see live band.

In 2016, the band played 246 shows in 16 countries – if practice makes perfect, consider Nathaniel Rateliff’s live show to be as fine-tuned and primed as rocket science at this point.

The band have shared the stage with artists like The Lumineers, Florence & The Machine, Band Of Horses and more, played renowned festivals worldwide and have even touched down on the coveted stage of Red Rocks.

In an age of music that often praises inauthenticity and monotony, Rateliff’s live show offers a deeply personal experience. It’s music that cuts to the core of the human condition in the most simultaneously intimate and universal – and if it’s got a Beatle on its side, it’s definitely worth checking out.