Life (and death) affirming.
Amigo The Devil (with Tejon Street Corner Thieves) – The Classic Grand, Glasgow
29th June 2023
Amigo The Devil (with Tejon Street Corner Thieves) – The Classic Grand, Glasgow
29th June 2023
That Amigo The Devil (aka Miami born singer-songwriter Danny Kiranos) and his distinctive brand of murderfolk (ranging from sombre & understated to rock & metal) is starting to make serious waves this side of the pond was underlined by his 24 date tour of Europe, UK and ROI through June and early July, of which Glasgow was one of the final shows.
Having previously garnered rave reviews in the UK for his intimate yet impacting solo shows, ATD returned with full band to play in venues three & four times the capacity of those earlier solo excursions.
Additionally, at least 90% of a vociferous Glasgow crowd knew every lyric to every song (proven loudly and clearly at every opportunity), which tells you how he has been taken in to the hearts and minds by The Devilish faithful.
Prior to a captivating and ultra-high energy set from ATD, Outlaw alt-folk trio Tejon Street Corner Thieves (big guys Connor O'Neal (vocals, banjo, percussion) & Shawn D'Amario (vocals, acoustic guitar) visually contrasting with the demurity of Julie Frost (upright electric bass, vocals) delivered a trashgrass ‘n’ blues, box-stomping rockabilly set where only the illegal moonshine still was missing.
Having previously garnered rave reviews in the UK for his intimate yet impacting solo shows, ATD returned with full band to play in venues three & four times the capacity of those earlier solo excursions.
Additionally, at least 90% of a vociferous Glasgow crowd knew every lyric to every song (proven loudly and clearly at every opportunity), which tells you how he has been taken in to the hearts and minds by The Devilish faithful.
Prior to a captivating and ultra-high energy set from ATD, Outlaw alt-folk trio Tejon Street Corner Thieves (big guys Connor O'Neal (vocals, banjo, percussion) & Shawn D'Amario (vocals, acoustic guitar) visually contrasting with the demurity of Julie Frost (upright electric bass, vocals) delivered a trashgrass ‘n’ blues, box-stomping rockabilly set where only the illegal moonshine still was missing.
Opening with 'All We Need,' a song that lyrically praises (and raises a glass to) whisky (mine’s a Balvenie, cheers), immediately had the crowd onside, raising plastic glasses high and hollering the chorus.
Closing with a similar drinking anthem, 'Whiskey,' (another title obvious ode to the Water Of Life) guaranteed both band and crowd were still as raucous at set’s end as they were 40 minutes earlier.
There was also many a quip between numbers, including Connor O’Neal noting that "back home Julie would have her full-sized double bass, which balances out the stage and makes me and Shawn look a lot slimmer."
Elsewhere 'Moonshine' sported a gazoo solo (yes, really) from Shawn D’Amario while the woozy sway of '.44' (a song about being drunk – "anyone see a pattern here?" queried Connor O’Neal) and the "hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi" calls of 'Minnie the Moocher' allowed for further full voiced sing-a-long participation across a ridiculously fun set.
"Can we get another Hell Yeah!" asked the boys and girl from Colorado Springs.
Yes, you can, and they did, deservedly so.
Closing with a similar drinking anthem, 'Whiskey,' (another title obvious ode to the Water Of Life) guaranteed both band and crowd were still as raucous at set’s end as they were 40 minutes earlier.
There was also many a quip between numbers, including Connor O’Neal noting that "back home Julie would have her full-sized double bass, which balances out the stage and makes me and Shawn look a lot slimmer."
Elsewhere 'Moonshine' sported a gazoo solo (yes, really) from Shawn D’Amario while the woozy sway of '.44' (a song about being drunk – "anyone see a pattern here?" queried Connor O’Neal) and the "hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi" calls of 'Minnie the Moocher' allowed for further full voiced sing-a-long participation across a ridiculously fun set.
"Can we get another Hell Yeah!" asked the boys and girl from Colorado Springs.
Yes, you can, and they did, deservedly so.
'One Kind Of People,' an instant Amigo The Devil fan favourite when it first surfaced on an EP back in 2015, made for the perfect introduction to a musician who could do dark humoured stand-up if he so desired (and to be fair he pretty much does, between many a song).
Plucking out the tune on his banjo while prowling the stage between verse stints at the mic, 'One Kind Of People' is a wicked but accurate observation on life, how you may have lived that life, and how the latter doesn’t really matter as "there’s only one kind of people in this world – people who die!"
That three line hook was delivered with full-on gusto by a rammed, close to sell-out Glasgow crowd that only got louder (and a lot sweatier) as the temperature – on and off stage – continued to rise.
Nor was the line "the person at the show who paid to watch the whole thing on their phone" missed by a crowd who immediately boo'd, pointing at a number of culprits (most of whom immediately stop filming); only for ATD to ad-lib a more forgiving, lyric "no point in shaming anyone who, doesn’t directly affect, you."
(Cue several phones reappearing).
It's a perfect opening, one that sets up the arrival of the band on stage for an ensuing, and storming, 90 minute performance that flits from vaudeville and alt-folk to the theatre of metal-macabre, accompanied by both wickedly sharp, dark lyrical humour and the genuinely poignant & thought provoking.
Highlights? Well, the entire set was the highlight but special mention to 'Dahmer Does Hollywood,' a dark folk-blues waltz with an even darker lyric about serial killer Geoffrey Dahmer, and ATD’s switch from banjo to guitar for following number, the heavyweight rock and grunge-thrash of 'If I’m Crazy.'
'Hungover in Jonestown,' where Greek folk meets heavy rock and roll, was another dark winner, the crowd delivering the la la-la la’s and "this life is a joke, and death is the punchline!" tag with unashamed gusto.
The darkest humour however came calling on 'I Hope Your Husband Dies,' which took on a completely new perspective when ATD takes time out to tell the audience the husband did actually pass away ("feels different when you sing it now, doesn’t it?") and the short, lyrically tongue in, ahem, cheek of 'Crying at the Orgy' ("Baby, maybe, just let me come home… 'cos I’m crying at the orgy, where everybody, and everything, reminds me of you").
Plucking out the tune on his banjo while prowling the stage between verse stints at the mic, 'One Kind Of People' is a wicked but accurate observation on life, how you may have lived that life, and how the latter doesn’t really matter as "there’s only one kind of people in this world – people who die!"
That three line hook was delivered with full-on gusto by a rammed, close to sell-out Glasgow crowd that only got louder (and a lot sweatier) as the temperature – on and off stage – continued to rise.
Nor was the line "the person at the show who paid to watch the whole thing on their phone" missed by a crowd who immediately boo'd, pointing at a number of culprits (most of whom immediately stop filming); only for ATD to ad-lib a more forgiving, lyric "no point in shaming anyone who, doesn’t directly affect, you."
(Cue several phones reappearing).
It's a perfect opening, one that sets up the arrival of the band on stage for an ensuing, and storming, 90 minute performance that flits from vaudeville and alt-folk to the theatre of metal-macabre, accompanied by both wickedly sharp, dark lyrical humour and the genuinely poignant & thought provoking.
Highlights? Well, the entire set was the highlight but special mention to 'Dahmer Does Hollywood,' a dark folk-blues waltz with an even darker lyric about serial killer Geoffrey Dahmer, and ATD’s switch from banjo to guitar for following number, the heavyweight rock and grunge-thrash of 'If I’m Crazy.'
'Hungover in Jonestown,' where Greek folk meets heavy rock and roll, was another dark winner, the crowd delivering the la la-la la’s and "this life is a joke, and death is the punchline!" tag with unashamed gusto.
The darkest humour however came calling on 'I Hope Your Husband Dies,' which took on a completely new perspective when ATD takes time out to tell the audience the husband did actually pass away ("feels different when you sing it now, doesn’t it?") and the short, lyrically tongue in, ahem, cheek of 'Crying at the Orgy' ("Baby, maybe, just let me come home… 'cos I’m crying at the orgy, where everybody, and everything, reminds me of you").
ATD also has a great band of brothers and sibling sister around him – drummer Carson Kehrer must have a lead-encased shoe given the weight of his bass drum kicks, beats and stomps, rhythmically dovetailing with the subtle but effective bass work of Jason Deitz, while David Talley rhythm'd out, wailed, riffed and folk-grunged on his guitar as each song required.
Danny Kiranos’ sister Katerina Kiranos (who also records under the name Katacombs) danced to every song before throwing herself into her keyboard parts for added punch and accentuation (scuppered only by being a little low in the mix early doors; similarly Kiranos' lead vocals when the band ramped it up to 11; otherwise a great sound on the night).
The poignant moments were most pronounced during heavy folk-blues 'Different Anymore' (written about the loss of a close friend in the most tragic of circumstances), solo performances of the self-analysing 'Cocaine And Abel' and the sorrowful 'Another Man’s Grave,' and penultimate song of the night 'Hell And You.'
Around half-way through the latter (a lyrical paean to the fans) ATD stepped away from the mic to let the crowd take full a cappella control of the song (backed off-mic by the band), including the "let me have this last dance with you" sign-off.
The results of such an emotional, unified moment was to witness ATD in tears, which almost certainly triggered the same reaction among some of the audience (Me? That was clearly sweat in my eyes from the oven like heat of the packed venue).
As powerful a closing statement as that would have been, the set closed with an absolutely raucous, hammer-down, where’s the mosh pit rendition of 'Murder at the Bingo Hall.'
This has been a great tour for Amigo The Devil with many a highlight along the way (Islington Assembly Hall in old Londinium, for example, was another superb gig).
But Glasgow was, as alluded to by Danny Kiranos, a bit special, heightened even further if, much like Kiranos does at every gig, you embrace the moment, shake off the shackles of everyday life, drop any masks and come out the other side of the gig, together.
The synergy of the shared experience writ large.
A demonically good, life (and death) affirming show – but then better the Devil you know, eh amigos?
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo Credit: Dave Jamieson (all images)
Danny Kiranos’ sister Katerina Kiranos (who also records under the name Katacombs) danced to every song before throwing herself into her keyboard parts for added punch and accentuation (scuppered only by being a little low in the mix early doors; similarly Kiranos' lead vocals when the band ramped it up to 11; otherwise a great sound on the night).
The poignant moments were most pronounced during heavy folk-blues 'Different Anymore' (written about the loss of a close friend in the most tragic of circumstances), solo performances of the self-analysing 'Cocaine And Abel' and the sorrowful 'Another Man’s Grave,' and penultimate song of the night 'Hell And You.'
Around half-way through the latter (a lyrical paean to the fans) ATD stepped away from the mic to let the crowd take full a cappella control of the song (backed off-mic by the band), including the "let me have this last dance with you" sign-off.
The results of such an emotional, unified moment was to witness ATD in tears, which almost certainly triggered the same reaction among some of the audience (Me? That was clearly sweat in my eyes from the oven like heat of the packed venue).
As powerful a closing statement as that would have been, the set closed with an absolutely raucous, hammer-down, where’s the mosh pit rendition of 'Murder at the Bingo Hall.'
This has been a great tour for Amigo The Devil with many a highlight along the way (Islington Assembly Hall in old Londinium, for example, was another superb gig).
But Glasgow was, as alluded to by Danny Kiranos, a bit special, heightened even further if, much like Kiranos does at every gig, you embrace the moment, shake off the shackles of everyday life, drop any masks and come out the other side of the gig, together.
The synergy of the shared experience writ large.
A demonically good, life (and death) affirming show – but then better the Devil you know, eh amigos?
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo Credit: Dave Jamieson (all images)