The Rock Congregation
Gypsy Pistoleros, The Outlaw Orchestra, Perception - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
26th April 2025
Gypsy Pistoleros, The Outlaw Orchestra, Perception - DreadnoughtRock, Bathgate
26th April 2025
Welcome to the Church Of The Pistoeros, where the Bathgate congregation, joined in ceremony at the DreadnoughtRock, came to witness three of the most individualistic bands currently plying their trade – the flamenco-glam punk 'n' roll of headliners the Gyspy Pistoleros, heavygrass exponents The Outlaw Orchestra and Indie vibed local act, Perception.
It's always refreshing to see and hear a new young rock band that doesn’t follow the classic rock or blues-rock template, albeit they are becoming harder to find in a climate where true individualism is fighting to be heard above the latest product of the cookie cutter template machine.
It was therefore a pleasant surprise to see and hear Perception, a quartet of West Lothian based 18 year olds, who, like The Gypsy Pistoleros and The Outlaw Orchestra, have their own sound and style.
Featuring front gal Zoe Cochrane, who was very much dressed for the part, bassist Aidan McLaughlin (some really nifty bass lines from the young man), drummer Saul McMahon and guitarist Liam Bromley, Perception have a sound that mixes, matches and crosses over many a genre including Indie, goth-pop, post-punk and contemporary angst-rock, although they cleverly got the DreadnoughtRock crowd onside early by opening with a cover of 'Highway To Hell' (think Alanis Morissette does AC/DC).
It's always refreshing to see and hear a new young rock band that doesn’t follow the classic rock or blues-rock template, albeit they are becoming harder to find in a climate where true individualism is fighting to be heard above the latest product of the cookie cutter template machine.
It was therefore a pleasant surprise to see and hear Perception, a quartet of West Lothian based 18 year olds, who, like The Gypsy Pistoleros and The Outlaw Orchestra, have their own sound and style.
Featuring front gal Zoe Cochrane, who was very much dressed for the part, bassist Aidan McLaughlin (some really nifty bass lines from the young man), drummer Saul McMahon and guitarist Liam Bromley, Perception have a sound that mixes, matches and crosses over many a genre including Indie, goth-pop, post-punk and contemporary angst-rock, although they cleverly got the DreadnoughtRock crowd onside early by opening with a cover of 'Highway To Hell' (think Alanis Morissette does AC/DC).
With Zoe Cochrane giving it the full 'broken doll' dance as part of the visuals, there was also a touch of early 80s era Siouxsie and the Banshees, vocally and musically, particularly on the more downtempo/ angstier numbers.
That there was also a touch of Debbie Harry (in Cochrane’s inflections and timbre) and Blondie (in their early new-wave/ post-punk NYC days) was no bad thing.
While this is still early days for Perception, and the boys in the band need to develop a stronger presence to complement Cochrane’s, songs such as 'Things We Shouldn’t Do,' with its shifting light & shade, and the infectious, heavy Indie-pop of 'Ship To Mars' bode well for their confidence building future.
The Outlaw Orchestra – "Rocker" Dave Roux (lead vocals, guitars, guitar-bass), multi-instrumentalist and backing/ harmony vocalist "Banjo" Pete Briley and drummer Ryan "Thunder" Smith – are self-proclaimed purveyors of 'heavygrass.'
In truth however, there’s a lot more going on here than a bluegrass blend of rock and country, including rootsy blues and a touch of Tex-Mex (well, if the ridiculously large sombrero fits...)
That there was also a touch of Debbie Harry (in Cochrane’s inflections and timbre) and Blondie (in their early new-wave/ post-punk NYC days) was no bad thing.
While this is still early days for Perception, and the boys in the band need to develop a stronger presence to complement Cochrane’s, songs such as 'Things We Shouldn’t Do,' with its shifting light & shade, and the infectious, heavy Indie-pop of 'Ship To Mars' bode well for their confidence building future.
The Outlaw Orchestra – "Rocker" Dave Roux (lead vocals, guitars, guitar-bass), multi-instrumentalist and backing/ harmony vocalist "Banjo" Pete Briley and drummer Ryan "Thunder" Smith – are self-proclaimed purveyors of 'heavygrass.'
In truth however, there’s a lot more going on here than a bluegrass blend of rock and country, including rootsy blues and a touch of Tex-Mex (well, if the ridiculously large sombrero fits...)
Opening with 'Done My Time' from second album Makin’ Tracks, which has more of a grittier stomp in the live environment (as opposed to the chain-gang stylings of the studio version), the trio swung into a groove early, bolstered by a rootsy and bluesy bridge.
The band then kicked in to 'Rotten Apples' from latest, and best to date album, La Familia.
A heavygrass hoedown where a rattlin' beat meets riff-driven country boogie, the lyric contains more than its brazen share of cleverly conceived word-play from the pen of Dave Roux (a defining and fun trait of the band’s songs).
Indeed Roux is never short of a quip or ten, such as his tale of the band’s biggest Spotify hit 'Born to be a Thief,' which "got fifty-six thousand listens in seven days and earned us seventeen pence!"
The song itself, an electric banjo backed, mid-tempo stomp complete with a great solo and Dave Roux switch-flicking from guitar chords to bass lines (as he did on many a number), was worth a damn sight more than multi-billionaire Daniel Eck would have you believe.
The band then kicked in to 'Rotten Apples' from latest, and best to date album, La Familia.
A heavygrass hoedown where a rattlin' beat meets riff-driven country boogie, the lyric contains more than its brazen share of cleverly conceived word-play from the pen of Dave Roux (a defining and fun trait of the band’s songs).
Indeed Roux is never short of a quip or ten, such as his tale of the band’s biggest Spotify hit 'Born to be a Thief,' which "got fifty-six thousand listens in seven days and earned us seventeen pence!"
The song itself, an electric banjo backed, mid-tempo stomp complete with a great solo and Dave Roux switch-flicking from guitar chords to bass lines (as he did on many a number), was worth a damn sight more than multi-billionaire Daniel Eck would have you believe.
Other Outlaw highlights included the heavy-folk 'n' country of the wonderfully titled 'Too Much Willie Nelson' ("not enough Johnny Cash") and the heavygrass rock of 'See You In Hell' from their 2018 debut EP, here sporting some nifty slide work and a Proclaimers '500 Miles' sing-along (nice touch, lads).
Another EP winner was the country-pickin’ rock meets ZZ Top of 'Back To Georgia,' extended here to include a 'Baba O’Riley' breakdown that led to a groove-driven blast of Santana’s 'Gypsy Queen,' which allowed the trio to display their instrumental chops (Ryan Smith in fine rhythmic and percussive form here).
The set ended on the Allmans-y 'Bag Of Bones,' which lyrically stems from a true story that Dave Roux restyled as a lyrical tale of one man and his "best friend on the end of this lead," who both come to realise there’s always someone else more in need of a bag of bones.
One of Roux’s most empathetic lyrics, it made for a genuinely warm and touching closing statement.
The Gypsy Pistoleros hit their flamenco-punk glam rock 'n' roll stride right from the get-go with 'Church Of The Pistoleros,' the title track of their brand new album.
Opening with a reimagining of The Lord’s Prayer for these darker days ("give us today, our daily dread..."), as delivered by the Reverend Gypsy Lee Pistolero, the song then exploded into a Pistoleros power-punk anthem that caught the attention and never let go, with bassist/ vocalist Kerry Pistolero White, guitarist/ vocalist Shane Pistolero Sparkz and new recruit, ex South Of Salem drummer Pip Pistolero Sampson, in overdrive.
Given the tour was in support of what is their best to date album, it was no surprise the majority of the set was based around it – the pacey, new wave punk of 'Last Train to Nowhere,' the hard driving, Pistolero rock of 'Dance Naked in the Rain' and the vocally snarling, punk-infused 'Shadow Walker' all made a serious impression in the early going.
Another EP winner was the country-pickin’ rock meets ZZ Top of 'Back To Georgia,' extended here to include a 'Baba O’Riley' breakdown that led to a groove-driven blast of Santana’s 'Gypsy Queen,' which allowed the trio to display their instrumental chops (Ryan Smith in fine rhythmic and percussive form here).
The set ended on the Allmans-y 'Bag Of Bones,' which lyrically stems from a true story that Dave Roux restyled as a lyrical tale of one man and his "best friend on the end of this lead," who both come to realise there’s always someone else more in need of a bag of bones.
One of Roux’s most empathetic lyrics, it made for a genuinely warm and touching closing statement.
The Gypsy Pistoleros hit their flamenco-punk glam rock 'n' roll stride right from the get-go with 'Church Of The Pistoleros,' the title track of their brand new album.
Opening with a reimagining of The Lord’s Prayer for these darker days ("give us today, our daily dread..."), as delivered by the Reverend Gypsy Lee Pistolero, the song then exploded into a Pistoleros power-punk anthem that caught the attention and never let go, with bassist/ vocalist Kerry Pistolero White, guitarist/ vocalist Shane Pistolero Sparkz and new recruit, ex South Of Salem drummer Pip Pistolero Sampson, in overdrive.
Given the tour was in support of what is their best to date album, it was no surprise the majority of the set was based around it – the pacey, new wave punk of 'Last Train to Nowhere,' the hard driving, Pistolero rock of 'Dance Naked in the Rain' and the vocally snarling, punk-infused 'Shadow Walker' all made a serious impression in the early going.
Like Dave Roux, Lee Pistolero (who could comfortably do comedy stand-up if he felt so inclined) gave a cheeky plug for their own, "biggest ever hit, which Ricky Martin covered" – cue a storming crowd sing-along of 'Livin’ La Vida Loca,' which has also found a re-recorded place on the new album.
The punky glam of 'Like Tears in the Rain,' from previous album Duende a Go-Go Loco! also impressed, as did its album mate 'What’s It Like to Be a Girl.' The latter has been reworked from its early album origins to become a Glitter-glam "woah-oh hey! hey!" nugget that would have sat comfortably among the hits of Marc Bolan/ T-Rex in the early 70s.
Keeping glam (and a touch of bubble-gum rock) to the fore was current single, and another highlight of Church Of The Pistoleros, 'I’m In Love With Myself' ("it’s not about me!" insisted Lee Pistolero).
Also delivering on the bubble-gum front (if glam-punk had been invented in the 60s) was 'The Ballad of Tommy Shelby,' which started off with an intro from Lee Pistolero that could have been from a Spaghetti Western B-movie or a theatre play.
Kudos here to the backing & harmony vocal work from Shane Sparkz & Kerry White; the latter was also clearly fitted with energiser bunny batteries, given the amount of enthused dance-bouncing she did throughout the show.
The set closed out on a brace of numbers that could not have been more different, but were equally impressive.
The raucous, sleaze rock 'n' punky roll of 'Revolution' (a clarion call for change that, even with a switch of Government, we clearly still need, as rightly pointed out by Lee Pistolero) went down a storm, while the band’s glam-punk cover of 'Come On Eileen' came complete with full "toora-loo-rye-aye!" sing-along breakdown and big, Pistolero-punk finish.
Yes, welcome to the Church Of The Pistoleros.
A sanctuary for the individualist and a nave for the congregation who came to listen to the glam punk ‘n’ roll preaching of the Gypsy Pistoleros, a trio of heavygrass outlaws and a young quartet looking to seek the musical light. Amen to that.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
All photos by John McIntyre/ Stage Time Promotions
Highlighted songs lead to video clips by Stage Time Promotions; more at: https://www.youtube.com/@stphq
Church Of The Pistoleros is out now: https://earache.com/collections/gypsy-pistoleros
The punky glam of 'Like Tears in the Rain,' from previous album Duende a Go-Go Loco! also impressed, as did its album mate 'What’s It Like to Be a Girl.' The latter has been reworked from its early album origins to become a Glitter-glam "woah-oh hey! hey!" nugget that would have sat comfortably among the hits of Marc Bolan/ T-Rex in the early 70s.
Keeping glam (and a touch of bubble-gum rock) to the fore was current single, and another highlight of Church Of The Pistoleros, 'I’m In Love With Myself' ("it’s not about me!" insisted Lee Pistolero).
Also delivering on the bubble-gum front (if glam-punk had been invented in the 60s) was 'The Ballad of Tommy Shelby,' which started off with an intro from Lee Pistolero that could have been from a Spaghetti Western B-movie or a theatre play.
Kudos here to the backing & harmony vocal work from Shane Sparkz & Kerry White; the latter was also clearly fitted with energiser bunny batteries, given the amount of enthused dance-bouncing she did throughout the show.
The set closed out on a brace of numbers that could not have been more different, but were equally impressive.
The raucous, sleaze rock 'n' punky roll of 'Revolution' (a clarion call for change that, even with a switch of Government, we clearly still need, as rightly pointed out by Lee Pistolero) went down a storm, while the band’s glam-punk cover of 'Come On Eileen' came complete with full "toora-loo-rye-aye!" sing-along breakdown and big, Pistolero-punk finish.
Yes, welcome to the Church Of The Pistoleros.
A sanctuary for the individualist and a nave for the congregation who came to listen to the glam punk ‘n’ roll preaching of the Gypsy Pistoleros, a trio of heavygrass outlaws and a young quartet looking to seek the musical light. Amen to that.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
All photos by John McIntyre/ Stage Time Promotions
Highlighted songs lead to video clips by Stage Time Promotions; more at: https://www.youtube.com/@stphq
Church Of The Pistoleros is out now: https://earache.com/collections/gypsy-pistoleros