Testify People, Testify!
A Hayseed Dixie gig is a quirky mix of Rockgrass party, political rally and a good ole Southern preacher’s call to arms.
Right from the off this was a wonderful celebration of all that is the Hayseed Dixie ethos of drinking, preaching and wonderfully eccentric hillbilly versions of rock classics. For the best part of two hours these 4 acoustic maestros blasted through rock standards playing nothing more than guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin. The venue was inspired too, the reasonably new Brooklyn Bowl at the O2 added to the ambiance with the band competing with waitresses delivering chicken and ribs, and the crescendo of 12 pin strikes.
The set is spiced with fans favorites from AC/DC, Black Sabbath. Queen, Motorhead and Eagles all served in the Rockrass style. Lead singer John Wheeler aka Barley Scotch taking time out time out between songs to praise the NHS, rue the traffic on the Dartford Crossing and confess that the secret to Rockgrass is "ethnomusicality on a metaphysical level". Second half of the set saw some genre crossing mashups amongst even more crowd pleasing standards. Hotel California remixed with Whams Careless Whisper and even some Britney and Abba for good measure.
Don’t take these guys for fools though, they are absolute consummate musicians, the obligatory dueling banjo’s turned into a four way battle of banjo, guitar, bass and mandolin that was fast powerful and spot on the money. There was even time for a few classical numbers and some euro faves sung in the original Deutsch.
I can only recommend that, dear reader, you find the time to see this band of desperado’s as they continue to tour the UK and on into Europe. You won’t regret it, not even the face ache you get from grinning through a two hour set.
Iain @docswallow
Set List
Hells Bells
Kirby Hill
You Shook Me All Night Long
War/War Pigs
Tolerance
Eye of the Tiger
Don’t Stop Believing
In The Backyard
Ace of Spades
Trinkmusik
Bohemian Rhapsody/ Paranoid
Schnapps
We’re Not Gonna Take It
Corn Liquor
She Was Skinny When I Met Her
Fat Bottomed Girls
Pour Some Sugar on Me
I’m Keeping Your Poop
Moonshiners Daughter
Merch Selling Song
Highway to Hell
Careless Hotel Whisper Rider
Full Euro dates are on the band's website