Night Train

Part of my recovery process is starting to do more of what I used to do when I was fit and well. Getting out and seeing live bands would definitely fall under that heading. I'd seen Chuck Prophet at the Metronome (and just about it made it unscathed) and last week I figured I'd be able to manage DeWolff at the Rescue Rooms (I saw it was a 10pm curfew so happy days - I still get very tired). All the way from Amsterdam, I've been following this insanely talented Dutch guitar/Hammond/drums trio for a few years now but this was the first time I'd managed to see them in a live situation. 

If I tell you they opened with this and didn't take their foot off the gas for 90 minutes it'll give you an ideas of just how good a night it was. A quick explainer - it was just the three of them last week, not the full on wall of sound with horn section and backing singers you see below. (And that's taking absolutely nothing away from them or their ridiculously high energy levels.)

DeWolff - Night Train (2025)

 

★

A week later and I'm still kicking myself for not getting to the venue a little earlier; that said I was still able to catch a fair bit of the support band's set and generally weigh 'em up. It can be daunting opening for anyone, let alone an established act, but Silveroller don't do nerves. Watching them strutting around - like they owned the place - it was like seeing a cross between Rod and the Faces and the Black Crowes up there on stage. And good to see the sound guy didn't fuck about with their sound either. I'd definitely like to catch them again. Preferably when they're headlining.

Silveroller - Hold (2024)

Hungry

Thanks to a recently gifted subscription, a copy of Shindig! magazine lands on my doormat every month regular as clockwork; and as we know nothing is more regular than clockwork.

Concealed within its covers are the sort of bands who, I'm guessing, rarely, if ever, make the mainstream glossies. Some of them may never have seen their names in print before. Ever.

A recent discovery has been a bunch of young lads from the Netherlands. I'm tempted to call DeWolff a power trio, they being a threesome, but that would be doing them a disservice. And the reason I say that is because, yes, they can belt it out with the best of them and, yes, they can probably trace their lineage back to Deep Purple (Mark One, no less) and very early ZZ Top, but, when they drop a gear and gently apply the brakes, they are more than capable of sounding as soulful - and as funky - as this. Nice.

DeWolff - It Ain't Easy (2020)