12 February 2008 (gig)
26 February 2008
When 400 Metal fans descend on Hoxton Bar & Grill to rub shoulders with the routine Shoreditch locals, you just know it’s going to be an interesting night. Kicking off their whistle-stop European tour, Danko Jones hit our shores to promote their new album, Never Too Loud. It’s a strange choice of venue for this Toronto based 3-piece band, but there is an air of excitement and the leather/denim jacket crowd, (with optional Metallica badges), don’t care one bit. They are excited, they are shouting and I think I hear a few of them whooping.
The Canadian trio of Danko Jones (vocals/ guitar), JC (Bass) & Dan Cornelius (drums) begin with Code of the Road and everyone is instantly singing and swinging along. By the second song (Play the Blues) a select few have begun crowd surfing. With no stewards to grab and march you away, this is good old crowd surfing. If you make it to the stage, you simply find your feet and jump straight back in.
The thing that strikes me is that Danko is one hell of a front man. He patrols the stage like a Maori descendant of Gene Simmons, his tongue flicking out at the crowd. As a 3-piece these guys makes one hell of a sound. Danko fills the role of singer/rhythm and lead rolled into one. Stir in some fluid bass lines and a large dose of precision drumming and you have a very, very good band.
It’s not long into the gig when Danko decides to address the crowd. Sounding like James Hetfield, he begins, 'This is the first night of our tour to promote the new album and we chose the UK. When you guys open your mouths, the whole world listens'. He later adds 'I hate people saying, we are doing this for the world, fuck that, we play for rock n roll'. It’s a tad corny and you could say big-headed, but there is a message that Danko wants people to hear. These guys are passionate about their music and their contribution to the scene.
Before the last song we are told about how they feel they are on a mountain, a sort of high point on what sounds like a roller coaster journey for the band. You can sense people have been down on them and that they have had a certain amount of struggle with success. However, the last few years have seen them play at most Festivals around Europe; Leeds, Lowlands, Reading, Ozzfest, Rock Am Ring & Wacken Open Air to name a few. It’s a clear indication that they have big fan base and that they suit playing live.
Their character epitomises old school rock 'n’ roll and even if the attitude and speeches isn’t your thing, witnessing the effort they put into each song makes you like them. With a new album and another European tour in April, Danko Jones could be on the brink of something they finally deserve,
