It is a really, really positive experience when you walk into a venue to see two up-and-coming bands and find the atmosphere absolutely buzzing before either have set foot on the stage. Tonight, we’re at Nottingham’s famed Bodega – one of those great venues that feels connected both to the local scene that spawned it and the wider UK circuit – to witness two fantastic bands, The Whiskey Flowers and The Zac Schulze Gang.
For us, tonight is, as much as anything, about making up for a missed opportunity. Stopped from catching Zac’s set in support of the exquisite Samantha Fish, thanks to Birmingham’s unmoving rush hour traffic, we’re delighted to have the chance to make amends. However, before Zac takes the stage, we have the wonderful Whiskey Flowers, a band we have not previously heard, but who clearly have a huge number of vocal fans in the area…
…And deservedly so.
A four-piece, the Whiskey Flowers describe themselves as a blues – rock – roots – Americana band, which does little justice to their remarkably diverse sound. Drawing from a range of artists, including Neil Young, Rory Gallagher (whom the band cover), Alice in Chains, Rage Against The Machine, and more, The Whiskey Flowers rarely stay still across the course of their 45-minute set, delighting a delirious crowd with their meticulously crafted original material.
They kick off with the southern charm of Mississippi Queen, which cheekily interpolates Sabbath and RATM, highlighting their diverse influences early on. With Steph and Aiden sharing fantastic chemistry (the latter showcasing some serious lead skills, the former demonstrating a strong voice and a gift for melody), we’re soon into Sunshine Love, which sidesteps the hard rock theatrics for a harder edged and bluesier take on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with a heavy beat powering it along and some great lead work.
Elsewhere, we get the Creamy riff of Perfect Imperfection and the dusty swagger of Broken Bones, which finds Aiden shredding away at the front of the stage. However, it’s arguably Alive More that provides the set with its emotional core. Based on an autobiographical vocal from Steph, it has a waltzing rhythm and some lovely interplay between Steph and Elliot (bass), with the song proving to be one of the most uniquely powerful moment’s in the band’s arsenal.
Following a nicely grungy new track, the band wrap things up with a pair of well-received Rory Gallagher covers – I Fell Apart (which offers some great vocal harmonies) and The Devil Made Me Do It. However, as much as it may set the crowd alight, I mean neither the band nor the sublimely talented Rory any disservice when I say the covers pale in comparison to the band’s original material.
With a tight performance, a varied and captivating set of songs, and great presence, The Whiskey Flowers put on a powerful show, and more than justify the audience’s boundless faith in them.
Next up is the uber-talented Zac Schulze, who saunters on stage with little fanfare before setting the place alight.
Seeing Zac, it’s hard not to be reminded of a young Joe Bonamassa – a similarly precocious talent who wowed audiences at a young age with an impeccable grasp of the form before developing the powerful body of work for which he is known today.
Zac, who still leans heavily on covers, may not be quite there yet but he’s well on his way. He kicks the night into gear with the blistering Woman – a high-octane blues with searing lead work. Zac may exude calm when he arrives on stage, but his insouciance vanishes the second his amp sparks into life, and he fully inhabits the fiery blues with which he’s made his name. As if to remind us that his band is a gang and not a solo project, we even get a funk bass solo from Ant Greenwell, who shows himself to be a similarly formidable talent.
The band follow up this foundation threatening opening with High Roller, a new track apparently based on a trip to Las Vegas, which draws together B.B. King and AC/DC, fills them with whiskey and sends them out, blank eyed and shaking, to take on the roulette wheels together. Then Ant takes to the mic for the Robert Cray infused ode to the leaf, Hole In My Pocket, which has classic blues spirit and mischievous undertones.
The set continues as the spirit of Rory is raised once again with a cover of I take What I Want, which opens with dazzling lead before plunging into a full tilt blues rocker delivered with raw authenticity by a fully committed Zac. Here, as elsewhere, Zac proves himself to be a master of tone, moving around his guitar with skill, slipping the pickups and manipulating volume to get exactly what he needs like a seasoned pro. And, also like a pro, he truly inhabits every screaming note he plays, forming a connection with the music that is irresistible.
From there, the set leaps around – Walking The Dog, with its Thrill Is Gone kinda vibe; a Dr Feelgood cover – with Zac neatly capturing that band’s thuggish intensity; and, as a highlight, a ferocious, drawn-out version of Hellhounds On My Trail, which sees the temperature in the Bodega shoot through the roof – hardly surprising because, by this point, the venue is packed to the rafters. It’s a dizzying display from three incredibly talented musicians, and it’s heartening to see them so well supported by an enthusiastic crowd.
What a night! Two great bands, both with a huge amount of talent and potential, and an audience more than up for the journey. In an industry that’s notorious for being hard, The Whiskey Flowers and Zac Schulze make it look easy and, if there’s any justice, they’ll be heading on to bigger venues soon – certainly it seems unlikely that the likes of the Bodega will be able to hold them very much longer.
