It’s January, it’s cold, it’s miserable and the temptation is to just stay indoors and hibernate.  So what better way to combat those mid-winter blues than with a three band sold out rock n’ roll show? 

Openers Rubikon deal in a dense, throbbing, swampy sound that certainly makes an immediate impact.  Somewhat constrained by the restricted stage areas, they make the absolute most of both the time and space afforded them. Vocalist Jae Sims has a manic intensity and electric energy in his delivery, a whirling ball of flailing limbs and frantic moves that do make you fear for his safety at times, especially when he strays too close to their bassist stomping and grooving stage right.  They make it clear that they are delighted to be playing in the UK; after 22 years together, this is their first foray onto our shores and they are evidently revelling in the experience and are taking no prisoners.  It’s a short, punchy, powerful set, both musically and visually setting the tone perfectly for the rest of the night. If you’re planning on catching any of the later dates on this tour, make sure to get down early enough to catch Rubikon, they’re fascinating in their difference and definitely deserve your attention. 

It’s very apparent that many of the audience are familiar with The Treatment, the band having been a fixture on the UK scene for a good few years now and as a result the capacity crowd welcomes them like homecoming heroes.  Such is the strength of their performance, their eminently addictive back catalogue of material and effortless crowd interactions, a random passer-by wandering into the Waterloo at this point could very well be mistaken for thinking that these were the headliners!  There’s so much to love in what they do; whilst it may not be anything new it’s done with such panache, attitude and engaging swagger, that you can’t help but be swept along by their enthusiasm and passion for the music they play. Music, especially live music, should make you feel something, joy, elation, sadness, it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it provokes a reaction. And what The Treatment make you feel is, quite simply, unadulterated fun; singer Tom Rampton is a master at audience participation and almost immediately has the sold-out crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.  He says jump, we jump, clap, we clap, and even though asking us to crouch raises a few eyebrows (especially those for whom 50 may be in the rear-view mirror) we still do it and sore joints bedamned.  It’s expert stage craft, like it used to be done and reminds us of the raw power and sheer joy of rock n’ roll, and is why The Treatment live are such an engaging and irresistible proposition; they pay homage to the legends of past, whilst being grounded in the here and now.  The Treatment are here to have a good time and want to take us all along for the ride and that’s exactly what they do. 

With a new album on the way and a subsequent tour due on the back of it, is the tide turning in The Treatment’s favour?  Only time will tell, but judging by the buzz around the band tonight and the sea of smiling faces when their set is over, there’s a lot of people who would love to see that happen. 

And if The Treatment lit the fuse on this rock n roll party, Buckcherry well and truly ignite it.  Whereas The Treatment may have more youthful enthusiasm, Buckcherry have the depth and experience of true rock n roll survivors.  Inconceivably the band are celebrating more than two decades in the business and manage that rare feat of still being dynamic, exciting and above all credible in genre that we are told went out of fashion years ago.  But that’s surely the point; Buckcherry create the music they want to, with zero regard to what is trendy.  If you like it, great, if you don’t, then quite simply they don’t give a shit. 

This is a band that wears their years like they wear their tattoos, upfront and in your face.  Josh Todd is the lightning rod for your attention, a walking work of art, supremely confident, prowling the stage like an apex predator or twirling and moving like a prize-fighter.  Commanding the audience with just a glance or a gesture, he’s by turns frenzied, wild and a ball of aggressive energy and in the next breath, showing an almost preternatural stillness, his thousand-yard stare firing off into a distance looking into a memory that only he can see.  Just below the surface there often seems to be a barely concealed belligerence and attitude, which in these sanitised and safe days is refreshing to see, an air of danger that is both beguiling and a little un-nerving, but all the better for it.   

The band are tight and on fiery form as they romp through the a setlist from across the years; from the fizzing, punky ‘54321’ to the obvious big hitters whilst the sleaze they are so known for is rightly front and centre, look a little deeper and you’ll find that it’s doesn’t always glorify that scene as you might imagine. Indeed, some of the songs such as ‘Whiskey in the Morning’ are a glimpse into the darker side, vignettes of that deceptively alluring world but delivered by a band who know those traps and pitfalls firsthand (remember what I said earlier about credibility?) ‘Pain’ is brutally raw and honest, ‘Sorry’ heartfelt and tender and the contrast between these quieter more introspective moments and the more upbeat numbers is startlingly impactful. Nowhere is this more effective than in the final three tracks sandwiching the shimmeringly gorgeous ‘Feels Like Love’ between the obligatory ‘Crazy Bitch’ and the gloriously irreverent ‘Say Fuck It.’. 

First gig of the year, and the bar has already been set very high indeed; it’s going to be fascinating to see which bands can reach – or even exceed – the mighty performances delivered by Buckcherry, The Treatment and Rubikon this evening. Three bands united in their passion for what they do; they may have different approaches but they are all resolutely committed to giving us the best show they possibly can. 

So, when this rock n roll train thunders into your town, get yourself along to your local venue and see for yourself. I mean, what else are you going to be doing on a Wednesday night (or Thursday or Friday or… well, you get what I mean…) 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Buckcherry, The Treatment, Rubikon