Live Review : Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown + Sonia Leigh @ Soup Kitchen, Manchester on June 28th 2018.

Going to a gig while England is playing a soccer game in a World competition can only mean two things. First Paul will inform me at short notice of his unavailability to attend the gig for reporting duties, second, the M62 as well as Manchester could be part of the set for a new series of The Walking Dead, if it wasn't for the lack of tumbleweed.

On a five UK tour dates before performing at The Ramblin' Man Fair festival and supporting Guns N' Roses across Europe, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown is tonight at the Soup Kitchen in East Manchester. As I arrive to the venue, the restaurant is rather empty and music is blasting out from the basement windows. Surely, when I called hours earlier to check on time slots, I was told the supporting band Sonia Leigh would come on at 8.30 not 8.00.

Often described as a country singer songwriter, Sonia Leigh who is from the same Nashville as Tyler Bryant, (Tennessee, as if there were other Nashvilles and maybe there are...) serves something a little bit more uptempo. Maybe, my understanding of Country music with slide guitars and violins on songs about pretty girls, pickup truck and cold buds is limited but if that is country, I'll eat my hat but I haven't got one. Acting sheepish under a grungy fringe, Sonia's rock is modest and so is the rest of her band, letting her shine with her raspy vocals on the jolly "My Name is Money" or the soulful "Ladder To The Moon".  Before I know it, the set is over and realise that you should never rely on venues for stage times.

It is the 3rd time I am seeing Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown as they have made it an habit to visit our shores frequently since the release of their self titled album last year and I am under no illusion on what to expect tonight.

The Shakedown greet us first before starting their set, guitarist Graham Whitford (son of Aerosmith's Brad, going by the same name), Noah Denney on bass and drummer Caleb Crosby are all smiles and dimples, shaking hands with the front row as Tyler Bryant is a little behind.

Once Tyler is armed with his reunited pink fender stratocaster, the band kicks off their set with the up tempo 'House On Fire', a gem of a tune with Foo Fighters flavours, which inevitably get the true rockerin you to jump, shake and dance. Although Tyler has started his career as a blues player and been noticed as such young age for being incredibly talented, 'Criminal Imagination' and the T-Rexian  'Don't Mind The Blood' are all about groove, glam and guts. Tyler Bryant is in a trance, and truly gives it all, throwing every ounce of energy in his guitar.

'Downtown Tonight' brings the blues side of their music to the forefront, when given the opportunity Tyler Bryant runs riot with an extended solo before bringing it back down to the Tennessee swamps filled main riff.

As the band races through the set of crowd-pleasing songs, it is obvious that the connection between the band and their fans is tight. Tyler Bryant reminds us all that "We are just a bunch of friends" and Caleb Crosby occasionally launches himself from his drum kit to poke people's eyes out by throwing randomly his sticks.

Things tone down a bit, when Tyler Bryant harbours a dobro for a rather slap dashed rendition of the Elvis classic 'That's Alright Mama', Graham Whitford is offered a respectable slot to demonstrate that he isn't just a rhythm guitar player. With his Les Paul, Graham is soulful and his own man.

Once Caleb Crosby has settled on the stage ledge with his spare bass drum, with the classic 'Ramblin' Bones', the southern 'Lipstick Wonder Woman' and the melancholic 'Wayside' Tyler Bryant bring the set to its bare essentials. The crowd cannot resist from joining on vocals.

Finally the Aerosmith infused 'Weak and weeping' draws the set to a close, the intertwined tones of Tyler's Fender and Graham's Gibson are just magical during an improvised outro.

A cheeky Tyler ask us to turn around to save time for the encore, best idea ever as the band kicks straight into 'You Wreck Me', a tribute to Tom Petty and brings the Soup Kitchen down with a grand finale of guitar shredding on 'House That Jack Built'.

Tyler Bryant has it all, looks, talent, charisma, and with The Shakedown, chemistry is there for all to see. It is only a matter of time before his band gains international exposure. Meanwhile, I will tell all what a great night of rock n' roll it was on the night England lost 0-1 to Belgium.

Words and photography by Johann Wierzbicki