Here’s something you don’t see every day—a UK band that’s much more well-known in the States than their home country. I’m talking about English glam rock band The Struts. Being a fan of all things glam rock myself, these guys have been on my radar from the day that they signed with Interscope Records when a friend of mine sent me a message that only read, “You need to hear this.”
It’s no secret that The Struts wear their influences on their sleeves and that’s a good thing because they know exactly who they are. Frontman Luke Spiller is the spitting image of the late, great Freddie Mercury, and he has the moves and voice to back it up. You can tell within the first few seconds of a Struts show that this guy was born to do this. He uses every square inch of the stage at his disposal and ignites the crowd with the energy of a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.
Highlights from the set? How about the entire fucking set was one big highlight. New songs “One Night Only” and “Who Am I” take the band’s songwriting to a new level underscoring the fact that these guys are the real deal. “Kiss This” and “Could Have Been Me” just about blew the roof off of the Electric Ballroom.
The band seemed to be taken aback with the sold-out crowd in a moderately sized venue. For a band that’s played outside of their home country to festival sized audiences, they were incredibly humble and thankful. For a moment that night, they seemed to let their rock star personas down and exposed some vulnerability to the audience. That’s something you don’t see much at a rock show, and it reveals a real connection between the two.
While there’s no firm date on the new record, fans can wait with bated breath while celebrating the release of a live and acoustic EP. (When did the rock ‘n’ roll world forget how cool these records can be anyway?)
It was my first time seeing The Struts live and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. After the news that one of the greatest record labels of all time, Atlantic Records, have completely lost their mind by signing “the next big thing,” I think it’s safe to say that the music industry can officially be declared dead. And since we’ve hit rock bottom, let’s focus on rebuilding. Let’s get back to what made the industry great in the first place—remarkable talent, incredible songwriting, and unbridled showmanship.
The Struts are currently out with the The Rolling Stones in Europe and then head back to the US to join the Foo Fighters tour.
