Knock Out Kaine @ The Jolly Brewer
In the wild and debauched world of Hard Rock, the aim of the game is to make an impact, to put on a blinding live performance, and to leave people wanting more.
If you were looking for a truly awe-inspiring local rock band, then lay down your burdens, weary traveler.
Your search is over.
KNOCK OUT KAINE
photo by Greg Smith
With the infectious rock n’ roll attitude and stunning musicianship of Motley Crue, and the ability to deliver a Hard Rock ballad like Skid Row, Knock Out Kaine are a band that will soon be headlining gigs across Europe, and maybe even America. I certainly wouldn’t put it past them.
They played an imbroglio of songs from their fantastic new album House Of Sins, which is available from HMV and at their gigs. These sinfully sweet songs included the electrifying hard rock anthem Set The Night On Fire, the evocative ballad Coming Home and right at the very end, to cap the night off in spectacular style, their unique and brilliant cover of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell.
This is the second time I’ve seen this band, which is a testament to the infectiousness of their music. It’s undiluted, raw hard rock, the way it was meant to be, yet the band that produced it are definitively English. It’s easy to tell what their musical influences are – the 80’s hard rock movement in America, including such bands as Guns n’ Roses, Aerosmith and Motley Crue is their era of inspiration.
They’ve been going since 2005, getting gigs across the UK to spread their music. Seven years since their birth and they are now standing proud at the very top of Lincoln’s rock scene, a spot they aren’t gonig to surrender any time soon.
The Jolly Brewer can consider itself rocked. When they started playing Rebel Yell, everyone totally lost their… well, you get the picture.
One aspect of their music that is definitely worth mentioning at this juncture is that they are diverse within the genre. They have turbulent rock anthems like title track House Of Sins and Set The Night On Fire, they have ballads like Moving On and Coming Home AND they have delicious, sleazy numbers such as Skinstar and Little Crystal. They know their music, these lads.
Drummer Danny Krash provides the bedrock for the outfit, with classic rock drumming. If you pay particular attention, you might even notice hints of drumming more akin to metal music, which is one of his personal influences. Bassist Lee Byrne holds down the low end for Knock Out Kaine with consistent, driving basslines that really carry the song’s along. Jimmy Bohemian is the man behind the guitar for this musical tour de force, and what a guitar player he is.
Honestly. Mind-blowing.
The spearhead of the band is arguably Dean Foxx, the vocalist and also acoustic guitar player when the ballads roll around. He provides the lyrical paint to the musical canvas, and to complete this rather shoddy metaphor, helps Knock Out Kaine make the masterpieces that they are now renowned for in the city of Lincoln, UK.
Also, a hat-tip to Emperor Chung, who were supporting Knock Out Kaine, and were very good too.