It's a very hot night. Inside Manchester University's Academy 3 it's as hot as its likely to get for a gig in England. The air is heavy, still
and oppressive, you wonder if anything could slice through it.
Then the sound of three guitars, bass and drums cut a swathe through the unforgiving heat, splitting it like the waves of the Red Sea and drawing our focus to four guys and a girl hammering away at their instruments likeall of creation depended upon it.
THE DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS for whom such heat and humidity is clearly no big deal, are here to rock our worlds, and they intend to do so for at least two and a half hours. Despite the uncomfortable atmosphere no-one is complaining - two and a half hours later all that you'll see will be sweaty grins and bemused looks of admiration.
Led by Patterson Hood, a huge bear of a man, goofy grin and a shit-kicking voice, The DBT's are one of those bands that look and sound like they've been around forever and you sense that they could almost be effortlessly producing their splendid brand of Southern Rock for the rest of eternity. Nothing tonight suggests that there's a single member of the band who would want it any other way.
Fellow singers and guitarists Mike Cooley and Jason Isbell flank Hood, churning out an astounding array of riffs or, stepping forward to hang like crows over the front of the stage whilst
ripping lead guitar solos from their 'axes' - Jeez, I haven't used that
term for decades!
Or else they're taking the vocal spotlight, Isbell all sensitive vulnerability ('Goddamn Lonely Love', 'Danko/Manuel') and Cooley,
stick thin, street smart, growling like Keef through songs like 'Daddy's Cup' and 'Where The Devil Don't Stay', lending the proceedings a well-balanced variety, further enhanced by the backing vocal options, the various combinations lifting songs from any danger of a repetitious rock soup.
As impressive as the three front men are, it's the rhythm section
that tonight impresses most, quiet, industrious drummer Brad Morgan and the small powerhouse that is bass-player Shona Tucker keep everything on course, reigning in the exuberance so that it never gets messy or too loose. They are at the controls throughout, particularly Tucker whose bass shepherds the 'boys' of the band like some cautious mom, holding them close when they need to be slow and take things steady, grabbing their shirt tails when they threaten to run off and kicking their asses when its time for them to stretch out, break away. Her bass thunders through the
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set like a thumping heart.
With such a large repertoire of songs at hand (six albums, one a double) there's no problem filling two and a half hours. It's more of a problem trying to recall them, songs are launched at us, one after another, each sounding like the best thing of the night, at least until the next comes along. Hood gives us a storming 'Puttin' People On The Moon' from 'The Dirty South', an exuberantly wild 'Steve McQueen' (from Gangstabilly), the wonderfully comic, cod country 'The Night GG Allin Came To Town' (Pizza Deliverance) and, 'Sink Hole' from Decoration Day with its great guitar lines.
Isbell is a revelation singing 'Decoration Day' itself, one of the
highlights of the night, he's passionate and tough as the song simmers and stings.
Throughout the gig they pass a bottle of Jack Daniels amongst themselves and I swear with each slug the volume goes up another notch. As they leave the stage after the set proper, the audience holler for more, unperturbed by the heat and length of set. On returning to the stage Hood recounts the gig they played recently in New Orleans, a club with a rich musical history that now lies beneath feet of filthy water. The band follow his impassioned speech with a version of Randy Newman's 'Louisiana' which reduces the packed room to silence, Isbell taking vocal duties, singing "Louisiana, they trying to wash us all away" while we experience one of those glorious moments when you realise the power music has to bring people together, to bring about a sharing and understanding that can cross any boundaries. A precious moment indeed.
The rest of the encore unfolds with the same rockin' fervour as the set we've witnessed already, four more songs including a version of Wings' 'Let Me Roll It' and then they're gone. If only I had a tenner for every sweaty grin.......
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