Danko Jones – Came here to f*** shit up and have a good time,

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Shake Your City Euro Tour 2023

Rebellion – Manchester 15th December

Review and photographs by Linda McDermott

Now and then you go and see a band that for some unknown reason picks you up by the scruff of the neck, shakes you around a bit and leaves you thinking, “What the hell just happened there!” Tonight, Danko Jones did just that……

With a 330-mile round trip to Rebellion in Manchester and the weather in our favour, the day got off to a good start. I’ve never been to Rebellion before, but the venue is renowned for its live music, especially metal and rock music where mosh pitting and stage diving are allowed, not that I will be participating in either of those activities!

Boasting bands to grace the stage such as Those Damn Crows, She Burns Red and South of Salem, Danko Jones will be in good company.

But first, we have a great support band in ‘The Kut’ who are a three-piece grungy female rock band from the UK. I’m very happy to say they had my attention from the start with their hard-hitting edginess and fusion of grunge influences. I could hear undertones of bands such as ‘L7’ and ‘Hole’ coming through in their tracks which was great. They deliver a powerful sound blending gritty music with Princess’s raw vocals that made the audience sit up and listen and want more.

Their set comprises them drawing songs from their earlier EPs and singles, mixed in with tracks from their albums ‘Grit’ and ‘Valley of Thorns’ all of which I recommend.

Each song from their repertoire reflects a compelling narrative, echoing the passion and intensity embedded in their music and lyrical content. This talented trio not only embrace the spirit of grunge they can keep it current in an ever-changing music industry. Stand-out tracks for me were ‘I Want You Maniac’ with its sing-along chorus and heaviness and the song ‘Fun When You Winning’ with its great head-nodding beat throughout.

The Kut are:

Princess – vocals/guitar

Daisy – bass/backing vocals.

Violet – drums

Set List

I Don’t Need Therapy

I Am Vain

Runaways

On My Own

If Looks Could Kill

Animo

Fun When You’re Winning

Burn Your Bridges

I Want You Maniac

Hollywood Rock and Roll

Bad Man

And One More.

With a great opening set from The Kut that warmed up the ever-increasing crowd nicely for the headliners. There was a quick changeover on stage and with a sound check in the bag it was now the turn of the main band of the evening.

Danko Jones is a hard-hitting rock trio originally from Toronto Canada, who are in the UK on the last leg of their European tour that started in Helsinki. As the penultimate date of their tour unfolds in Manchester, I’m keen to hear them play live before they head to London and then back home to Canada.

The heavy rockers with a punk edge to them were formed in 1996. With eleven great albums, an EP and numerous singles under their belt they have a formidable back catalogue to get your ears around. Their latest album ‘Electric Sounds’ was released in September this year and gives you a feel for the high-energy music they are all about. Proof that the album is a cracker comes from it charting at number 17 in the Classic Rock magazine’s best albums of the year 2023, beating the likes of Alice Cooper, The Hives and Def Leopard.

The band are:

Danko Jones – vocals/guitar

JC Calabrese – bass

Rich Knox- drums/backing vocals

Danko Jones hit the stage with a force that said buckle up and get ready for a night to remember. All dressed in black, they had an undeniable magnetic presence that captivated the audience from the first note of ‘Guess Who’s Back’. Danko, exuding charisma and charm, engaged the crowd with humour and wit, establishing an immediate connection. At one point he declared a preference for compliments over requests, as he insisted that every song in their repertoire was a great song, which in my humble opinion was the truth.

With a 19-song setlist, highlighting their musical prowess the room pulsated with energy and as I looked around me, I saw, a sea of enthusiastic faces singing along to each song with resounding clarity. With Danko’s banter in full flow between songs, he pointed out the stupidity of having the stage where there was a great big pole splitting it in half and the band having to choose a side, one which I was grateful for as I was taking photos. He also dedicated a song to all the unused mops in the cupboard, I’ll say no more on that statement! One of the biggest standout moments involves the audience passionately engaged in the chorus to ‘Good Time’ creating an unforgettable experience. I don’t think there was one person in the room who wasn’t singing the words ‘I came here to f*** shit up and have a good time’.

They sang anthem after anthem working the crowd with songs like ‘I Gotta Rock’, ‘My Little RNR’ and ‘You Are My Woman’ with an energy and a sound that pays homage to rock influences such as the likes of Thin Lizzy and AC/DC.

The night was full of little memories for me with things like JC singling out a young girl, who was standing next to me with her mum. He came over and handed her his

plectrum which she was so happy about that she declared to her mother that she was never going to let it go.

The concert became a testament to the band’s artistry and ease at entertaining their fans, leaving an indelible mark on the memories of those fortunate enough to be part of this experience. The band left the stage but came back on thanking the audience for pandering to that old rock and roll cliché before singing a couple more songs that he said they were always going to do because they were on the setlist.

This is one show I won’t forget and if you want my opinion, you should go and download those eleven albums and play them, then wait patiently for Danko Jones to tour the UK again and grab a ticket, because that’s exactly what I’m going to be doing.

Set List

Guess Who’s Back

Get High

I’m In A Band

I Gotta Rock

Lipstick Rock

First Date

Legs

Code Of The Road

Good Time

You Are My Woman

Flaunt It