Where – Trillians, Newcastle.
When – 24th April 25
Review and Photographs by Linda McDermott
Trillians Bar in Newcastle is becoming a go to place for me, even though it’s about a hundred-mile round trip, I’m finding some cracking bands there, with tonight showcasing yet another.
The Outlaw Orchestra describe themselves as ‘a thunder-grooving trio from the deep south of the UK, playing hard hitting outlaw country,’ and that’s something I’ve got to hear!
They are:
Dave Roux– Vocals/Guitars
Pete Briley – Banjo and everything with strings
Ryan Smith – drums and percussion
From the minute the band got on stage, they had the whole crowd smiling. Their name hinted at chaos, but they were set up and ready with an array of instruments that they could open a ‘Strings R Us’ shop with. The changes came thick and fast, guitars, a modern-day banjo, a cigar box guitar, a lap steel, and god knows what else but every switch worked and was well justified. I got the sense they could pick up just about anything with strings and make it sound amazing; it wouldn’t have surprised me if a tennis racket made an appearance!
The band masterfully blends their humour into their well-crafted songs that are genuinely brilliant. Their sharp storytelling delivers upbeat tales that are witty, while the music perfectly amplifies every detail. It’s a rare mix of comedy and craftsmanship that feels effortlessly natural and endlessly entertaining.
Their songs spun tales that were totally hilarious. Tracks about Willie Nelson, weed and Johnny Cash (Too Much Willie Nelson) rubbed shoulders with wilder numbers involving, a butcher, bones, a dog, and soup, (Bag of Bones.) Every song came with its own funny tale, and they had the whole room in stitches. At one point, Dave even joked that “we were an audience worth having a guitar in tune for,” to which the crowd laughed and appreciated his thoughtfulness!
The songs themselves were brilliant: raw, upbeat, packed with personality, and made to get people foot tapping, which they did. Nothing felt over-rehearsed or sterile, it was loose in all the right ways, full of grit and heart. I loved every song, from ‘Rotten Apples’ that had a great pacy beat about it, to ‘Back to Georgia’ that showed of Ryan’s skill on the drums, in fact each song was an uptempo party tune.
By the end, the atmosphere is chilled and there are smiling faces all around, and that’s what makes this night special. Nothing fake, just a band who genuinely loved playing and a crowd who would have liked to hear more.
I would go and see them again in a heartbeat. Honestly, it’s easy to picture them tearing up a summer festival stage, beer in hand, sun going down, crowd laughing and dancing away.
The Outlaw Orchestra are on tour with The Gypsy Pistoleros so please do yourself a favour and catch a show, I promise you will have a fantastic night out that will bring a smile to your face.
Check out the dates of the tour on their website
Video
Rotten Apples
https://www.facebook.com/theoutlaworchestra
https://www.instagram.com/theoutlaworchestra
Check out The Gypsy Pistoleros in a separate review.
+ There are no comments
Add yours