Jared James Nichols+2 -Bradford 14/10/23

Jared James Nichols/DeWolff/Silveroller -

Nightrain, Bradford, Saturday, 14th October 2023

So here we are in another relatively small, intimate venue that is Nightrain in Bradford. This I love as one really gets to feel the atmosphere gently bubbling up to the first performance. And what a night it is promising to be with not one, not two, but three bands on the bill!

Setlist: Black Crow/Trouble Follows Me/Nobody’s Business/Other Side/Come On, Come In/Hold.

Silveroller kick off proceedings with Frontman, Jonnie Hodson moving and performing like Paul Rogers or David Coverdale and oozing just the right amount of sex appeal.

I am instantly impressed by their sound: the rasping vocals of Jonnie, the brilliant lead guitar by Aaron Keylock, and their image; the floral shirts and flares plus Joe Major the drummer’s cowboy hat complete with feather and Jake James Cornes the bass guitarist’s ‘Magnum PI’ moustache all showing they have embraced an early 70’s vibe.

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I really like this band and their rocky sound infused with the right amount of the blues as they transport me back in time. Jonnie confidently twirling the mike stand as though he has been doing so for years and yet informing us of the release of their first single ‘Hold’ (available on Golden Robot Records) and their yet to be titled album due out in March 2024 and urging us to watch or listen to this via media outlets.

I know I will be watching them and am keen to follow their career where I feel sure they will be playing at many festivals and supporting a host of acts until they get to headline their own shows. The set is over all too soon leaving the audience wanting more, a good sign they have gone down extremely well.

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Setlist: Night Train/Treasure City Moonchild/Will O’ The Wisp/R U My Saviour/ Tired Of Loving You/Deceit And Woo.

We’re chomping at the bit now for band number two and we do not have long to wait for the second act of the evening. This is the band that we, personally, have really come to see as this Dutch trio are now in our list of go to bands to listen to on a frequent and regular basis in our house, having discovered them during lockdown and being blown away by their nonagon performances.

Enter Dewolff; one Pablo van de Poel on lead guitar and vocals, Luka van de Poel on drums and vocals and Robin Piso on Hammond organ to a great cacophony of cheering. Their fanbase is growing steadily seeing new members every day. DeWolff are a band who also embrace all that is 70s (you saw it here first folks!) and their image reflects this with tonight seeing them clad in their own designed and homemade outfits produced by Luka and his wife Lina.

“Are you ready for some rock & roll … I said, are you ready for night train?”, announces Pablo as they open with ‘Night Train’. This is a real crowd pleaser straight away with Pablo giving the title at the end for those who are not familiar with it and the coincidental reference to the venue. This is followed by ‘Treasure City Moonchild’ and then the ever brilliant ‘Will O’ The Wisp’.

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By now the audience is witness to the fantastic chemistry between the band and in no doubt of their combined passion. Pablo becoming completely immersed in his guitar playing throwing moves and facial expressions to prove the point, Robin leaning and throwing himself enthusiastically across the keyboard swinging his hair with abandon and Luka keeping it altogether with some precision drumming and backing vocals.

This triad show a passion that knows no bounds. With his free and easy laid-back style and with beer to hand Pablo does a great job of drawing us in and looks for some audience participation with ‘Deceit And Woo’, a point of the finger is our indication to sing out in response ‘woo’ and looking around at the crowd I can see they have embraced this with a passion.

Well, someone has to stand in for backing singers ‘Diwa and Kim’ who have not accompanied them but are a big part of the band seen in many of their other European shows.

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Well, someone has to stand in for backing singers ‘Diwa and Kim’ who have not accompanied them but are a big part of the band seen in many of their other European shows. If you were not already captivated and entranced by this band you must be now and already planning to see them in a headline spot; this being announced at the end of the show for March 2024.

Setlist: Easy Come, Easy Go/Delusion/Down The Drain/Hard Wired/Threw Me To The Wolves/Skin ‘n Bone/Bad Roots/Honey Forgive Me/Shadow Dancer/ Good Time Girl/Keep Your Light On.

Encore: Nailed In The Coffin/War Pigs.

With regard to Jared James Nichols, I know little of him and his music having only listened to a couple of tracks prior to this evening. He is from East Troy, Wisconsin and I like this blues-rock sound and feel sure that this is going to be good.

The venue is certainly simmering with anticipation for our third act of the evening and the crowd has grown and surged forward ready. Then OMG! Jared arrives on stage all wild eyed and wild haired with one enormous smile reaching through the whole venue. Although his entrance is not spectacular, he has a fantastic aura making it appear he could actually have been beamed down from above such is the rock god status he exudes.

And now as he launches into his first guitar riff of ‘Easy Come, Easy Go’ I know this is going to be fantastic. What follows are mostly new tracks from his self-titled album with a few old tracks thrown in like ‘Threw Me To The Wolves’ and these are delivered to pack a punch. Louis Collins (who Jared teasingly informs us is from boring Bournemouth – he actually is!) on bass guitar and backing vocals and Ryan Rice on drums along with Jared make up an awesome trio as they play and jam together.

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Jared injects a little humour into the evening as he plays part of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ aka the Top Gear theme tune. He repeatedly comes right to the barrier to engage with and eye contact his audience taking up the pose of foot on the barrier with guitar held vertically playing almost manically, barrier wobbling precariously under foot.

Not content with this Jared then determinedly pushes his way past the metal barrier to get right in with the crowd much to the confusion of the roadie desperately trying to unravel the guitar cord, and to the delight of the shrieking crowd. The final song of the set ‘Nails In The Coffin’ goes down brilliantly with plenty of audience participation and another elongated solo we have come to love and expect.

Then the encore; we are treated to a nine-minute version of ‘War Pigs’. Absolutely fantastic! I know I’m buzzing. This is an artist I intend to listen to and see again.

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