Airbourne and Convoy
Rock and Roll On The Rocks, at The Frequency, 4-17-13
by Sal Serio
Posted: Apr 2013
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Joel O'Keeffe of Airbourne tearing it up at the Frequency, April 17, 2013 - photo by Kris Huehne
When you’re on a roll, it’s best not to upset the balance. Lately, I have been picking the BEST rock shows to attend, and this streak has been consistently smokin’ HOT! Without question, one of my most anticipated shows of this Spring was the fist-pumpin’ power-chord double-bill of Australia’s mighty Airbourne, and the Chicago area’s main contenders, Convoy. Not only were my expectations fully met, but far, far, exceeded! The pure spirit of sweat, volume, and energy, had this show rocketing the stratosphere from the opening notes.
The atmosphere inside Madison’s Frequency rock emporium was surely one of anticipation when the doors opened at 8:00. Since the bands were still sound checking, basically the club’s bar area went from empty to cram-packed instantaneously, as we all grabbed drinks and waited to get in to the band area. This was definitely a “black t-shirt concert event” with many fired-up head-bangers donning their Airbourne apparel from past aural assaults.
After the thumbs-up was given to the door person, we flooded in to the stage area, with Convoy ready to give us their spirited “swamp rock” without hesitation. Having gained a solid following in Janesville, this was the first Madison performance by the group, and one could tell they were on a mission to liberate our pent-up rock ‘n roll animals and let the beasts run wild… which is exactly what happened! From the opening chords of “Gasoline”, lead singer/guitarist Brian Corbin was giving us 110%, and madman Mike Getz was flailing away on the drums like Animal from the Muppets morphed into a heavy metal Cousin It! Many songs from Convoy’s excellent 2012 release “Blue Collar America” peppered the set, with “Need For Speed” (dedicated to NASCAR fans) getting the most intense response. Lead guitarist Johnny Daniel and bassist/backing vocalist Dan Thompson were also spot-on full-tilt rock ‘n roll gonzo throughout their terrific opening set. Convoy left the assembled rockers wanting more, and I know they will be back in Madison in the near future… catch these guys soon! Trust me.
Now that the crowd was warmed up, Airbourne came on stage like they were absolutely possessed. They had not been gigging for eighteen months, and this was the opening night of their tour, so they were ready to explode, which, of course… they did! It’s no surprise that the band’s bio lists AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, and Judas Priest among their influences, with the only real shocker being that they brought a ton more hyper-energy to the stage than all three of those other bands combined!
Lead guitarist/vocalist Joel O’Keeffe was over-the-top intense from the get-go, and did not back off one iota throughout their entire 80 minute set. Seriously, it felt like they’d played for three hours, there was so much passion and athleticism to their performance! When I spoke to drummer Ryan O’Keeffe backstage afterwards, he was looking exhausted, and I asked, “HOW do you DO that?” He smiled wearily, and replied, “I don’t know!!”
Airbourne’s third CD “Black Dog Barking” is due out on the Roadrunner label May 21, but we were treated to all the anthemic chestnuts from their first two CDs, with “Too Much Too Young Too Fast”, “Diamond In The Rough”, “Girls In Black”, “No Way But The Hard Way”, and “Cheap Wine & Cheaper Women” among my favorites of the evening. Joel and rhythm guitarist David Roads had their Gibson Explorers shredding the thick air and destroying eardrums within a mile radius of the club. Bass player Justin Street was instantly drenched in perspiration and swung his back-length hair around in swircles.
My two uber-fave moments of this excellent concert were when Joel jumped off the stage into the packed crowd and ran over to Convoy’s merch table, climbed onto the tabletop, and proceeded to peel off a mind-boggling speed-metal solo, and shortly after he had returned to the stage, in the middle of a song, Joel grabbed a full, unopened, PBR tallboy, and proceeded to smash it against his head until it burst open and sprayed beer all over the crowd. As if once was truly not enough, he grabbed another PBR and repeated this gnarly ritual! Sweat, beer, balls, and rock ‘n roll! YEEAAHHHHH!