The Struts are Young and Dangerous as they bring their Body Talks 2018 Tour to Cincinnati
Since their 2014 debut release, Everybody Wants, The Struts have been gradually building momentum. Relocating from the UK after not gaining the following they were working so hard for, they have been road warriors of sorts with a punishing tour schedule that has seen them opening for the likes of Guns and Roses, The Who, The Rolling Stones and most recently The Foo FIghers. The support they received from Dave Grohl during that tour, going so far as to proclaim them the best openers the Foos have ever had, gave this band the boost they were looking for.
As 2017 came to a close, front man Luke Spiller, drummer Gethin Davies, Adam Slack on guitar and bass player Jed Eilliot confidently proclaimed that 2018 was going to be “The Year of The Struts” and have moved heaven and earth to make it so. With the October release of their second album, Young and Dangerous, The Struts have been on fire, as they embarked on their headlining Body Talks Tour, selling out venues, whipping crowds into a frenzy, and growing their legion of fans along the way. After being compared to legendary musicians before them, it may be time for The Struts to receive credit where credit is due. They are an electrifying band that provides their audience with pure entertainment from start to finish. It is difficult to imagine anyone leaving a concert by The Struts disappointed.
Luke Spiller knows how to command an audience. That’s a fact. From the first song of the night, “Primadonna Like Me” complete with a jacket emblazoned with “21st Century Dandy” on the back, he is a force of nature. The 2 hours that follow are an interactive experience for their audience between jumping up and down, clapping in synch with the song, singing along and at one point getting down on the ground only to jump up on command “like a firecracker”. It is one thing for a veteran band to ask the crowd to sing a well-loved song, but when Luke Spiller asks the audience to sing lyrics to songs that have only been released just a few months ago, it comes as no surprise that he is not disappointed.
During the course of the night, The Struts run through the first single of their new album, the infectious “Body Talks”, as well as a string of tunes from their 2 albums such as new songs “Fire” and “Ashes” which are bookends of a relationship from the beginning to the painful end, “Freak Like You” and the anthem-like “Bulletproof”, songs about being an outsider who must embrace that part of themselves and learn to Be Yourself, the ultimate fan favorites “Kiss This” and “Put Your Money On Me”. The crowd is fully engaged and loving every minute.
When the night comes to a close and the band takes their final bow, Luke Spiller reminds everyone, “Remember the name. The Struts…” 2018 has proven to be the Year of The Struts. More and more people will know and remember their name.
Providing the main support this evening were Salt Lake, Utah based rockers Royal Bliss. Dressed in their finest Christmas suits Royal Bliss Blast on stage with something to prove. A stirring cover of Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down A Dream” along with a moving rendition of “Crazy” which was dedicated to the military, first responders and Police and Fire rescue folks were definite highlights of their almost 45 minute set.
Making the long trek from Windsor, Canada the duo of Tarek Jafar on guitar and vocals along with Justin Tessier on drums & vocals, The Blue Stones opened the show with a lively set that ended with the “Roll With The Punches”
