Artist: South Of Salem/Black Lakes
Venue: Buckley, Tivoli
Date: 9th February 2024
"I can safely say, during the last eighteen months, I have seen South Of Salem perform live more than any other band. Support slots, festival appearances, headline tours and even intimate acoustic in-store performances have all featured and, during that time, I have always come away from seeing them more impressed than the last time."
I can safely say, during the last eighteen months, I have seen South Of Salem perform live more than any other band. Support slots, festival appearances, headline tours and even intimate acoustic in-store performances have all featured and, during that time, I have always come away from seeing them more impressed than the last time. January 2024 saw the release of their sophomore full-length album, ‘Death Of The Party’, so I was never going to miss their first headline performance on the back of it. Arriving at the Tivoli venue in Buckley just before doors, it was gratifying to see a healthy queue of people already waiting to get inside.
Until a few weeks ago Black Lakes were a new name to me. After seeing them at the Dementia Awareness Festival in Cannock I was so taken in I bought their debut album, ‘For All We’ve Left Behind’, which appeared in the early part of 2022. There is something of a Linkin Park feel about their material, though they clearly have an identity of their own. The forty-minute support performance in North Wales cemented the thoughts I came away from Cannock with, and it’s great to know that their second album will be arriving very soon. New songs blended well with those from ‘For All…….’ and I will be keeping an eager eye on the touring schedule for the remainder of the year. Next on the calendar for the band is a run of shows with Jordan Red in May.
Hailing from Bournemouth, in the South of England, South Of Salem have built up a strong fanbase since the release of their debut ‘The Sinner Takes It All’ album, in 2020. They have honed their craft on the back of long periods of time on the road, becoming a well-oiled live machine in the process. Joey (vocals), Kodi (guitar), Dee (bass), James (drums) and Denis (guitar) were literally on fire at The Tivoli. The energy levels were off the chart from start to finish and the seventy-five-minute show was a fantastic spectacle. I witnessed a cool acoustic show by Joey, Kodi and Denis, just a few weeks earlier in Liverpool, but a full band set (plugged in) took things to another level completely. From the atmospheric introduction of a coffin to the stage, it was clear that there was a strong sense of theatrics involved, though never at the expense of the music and the songs. Having two albums worth of material has also benefited, as it means the set was longer, but remained well-balanced.
New songs, such as ‘Jet Black Eyes’, ‘Left For Dead’, ‘Death Of The Party’, ‘Vultures’ and ‘Hellbound Heart’ were a different beast in the live environment, but perfectly complimented the well-established favourites ‘No Plague Like Home’, ‘Pretty Little Nightmare’ and ‘Another Nail In My Coffin’. ‘Demons Are Forever’ gave everyone something of a breather, yet still had energy to burn. Billy Idol’s ‘Rebel Yell’ did not seem out of place, and I even saw the staff behind the bar singing along. ‘Cold Day In Hell’ brought things to a close and then it was a rush to the merch stall for those who had never seen the band before.
It feels like 2024 is going to a big year for South Of Salem and bigger venues surely beckon. The band are out on the road with Kris Barras in April. If they put in a show anything like they did at The Tivoli then Barras will have his work cut out. See ya down the front.
Review & Photo: Dave Bott
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