Due to the early start of the Dead Daisies headline set (830…) along with the car meets bike mayhem that is Oxford’s Cowley Road I miss the incendiary Massive Wagons and Oliver/Dawson’s Saxon. The Dead Daisies are an odd Rock proposition, not quite a “supergroup” but by no means a “small” band and on a freezing cold Tuesday night they bring a touch of Los Angeles sunshine to the busy O2. As value for money goes the DD’s put in a shift and some with almost two hours of blue-chip, high-class Rock ‘N’ Roll. ‘Midnight Moses’ kicks us off before a booming cover of Howlin Wolf’s ‘Evil’ gives way to the Rockobvious ‘Make Some Noise’.
‘Resurected’ is paired with a mercifully short guitar solo before the Who’s ‘Join Together’ proceeds the band sitting front and centre for an acoustic mid-set run through. ‘Something That I Said’, ‘Stay With Me’ (yes that one) and a strangely emotive version of The Beatles ‘Let It Be’ are all embraced and then deeply inhaled. Electricity is restored for ‘Burn It Down’ and the musicianship on show never drops below a nine out of ten. Yes, at times it feels like a Rock show by numbers as the cliched facial expressions, solo’s and stage attire all snuggly fit inside the late 1980’s Rockstar onesie, oh and each member of the DD’s hair is stupendous. The band introductions are accompanied by a medley of hits including “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll’, ‘Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll’, ‘I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll’, ‘Schools Out’ and ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ before The Rolling Stones ‘Bitch’ is given a full-length Sunset Strip slap. Dasie’s founder David Lowry is joined by Doug Eldrich (Whitesnake), Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy), Deen J Castronovo (Journey) and John Corabi (Scream & Motley Crue). Corabi’s voice is imperious throughout and his front of house banter, anecdotes and stories keep the set nicely purring along. The Dead Daisies are a hard working and cheerfully honest Rock thoroughbred designed to entertain, more power to ‘em.