View on Flickr. Photos by Heather Fitsell/February Photography.
Today has been a long time coming for Heaven’s Basement; they have superseded their past difficulties with brash, in your face, balls out British rock, with this month’s release of their début album ‘Filthy Empire’.
Going for something a little different, a matinee gig at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston was chosen as the album launch show. Fans had bought a ticket and CD package, and so on entering the venue, they were some of the first people to get their hands on the album a day ahead of its official release.
Cage The Gods warmed up the Heaven’s Basement fans valiantly, proving to be a suitable choice of support band. (4/5)
Heaven’s Basement took to the small stage to cheerful applause and opened with ‘Welcome Home’. It is difficult to get even ardent fans going with new material, so their sensible second song choice was ‘Can’t Let Go’, also an album track; this is an old school Heaven’s Basement song, which starts to increase the volume of the cheers from the fans.
As the photographers moved out of the way, Heaven’s Basement attempted to set ‘Fire, Fire’ to the audience with their single, followed in quick succession by ‘I Am Electric’, which has also been pre-released off the album. Both tracks are known by Heaven’s Basement fans, but through no fault of the band, there was something lack lustre about this afternoon’s audience. The front rows just stood, watched and applauded, there was none of the usual crowd madness of a Heaven’s Basement show which was disappointing and was no doubt disappointing for the band too; there was no energy for singer Aaron Buchanan to feed off and it is evident from past shows that he lives for that.
The appropriately named ‘London’ and ‘Nothing Left To Lose’ were well played by guitarist Sid Glover, bassist Rob Ellershaw and drummer Chris Rivers, as they show a lighter side to the bands music.
Following ‘Jump Back’, Heaven’s Basement rounded off the set with ‘Reign On My Parade’ and ‘Executioner’s Day’, trusty set list closers that help pick up the vocal chords if not the energy of the band.
Heaven’s Basement played their set well, giving it far more than they were getting back. (4/5)
4/5
Words and Photos by Heather Fitsell/