Chickenfoot
London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
25th June, 2009

View: standing, first-tier, front-left

Skin warmed up the packed 40s+ crowd with a scintillating seven-song acoustic set, before the supergroup comprising Joe Satriani, ex-Van Halen’s Sammy Hager and Michael Anthony, and the Chilis’ Chad Smith, tore the stage up for 105 minutes. Running through their 10-song debut album, it was enhanced significantly by a visceral performance from all concerned, Hagar and Satriani, both in shades, plying us with powerful vocals and muscular riffage, while Anthony wailed along merrily, and Smith battered for all he was worth. Sexy Little Thing stood out, with its catchy refrain, Oh Yeah elicited the first of many heartfelt singalongs, and Hagar was genuinely chuffed, dipping into his beer bucket on Down The Drain, with Satch leading the funky groove. He donned a double-neck for the slide-laden Bitten By The Wolf, joined in harmonies on the bluesy Learning To Fall and played with his teeth on Turning Left, in which Chad followed his goofing on Get It Up with a fall, cutting his arm, doing his best Will Ferrell. Future In The Past completed things in screaming fashion, before Sammy joined Satch for a dual guitar Bad Motor Scooter. But Chad got the biggest laugh – and gasp – as he lobbed a drum 12 feet in the air, only to see it land on Sammy’s head. “I nearly killed Sammy,” he chuckled. “This guy’s fucking nuts!”, Sammy laughed. “What a fucking concert!” Agreed.

Reviewed by Tim Jones
<< Back to Issue 366

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