The Great Escape – The Black Belles

These Jack White-produced Nashville Goths appeared clad in black, from their velvet hats to their six inch heels. Their mentor’s sound was ever-present from the thumping, basic drums to the adept Led Zep guitar solos. A cover of the Knickerbockers’ garage classic ‘Lies’ was given the full, pedal-to-the-metal heavy rock treatment while Little Eva’s ‘Bend It’ was a bubblegum romp. The absence of the recently-departed keyboard player was hardly mentioned as singer Olivia stepped in on the fittingly spooky ‘Not Tonight’. Only time will tell if they will be defined by their associations or their novel(ty) look but they certainly can play.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome, 11 May 2012

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