One or more generations ago, rock musicians that wanted to become rock stars dressed and acted on stage as if they were already stars. Nowadays, most musicians are indistinguishable from the team that changes the oil and rotates the tires on your vehicle. Will the glamorous days of rock ever return? Meet the Struts, a band that plays as well as it poses, and a band that is poised for rock stardom.
Formed in England in 2012, the Struts found success at home before seeking fortune in America in 2015 by relocating to Los Angeles, California. Now with the release of a third album, Strange Days, and a headlining tour of large halls and small theaters, the Struts is reaching a wider audience. The band presently consists of vocalist Luke Spiller, guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies.
At Irving Plaza on October 8, following a colorful set by glam rockers Starbenders, the production crew was clever enough to play classic rock songs over the speakers leading to the Struts' show time. With younger fans pressed against the front railing and older fans hanging closer to the bar in the back of the venue, quite a variety of music fans sang along with the choruses, even though many in front were not yet born when those songs became the hard rock soundtrack of the 20th century. The mood was set for when the lights dimmed and the Struts sauntered onstage.
Spiller commanded the stage from the moment he landed, a natural performer who thrived on the audience's cheers. Throughout the concert, Spiller worked on building a human connection with the audience. He introduced many songs with a quick reference point. "The next song is about my favorite thing," he said before the band launched into "Dirty Sexy Money" with him. Before "Mary Go Round," Spiller told the audience "the last song was the foreplay and now we're gonna turn down the lights, so get out your phones," as the band played the song mostly under the light of the fans' cell phones. Spiller encouraged sing-alongs, led a left-right cheering contest, and asked the audience to crouch and leap during one song. The fans were eager to comply.
Parallels to Queen are forgivable. From start to finish, Spiller sang a wide vocal range powerfully, much like Freddie Mercury, and even bore a physical resemblance to early Mercury. The rest of the band rocked well while also impressing visually with flashy outfits and exaggerated rock star moves. Fortunately, the band had the songs and the chops to warrant a comparison to Queen.
The Struts' set list consisted of hook-driven, hard-rocking songs from the band's three albums and three EPs. The set included four songs from the band's current album, Strange Days, recorded during the pandemic. Spiller started the title song solo on the piano and built to a bombastic climax. Perhaps the fans singing along resonated with the lyrics of the chorus.
Oh these are strange days, In many strange ways,
Science fiction, I believe, Has become reality,
Oh these are strange times, Lost in our minds,
We don't know, it's unclear, Where we'll be this time next year
As the band prepared to close the set, Spiller asked the audience, "Who's willing to see the Struts again? Raise your hands." The generous response was a forecast that indeed the Struts may very well be on its way to superstardom by this time next year.
Setlist
- Primadonna Like Me
- Body Talks
- Kiss This
- I Hate How Much I Want You
- Fire (Part 1)
- One Night Only
- Dirty Sexy Money
- Low Key In Love
- Mary Go Round
- Put Your Money on Me
- Put Your Hands Up / These Times Are Changing / Bulletproof Baby / All Dressed Up (With Nowhere to Go) / Only Just a Call Away / Where Did She Go
- Am I Talking to the Champagne (or Talking to You)
- Guitar Solo
- Wild Child
- I Do It So Well
Encore:
- Strange Days
- Could Have Been Me
The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's October 2021 calendar.
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