Several dedicated fans drove for hours from various points across the Midwest to see Dirty Honey perform on their first headline tour in support of their Rolling 7s EP with The Amazons opening on this bitterly cold Valentine’s Day night in St. Louis at Old Rock House. Those fans and everyone else in attendance in the packed house were ready to party all night long.
With their heavily-influenced iconic ’70s classic rock sound with an updated vibe and captivating stage presence, Dirty Honey’s becoming a favorite in the region and rightfully so. This young (2017) band has already opened for The Who and Guns ’n’ Roses among others. It’s also at least their third time in St. Louis in less than a year; at one point, lead singer Marc LaBelle noted that, when they performed at Pointfest in 2019, he predicted the St. Louis Blues would win the Stanley Cup. That remark alone cemented them forever into the hearts of everyone in attendance.
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LaBelle’s steadfast gaze pulled you in while his solid, often guttural voice filled the room on such songs as “Fire Away,” “Heartbreaker” (which we heard from a solid source it will be their next single released), and “Tied Up,” of which LaBelle stated, “I think we’re going to put that on the next record.”
After “Tied Up,” the band teased with a little GNR riff which the crowd responded wildly to, however, LaBelle said they’d played that enough, giving a nod to Slash and Myles Kennedy (of Alter Bridge) for their support before covering Aerosmith’s “Last Child.”
The 80-plus minute good ol’ rock ’n’ roll show that included several impressive solos from guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Corey Coverstone interspersed throughout, ended with the encore of the catchy, grooving “Rolling 7s.”
British rockers, The Amazons (whose self-titled album, released in May 2017, reached #8 in the UK Album chart) started the night with a 45-minute set of their own version of ’70s and ’80s-tinged rock ’n’ roll which easily won the crowd over. After sharing it was their first time touring in the U.S., frontman Matt Thomson asked if anyone had heard of them. Several in the crowd said yes and later Thomson dedicated the intense single “Black Magic” to them.
While Thomson may have felt off due to a cold if he hadn’t told the crowd none would have been the wiser as his hypnotic vocals were spot on as was his ease at engaging the audience (including clinking beer glasses/cans with several in the front row at one point). Guitarist Chris Alderton showed his command of the instrument more than once. During the last song, Thomson jumped into the delighted crowd, directing all eyes toward Joe Emmett for a powerful drum solo to wrap up their set.
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Up next at Old Rock House: http://oldrockhouse.com/concert-calendar/
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
