Savage Nomads – Live @ Under The Bridge
aaamusic | On 02, Dec 2014
Friday 14th November, London
Having not been 100% convinced by Savage Nomads when I first saw them live earlier this year, I felt that it was only fair to give the band a second viewing – particular now their line-up had changed and they seemed at a rather different point in their musical career in comparison to when I first saw them.
This time out they were performing at the infamous Under The Bridge, supporting the legendary Dreadzone – I won’t be reviewing the mighty Dreadzone on this occasion, needless to say that they were utterly flawless and whipped the packed room up into a frenzy unlike any I had ever seen before.
This new line-up for Savage Nomads saw changes in the rhythm section that seemingly have worked for the better. Not to be overly critical of the band’s former bassist and drummer, this time around there was a considerably sleeker feel to the performance and the synchronicity between the various musicians on stage could be felt even from the back of the room. This larger venue played particularly to the strengths of lead singer Cole Salewicz whose performance was also significantly enhanced by the fact that he was no longer restricted to a stationary position behind a keyboard. With plenty of free space to roam in, Salewicz put on a top-notch frontman performance – he was in clear command of the stage and this newfound freedom suits his performance styles perfectly.
Having sibling guitarists is surely a massive help when it comes to working as a unit and there was no need for the Miles brothers to even take the slightest glance at one another for them to know that they were on exactly the same page. Recent single ‘Pinkie’s Little Light‘ was played somewhat earlier in the set than I had perhaps expected though, truth be told, there was never any hint of the on-stage energy wavering as the foundations of the band pounded away, exciting a crowd that were ready for a rather more off-beat sound.
All in all, this was an undoubtedly more impressive performance from a band who I have long loved the sound of in recorded fashion and it seems as though their live shows are now on par with the quality of songwriting they possess. If you get a chance to see Savage Nomads any time soon, make sure it’s in sizeable venue – it’s the perfect fit for them.
