Bad Touch – Live @ Waterfront Studio
aaamusic | On 16, Nov 2018
Friday 9th November, Norwich
Dereham’s Bad Touch are influenced by good time southern rock and this is etched on their bass drum as ‘Norfolk Rock ‘n’ Roll’. This gig is part of their “Shake A Leg” tour and surely the start of huge things to come. They are supported by two terrific support bands who unleash a bombastic night full of big riffs and scuzzy rock sounds for a sell-out crowd.
Kicking off with UK-based Swiss band Daxx and Roxane delivering a short but very energetic set of straight heavy rock. They even have time to share a bottle of whisky with the lucky few on the barrier. The raw sound certainly warms up the early punters with many smiles and nodding heads.
Aaron Buchanan and The Cult Classics play one of the best support slots I’ve ever heard. They are brilliantly dynamic and proclaim they are not classic rock but punk fuelled rock! Their set is a total joy and refreshingly original. The crowd absolutely love this energetic and theatrical performance. The set even includes crowd surfing, not usually seen in this venue! A set highlight is a medley of Paranoid, My Sharona, Trooper and Can’t Stand Losing You on the song ‘Morals’.
On come the sea of hair that is Bad Touch and what a reception they get from the hometown crowd. From start to finish it is a set of true integrity, blistering hooks and perfect harmonies with singer Stevie Westwood being a very charismatic front man, backed by a hugely talented band that delivers rock and roll in a very convincing manner. The band even slip in a cover of ZZ Top’s ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ and, rather doing it by numbers, they completely rework it and make it their sound and style. Other highlights include the made for audience interaction ‘My Mother Told Me’ which is an out and out call and response anthem. The cowboy tale of ‘Outlaw’ finishes the set, only for the band to come back for the brilliant ‘99%’.
Bad Touch has a big future and are at the top of their game in what could be called a New Wave of British Classic Rock movement. The audience love the whole night and add to a vibrant friendly atmosphere at the Waterfront
