Chordblossom
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies
No Result
View All Result
Chordblossom
No Result
View All Result

The Union – 15th February 2013

Al Gilmore by Al Gilmore
February 24, 2013
in Live Reviews
The Union – 15th February 2013

The Union with support from Ajenda
Friday 15th February 2013 – Diamond Rock Club, Ahoghill

The first star of this show is the venue itself. For those not in the know, the DRC is a gem of a place. It is the labour of love of Derwin McFarland as he somehow manages to attract some ‘names’ from the annals of rock history interspersed with some of the brightest and best local acts. It is a purpose built club; only open for business when Derwin gets the acts he wants. It is a long rectangular room with a few booths up each side, a bar at one end and stage at the other. Nothing else is required; we are here to rock after all.

Warming up the crowd for the main act is local band Ajenda. They play an infectious brand of modern rock that is neither too heavy nor too lightweight and in Jenny Walker (the ‘jen’ in Ajenda) have an absolutely top class singer and focal point for the band. She is a superstar; the world just doesn’t know her yet. The biggest tribute I can pay the band is that they dragged the crowd away from the bar to see them. Catch them as soon as you can.

The Union is former Thunder guitarist, Luke Morley and Peter Shoulder (vocals & rhythm guitar) assisted by a solid rhythm section. They have just released their third album ‘The World Is Yours’ and this is their third date of a UK Tour. They are already a slick, tight unit and their set list is dynamic and quite varied while still within the blues/hard rock style. They kick off with the rabble-rousing ‘Step Up To The Plate’. A perfect show-opener it is followed by the equally unstoppable ‘You’re My Jesus’ and the crowd, who needed little persuasion, have already got their hands in the air. ‘Tangled In You’ takes the pace down a notch. A mid-paced blues tune reminiscent of The Black Crowes. ‘Cut The Line’ is a genuine slow ballad. If we weren’t already aware of how good a singer Shoulder is, his dynamic vocal on this tune leaves no one in any doubt, as he goes from soft & sweet to powerful blues rasp and back again effortlessly. His voice reminds me of the late Ray Gillen (Badlands).

‘Perfect Crime’ romps in with its choppy riff and dual vocal and the crowd are rocking again and then the band turns it up a notch with the title track from the new album. ‘The Word Is Yours’ is an absolute monster of a song. The riff is enormous, and while it’d be easy to throw a name like ‘Kashmir’ out there, it actually reminds me more of Soundgarden. The band already knows the song is epic and they play about with the riff, extending it beyond the studio version and the crowd lap up every beat. It absolutely blew me away. ‘Obsession’ completes the trio of rock-out tunes with its sing-along chorus before we once again get a breather with the acoustic ballad ‘Saviour’. The new single ‘Tonight I’m Alive’ is a slight departure from what has gone before, with a feel that is somewhere between Tom Petty’s ‘Learning to Fly’ and the Foo Fighters’ ‘Wheels’. It deserves to be a hit, though knowing our charts it probably won’t, but it is definitely a hit with the DRC faithful. The crowd are on a high and ‘Black Monday’ keeps them there for another 4 minutes before once again the band slows things down with ‘Fading Out of Love’. This is the song Bon Jovi wish he’d written instead of the wretched ‘Always’. It’s a wonderful tune, you can tell that even from this first listen and once again, Shoulder’s voice soars.

Luke & Peter from The Union
Photography by Miles Lalley

We are nearing the end now. The crowd know it and they raise their game to match the band as ‘Black Gold’ and then the searing ‘Siren’s Song’ end the main show. Shoulder once again has the crowd in awe with his vocal gymnastics as the song reaches its climax. The crowd chant all the way through and those chants do not end when the band finally leave the stage. We all know they’ll be back and the return moments later to blast out ‘Watch the River Flow’. The only disappointment is that it’s the only encore.
“You guys we’re amazing, we’ll be back again soon,” say Shoulder with a broad grin and Geordie accent. I very much hope they will but, judging by this performance and the quality of their new album (which I immediately bought and haven’t stopped listening to since), when The Union returns to these shores, they may need a bigger venue than the DRC. But for now I feel blessed to have seen this band at such close quarters. The DRC comes up trumps again!

By the way, the DRC normally run a bus (for only £10) from Katy’s Daly’s (and back) for each gig. So there’s no excuse for you city slickers not to get out to the DRC and check it out.

Leave a Comment ⁞

Tags: Ajendaal gilmoreDiamond Rock ClubThe Union
ShareTweetShareShareSendSend
Previous Post

Wood Burning Savages – Here’s to You

Next Post

No Matter – 16th February 2013

Related Posts

Diamond Rock Club Outdoors
Interviews

A Diamond in the Rough

February 15, 2023
The Bonnevilles
Music Reviews

The Bonnevilles – Dirty Photographs

August 5, 2018

Recent Posts

Fresh Music from NI – September

Fresh Music from NI – September

September 29, 2023
No Fixed Abode

No Fixed Abode: #16

September 27, 2023
Brand New Friend - Photography by Aaron Cunningham

Brand New Friend – Grandstand

September 24, 2023

Twitter

Instagram

Follow

Spotify Playlist

Fresh Music From Northern Ireland

Mailing List

  • About Chordblossom
  • Kickstart
  • Music Reviews
  • Live Reviews
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Photos
  • Fresh Music From Northern Ireland Playlist
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • Mailing List

© 2020 Chordblossom

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
    • Music Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles
    • Festivals
    • Fresh NI Music
    • Interviews
    • Introducing
    • Win
  • Media
    • Playlists
    • Photosets
    • Podcast
    • Sessions
    • Transmission
    • TV
  • Kickstart
  • Chordblossom Gigs
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Mailing List
    • Vacancies

© 2020 Chordblossom

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT