Lock 'N Load

Talking Heads, Southampton

On a wet Weds night and with no car I nearly didn’t turn out to see Lock n Load at the Talking Heads. All I can say is I’m really glad a borrowed a car. This was Lock n Load’s first outing since the departure of guitarist Yannis Panou (now fronting Jailbait) who always stole the show with his 80’s glam style and over the top stage antics, so you could only wonder how Lock n Load would fare without him.

From the moment front man Jack Denton launched into the first song you knew that they weren’t going to miss him at all. The retro “More, More, More” take The Doors and The Cult mixes it up and spits it out as what will probably become an essential song in future Lock ‘n Load’s set lists. The audience seemed to know they may be witnessing something special and respond accordingly. Quickly followed by “Come On Down”, the Tower of London’s punky “I’m a Rat” and “High” the band are slick, if lacking in a little polish. Charlie Denton, and Joe Newman provide a rock solid rhythm section behind new boy Harvey Groom’s guitar.

“Hammered” is a straight ahead rock and roll song. But it’s during the first time outing of “Nice and Sleazy” that you realise that you might just be in at the start of something big.

Jack works the audience with a style and maturity way beyond his years and experience. He has some of the charisma of Jim Morrison and the cheeky charm of Dave Lee Roth and it just might take the band very far indeed. I’ve seen far more experienced bands fail to win an audience over but Jack absolutely nailed it and the Rolling Stones “Jumping Jack Flash” suited this confidence. They wound up with “Let it All Out” which has real groove and left the audience baying for more. So they gave them their own “sing a long” version of “Sharp Dressed Man”, not great but by then the audience were in their pockets and judging by their reaction weren’t that bothered. All I can say is Lock n Load gave a performance that could have carried them in front of 100,000 during an afternoon at Download. And they pulled it off. With bells on. My advice? Better catch them now before you have to start paying £30 a ticket to see them.