Review: The Answer / These Wicked Rivers

Dingwalls, Camden (June 20^th, 2024)

Review / Photographs: Phil Honley

Having wasted nearly two hours of my life prior to the gig watching England pretend to play football, it was a real treat to capture two fine rock bands in this iconic venue. It’s been a while since I last visited this venue, it has changed its name to Powerhaus and reverted to Dingwalls again in the time I have been away.

It wasn’t rammed, in fact it was comfortable on what must have been the hottest day of the year so far and falling on Summer Solstice. I got the impression that a fair number were there for These Wicked Rivers, those that weren’t were quickly taken on board.

Full credit to The Answer, they seem to challenge themselves each time I see them by inviting a high standard support to kick things off, last time I saw them it was Kira Mac, on this occasion it was These Wicked Rivers.

The familiar living room setting, lamps and flowers abound. The way ‘Force Of Nature‘ segues into ‘Shine On‘ is fantastic and ‘Black Gold‘, ‘Testify‘ and ‘Don’t Pray For Me‘ are all included in a very well received set.

Click on photos to enlarge

Set List:

Force Of Nature

Shine On

Black Gold

Evergreen

When The War Is Won

Testify

The Family

Don’t Pray For Me

The Answer hail from Newcastle and Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland and was formed in 2000. The original line-up of Cormac Neeson (vocals), Paul Mahon (guitar), Micky Waters (bass) and James Heatley (drums) remains. Cara Bruns, from Essex was drafted in on keyboards for the band’s 2023 touring schedule and she remains which is good news as she certainly adds that extra ingredient to the live mix.

The band dive straight in with Planet Rock radio friendly ‘Blood Brother‘ from ‘Sundowners‘. Neeson’s powerful vocal really comes to the fore whilst shaking his tambourine in accompaniment and looking very smart in his white pin-striped jacket.

I won’t bore you and talk you through the setlist from start to finish but we get just about everything we could have wished for. The highlights for me were just about everything played from ‘Sundowners‘, especially the title-track and ‘Want You To Love Me‘ and ‘Wild Hearts‘.

Click on photos to enlarge

Set List:

Blood Brother

Nowhere Freeway

Under The Sky

Sundowners

Want You To Love Me

Put Your Money On Me

Comfort Zone

Solas

Spectacular

Wild Heart

Come Follow Me

Preachin’

Encore

No Salvation

Cold Heart

Here’s A Health To Company (Irish Traditional) (Solo Performance from Cormac Neeson)

Demon Eyes

©All photographs are copyright of Phil Honley – Gigsnapz. They may not be altered or used without express permission.