Review: Collateral / The Treatment / Reckless Love – Rock City Sept 2nd 2022

Review: Collateral / The Treatment / Reckless Love

Rock City (September 2nd, 2022)

Reviewer/Photographer: Dan Mann

There was a radical change of line-up before the tour started with original Reckless Love co-headliners Dan Reed Network being replaced by special guests The Treatment, support by Collateral remained.

With an early 6.15pm start for openers Collateral, it was good to see that they still had a resonable crowd, this the band’s first time gracing the main stage at Rock City.

It was evident from the off that Collateral relished this oppotunity to play the main stage, the energy even rubbing off on normally laid back guitarist Louis Malagodi who stepped things up. Frontman Angelo Tristan delivering a spirited performance, with guitarist Todd Winger & bassist Jack Bentley-Smith throwing the appropriate shapes and making all the right faces, drummer Ben Atkinson pounding the crap out of his kit.

I’ve seen Collateral play many times and this is without doubt one of the best performances I’ve seen the band deliver and certainly a great way to kick off the evening’s entertainment.

Next up were special guests The Treatment. This was the third time of seeing them in three months, having photographed them at Stonedead a week ago, and Call Of The Wild back in May.

The Treatment are a band who deliver the “live experience”. From the very start the energy given off by the band is infectious, this ain’t no laid back performance! Singer Tom Rampton is a natural frontman, his vocals mixed with his stage presence drawing you in. Guitarists Tao & Tagore Grey prowl the stage, constantly on the move, with the underpinning of bassist Andy Milburn and drummer Dhani Mansworth, giving you everything you want in a rock gig.

And so to headliners Reckless Love. The boys from Finland back on UK soil after their Saturday headline slot at Call Of The Wild. Reckless Love have built up a substantial and loyal following since their first album back in 2010.

There was a noticable increase in the number of females in the crowd, eager to see Oli Herman & Co. Resplendant in their white suits the band certainly make a statement, but it certainly isn’t a case of the visual more previlant than the audio content. Oli certainly is a charismatic frontman, not that guitarist Pepe Reckless or bassist Jalle Verne are shrinking violets. Alas drummer Hessu Maxx was almost hidden behind his kit in a constant fog of smoke!

While the band’s latest album ‘Turborider‘ didn’t grab me like previous albums, live the tracks take on a whole new lease of life, much more enjoyable for me.