Review: Lindsay Ell / The Cadillac Three

Rock City (September 5th, 2022)

Reviewer/Photographer: Dan Mann

I wasn’t familiar with Lindsay Ell so onto YouTube I jumped to do some quick research. Ahh okay I thought, lightweight country pop. Well dear reader, that is doing the lady a great injustice. Lindsay strode onto the stage at Rock City with just her drummer as accompaniment and promptly owned it! Resplendant in sparkly top, red pvc trousers and sparkly black platform boots Lindsay was far more rock star than easy going country music musician!

She soon won over a capacity crowd, never the easiest thing for the support act, and although I didn’t know any of her material, apart from a Queen cover, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire set.

The crowd were more than a tad ready for the main menu, with inpromptu sing alongs to the PA music on the run up to kick off, they wanted that Southern vibe and they wanted it now!

Beer in hand The Cadillac Three strode onto the stage to the roar of crowd. With Kelby Ray on a platform on the left of the stage with his keyboards and lap guitar at the ready, and drummer Neil Mason on a tall drum riser on the right of the stage, it left front and centre as singer/guitarist Jaren Johnston‘s territory to roam.

From the off the beat hit you hard low down in the stomach, and it didn’t pause for breath, nor did the crowd, who hung on every uttered word, every chord, and every drum beat. This was my first time seeing The Cadillac Three, although I’m familiar with their material, and it was a shining example of a band being a hell of a lot heavier live.

I don’t think my foot stopped tapping from when I started photographing in the photo pit to the end of their set which I watched leaning on the bar, like the good old Marquee days. Not a case of looking cool but trying to cool off with the overhead aircon vents as this was one hell of a hot gig, hell being the temperature setting!

All I can sum up is by saying wow, what a fantastic night, come back to Blighty as soon as possible.