The Struts bring their Young & Dangerous Tour to The Fillmore Detroit with support from The Glorious Sons.
It’s a scorching day in Detroit with the heat index well over 100 degrees. However, that has not kept fans of some good ole rock and roll from showing up for a great evening of music. Fans are lined up early down the sidewalk, while others have taken refuge in nearby restaurants and bars to cool off. They will need the relief now for the bands on the lineup tonight.
Hailing from Kingston, Ontario, The Glorious Sons hit the stage to a rousing round of applause as they kick it off with new single “Panic Attack.” Barefoot lead singer Brett Emmons has taken the heat index up a notch higher with his high-energy stage presence. Brett wastes no time dropping into the pit and greeting fans up front. “White Noise” from 2014 release The Union continues the momentum with its fast beat and ringing guitars. They slow it down just a bit with “Godless, Graceless and Young” from the 2017 album Young Beauties and Fools. “My Poor Heart” takes it up another notch with an even faster beat that has the crowd fully engaged.
A cool cover of “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim showcases the talents of all of the band members, especially guitarists Jay Emmons and Chris Koster and Josh Hewson on piano. This song also finds drummer Adam Paquette and bassist Chris Huot laying down a solid beat and groove. The fans love it as they sing along and respond with plenty of loud cheers. The popular radio hit “S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun)” whips the crowd up as they continue to sing along, but this time even louder. They close out the set with “Kill the Lights,” a slower song that builds to a major guitar jam. If the fans weren’t hot before they got inside, they surely are now. It is quite an impressive opening set by these Canadian rockers.
Riding high on a string of singles from their current release “Young & Dangerous,” The Struts from Derby, England have built up a solid fanbase and continue to expand as they tour the world including several festivals this spring that helped extend their reach to an even broader audience. When the lights dim, the crowd erupts and they launch into “Primadonna Like Me” from their current album. Lead singer Luke Spiller immediately gets the fans engaged as he runs and dances about the stage, smiles and makes frequent poses and other motions with his arms.They follow this up with “Body Talk,” an upbeat song and first single also from Young & Dangerous. The highly popular “Kiss Me” from the 2014 release Everybody Wants has Luke strutting his stuff about the stage with similarity to Freddie Mercury and even Mick Jagger. You can see a lot of influence by Queen on Luke as well as hear it in the music on several songs. The fans are loving it and can’t stand still with them bouncing and waving their arms throughout the set.
Another new song, “In Love with a Camera” is up next, followed by the ripping new song “Fire (Part 1).” While the focus is centered on Luke, the rest of the band is on fire too with Gethin Davies killing it on the drums and Jed Elliott providing the pulsing bass lines. The 2017 single “One Night Only” slows it down a bit initially with Luke on the piano, but quickly picks up the pace and Luke gets the crowd clapping and singing along. “Dirty Sexy Money” finds Adam jamming at the end to the crowd’s delight.
Following “Tatler Magazine,” they run through a medley of songs from Everybody Wants including “Ol’ Switcheroo,” “Black Swan,” “Roll Up,” and “Young Stars.” Luke leads the fans through cheers, clapping, and waving side to side. It is quite a sight to see the whole floor waving in unison. “I Do It So Well” opens with a guitar solo by Adam before the bands kicks it into gear that has the fans bouncing up and down to this catchy song. Right before one of the choruses, Luke takes his voice way low and then everything goes silent for a few seconds before they jump back into the chorus. This song also finds Jed doing a bass jam while Luke leads the cheers. Slowing things down again, Luke and Adam play an acoustic version of “Mary Go Round” while bubbles are flying in the air up front.
Their latest single, a heavier cover of “Dancing in the Street” by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, keeps the fans moving as they bounce and dance. The song is also being used in a new Dodge commercial. Luke really likes to play up to the fans. He even brings a young boy at his first Struts concert on stage to help with some vocals at the beginning of “Put Your Money on Me”. Luke and the band have a way of getting everyone moving and fully engaged from start to finish. There are some girls and couples nearby who have not stood still for a moment during the show.
They close out the set with fan-favorite “Where Did She Go” that has fans waving their arms and bouncing as they sing along. Stopping the music, Luke gets everyone to squat low before he counts to three and then leads them in a jump as the band kicks back in to finish out the song. He thanks the fans before he and band exit the stage to huge cheers.
Returning to the stage by himself and with yet a different jacket, Luke takes to the piano for a touching solo performance of “Somebody New” which highlights his vocal talent. The rest of the band joins him for “Ashes (Part 2),” a new song that showcases some soaring guitar leads by Adam. Closing out the evening is their highest charting single “Could Have Been Me” that whips the fans into a frenzy. This upbeat song has fans bouncing, waving and singing along again. These fans truly love The Struts and show their appreciation. What a great way to close out an awesome evening of rock.
The Struts have a knack for writing catchy, hook-laden songs that are fun. They make for a great live night of music and easily get the fans engaged. They continue to build their fanbase and with great shows like tonight, they are destined for even bigger things. Be sure to catch them when they come to a venue or festival near your town. It is certainly worth the price of admission.
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