Greta Van Fleet

[rushscored4]

Listened to quite a bit of these guys recently and they are definitely the classic rock sound of Led Zep crossed with the teenybop appeal of Hanson! 

[Misdee]

Came across this band by accident on YT recently. Have to be honest with you, I find it a bit mystifying why young people would want to ape the sound of Led Zeppelin's first album fifty years after the event. This band is the musical equivalent of those historical re- enactors who play at being in the olden days.It would be easy to be scathing of these kids, but I'm sure their hearts are in the right place. Personally, I blame the parents. 

As with most nostalgia, this music is hankering after a golden age that in reality wasn't that golden. The great irony is that these youngsters are looking backwards at a time when "progressive" music was all about looking forwards, being experimental and original and creating new forms.

[Cuzzie]

Loads of valid points here on them, but it could be just so simple that they are playing music they enjoy and what comes naturally to them?

Be interesting to see how they progress musically as they hopefully have a career

[EliasMooseblaster]

43 minutes ago, Misdee said:

As with most nostalgia, this music is hankering after a golden age that in reality wasn't that golden. The great irony is that these youngsters are looking backwards at a time when "progressive" music was all about looking forwards, being experimental and original and creating new forms.

I had this same sinking feeling at the first Ramblin' Man festival. I saw a couple of excellent new bands that weekend, but I also saw a glut of new rock bands who just seemed to be playing rock for the sake of rock. There's only so many times you can watch a guitarist walk up to the wedges, to open a song by belting out a crunchy pentatonic riff as a predictably turgid 4/4 beat starts up, before you get bored stiff.

I'm not saying music needs to get to Scott Walker levels of abstract to be interesting, but some of these bands need to draw on some other inspiration than Led Zeppelins I through IV or I'll be scared off tuning into Planet Rock for good.

[Thunderpaws]

At the gig in Glasgow on Friday they received an excellent response from the crowd.  Whether or not they re-enact early Zep didn’t rally seem to matter to the crowd who were all roaring them on. The crowd was a right good mix of young and older, male and female (and one really annoying drunk/drugged couple). 

I’m all for them developing their take on vintage rock music that they grew up with in their farming community north west of Detroit. Hopefully their management allows them to go their own way. 

If you are annoyed by soundalikes I’d bet The Second Sons would annoy the hell out of you. They have a certain Rolling Stones thing going on, but are excellent entertainment, excellent musicians and they connected with the crowd in a way I haven’t witnessed for years (to me, doing this far more successfully than GVF on the night). They bring in other influences too and thoroughly put their own stamp on it. 

[skankdelvar]

9 minutes ago, Thunderpaws said:

At the gig in Glasgow on Friday ...

Thanks for the review, chief. On your recommendation I'll be checking out The Second Sons. 

[LoneFurrow]

I was at the GVF / Second Sons gig at the O2 Academy in Islington last night. Both bands performed brilliantly, and elicited a great response from the packed audience. GVF in particular received a rapturous response throughout. As @Thunderpaws says about Glasgow, the audience demographic in London was a complete mix - males & females from late teens through to your mature rock fans, and all points in between. 

Sam Kiszka's bass (and keyboard) playing was most excellent, Josh's vocals were pretty close to album quality and I do like his style, although it was impossible to understand his rambles between songs. I found Jake's guitar playing perhaps a bit limited during their longer wig-out sections on a few of the songs, but otherwise he was good. I wouldn't be surprised if they sell out the Hammersmith Odeon (or whatever it's now called) by the time they return to UK shores. 

[rushscored4]

I read an interview with the Kiszka brothers in which they said their dad was a great blues harmonica player so his album collection no doubt influenced his sons. The lead guitarist brother Jake said this:

All four of us listened to blues growing up. All the old bluesmen: Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Lightnin’ Hopkins. I was also into the British Invasion and those bands’ interpretation of the blues, like The Who and The Yardbirds. I guess you could say that our music reinterprets the reinterpretations. That’s what inspires our sound. There’s this thing I say a lot: “You know when someone’s lying to you or when something is manufactured.” You can hear the truth. You can’t manufacture emotions. In the blues, you hear the truth. You can’t take that honesty away from the blues, even when you combine it with rock.

[Thunderpaws]

@LoneFurrow I totally get what you mean regarding the inaudible rambling between songs. I was in the front row and I could tell he is actually quite shy. I think this part of his act will develop as their confidence develops with time.

 

Sam’s bass playing was excellent, reminded me of some JPJ riffs often. He also had good control of his bass pedals while playing the organ. He had funky socks on which no doubt helped!! 

[rushscored4]

He's normally barefoot @Thunderpaws but then again it is bloomin' cold in Glasgee in the Spring!

[LoneFurrow]

Given they're from north of Detroit, you'd think Glasgow in spring would feel quite balmy. Sam was still wearing socks in London, although not as natty as those pictured. 

Looking forward to seeing how they evolve over the next few years. 

[JackPlug]

Hey @Thunderpaws, I'm super glad you enjoyed the Glasgow gig, I'm actually the bass player for the Second Sons! Nice picture too! We're working on an album right now which is hopefully going to be out later this month! 

https://www.instagram.com/georgepricebass/ - Here's my insta with more tour photos! It was also a pleasure to work with GVF, they are great, great guys and Sam is a monster player! 

Anyway, all the best and see you soon maybe! 

George 

Edited April 8, 2018 by JackPlug

[Bluewine]

My only problem is with millennials that think Fleet is something new.

Don't get me wrong, I like the band. They're playing Summerfest here in Milwaukee this summer. I plan on seeing them.

Blue

[Thunderpaws]

9 hours ago, JackPlug said:

Hey @Thunderpaws, I'm super glad you enjoyed the Glasgow gig, I'm actually the bass player for the Second Sons! Nice picture too! We're working on an album right now which is hopefully going to be out later this month! 

https://www.instagram.com/georgepricebass/ - Here's my insta with more tour photos! It was also a pleasure to work with GVF, they are great, great guys and Sam is a monster player! 

Anyway, all the best and see you soon maybe! 

George 

Hi, I was in the front next to Superfan Rex. I spoke to you after the show and sent you guys a few photos and a video. You are a great bass player and should be proud of yourself! You really did seem to be enjoying the whole gig!

Was that a GK amp you were playing through into the PA? Sounded really punchy and clear. 

Anyway, I have the T-Shirt now and will  spread the word on The Second Sons  

if anyone else here gets the chance to see them in London, do take it as you’ll have a blast  

 

[Barking Spiders]

7 hours ago, Bluewine said:

My only problem is with millennials that think Fleet is something new.

Don't get me wrong, I like the band. They're playing Summerfest here in Milwaukee this summer. I plan on seeing them.

Blue

Ain't that so. The number of times I hear my kids or their friends raving about  songs by whoever the flavour of the  moment is when I know them to be inferior covers of tunes from the 70s-90s. I've seen quotes stating GVF are the 'future of rock n roll'  which is a bit odd. Even if they weren't LZ soundalikes their line-up they would still be very traditional in terms of instrumentation, verse-chorus songwriting, guitar solos etc

[lojo]

Big crowd of my guitar playing rock loving friends went , ages ranging from 50s to teens , they all loved it and said the bass player was the outstanding musician 

[JackPlug]

3 hours ago, Thunderpaws said:

Hi, I was in the front next to Superfan Rex. I spoke to you after the show and sent you guys a few photos and a video. You are a great bass player and should be proud of yourself! You really did seem to be enjoying the whole gig!

Was that a GK amp you were playing through into the PA? Sounded really punchy and clear. 

Anyway, I have the T-Shirt now and will  spread the word on The Second Sons  

if anyone else here gets the chance to see them in London, do take it as you’ll have a blast  

 

Ah Rex! He's pretty cool and deffo a super fan! Ah thanks man! Yeah I loved playing and the GK amp was going through the PA too, honestly, that little amp and cab is just super great and it can go loud too! 

I'm glad you have a T-Shirt as well!

All the best, have a great day! 

George 

[Woodinblack]

Not sure where the criticism of people sounding like others comes from - when you get together as a group of people you play what you know, and develop it from there. Led Zeppelin didn't start doing anything that the yardbirdbirds and the other people who they have got the music from hadn't been doing already, very few people do.

Good luck to any original rocky group I say!

[EliasMooseblaster]

4 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Not sure where the criticism of people sounding like others comes from - when you get together as a group of people you play what you know, and develop it from there. Led Zeppelin didn't start doing anything that the yardbirdbirds and the other people who they have got the music from hadn't been doing already, very few people do.

You're quite correct, but if I may just plug in my hair-splitting device, it's not individual groups sounding like their heroes that I object to. It's more the fact that so many rock groups seem to be emerging now who all seem to think that there's space for yet another Led Zeppelin soundalike, and I worry that none of them are trying to doing anything new with that format. I still enjoy that kind of music, I just worry that if all these groups can aspire to is "an authentic-sounding revival of that '70s sound" (for example), the genre is going to lapse into a coma after fifty years of staring back into its own navel.

Edited April 9, 2018 by EliasMooseblaster

[Woodinblack]

38 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

You're quite correct, but if I may just plug in my hair-splitting device, it's not individual groups sounding like their heroes that I object to. It's more the fact that so many rock groups seem to be emerging now who all seem to think that there's space for yet another Led Zeppelin soundalike, and I worry that none of them are trying to doing anything new with that format.

like many groups I assume they will evolve after a short while, these things take time. I guess i don't listen to many rock groups as it seems there is as much variation as there ever was.

[Bluewine]

9 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Not sure where the criticism of people sounding like others comes from - when you get together as a group of people you play what you know, and develop it from there. Led Zeppelin didn't start doing anything that the yardbirdbirds and the other people who they have got the music from hadn't been doing already, very few people do.

Good luck to any original rocky group I say!

I'd say Led Zep pushed what the Yardbirds we're doing to a totally different level.

I can't say Fleet has moved out any further than Led Zeppelin.

Blue

[Woodinblack]

Agreed Led Zep did push it, but they didn't start changing the Yardbirds + Blues singles formula until Led Zep III. I am not familiar with the groups mentioned here, but how many albums in are they?

[Thunderpaws]

Greta Van Fleet don’t even have a full album out yet. They have their first four track EP and an extended EP (From the 🔥). 

Yes, they do demonstrate large influence from Led Zep, but so have others before them so for me it’s a non issue. 

If you like the music why does it matter who they sound like anyway?! As long as they don’t peddle someone else’s music as their own, which they have not done. 

[Bluewine]

36 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Agreed Led Zep did push it, but they didn't start changing the Yardbirds + Blues singles formula until Led Zep III. I am not familiar with the groups mentioned here, but how many albums in are they?

I've heard  they have not released their debut CD yet.

Plus things are different now. There's more focus on technology than art.

Blue