Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Vrba in Carinthia (Velden Am Wörthersee) / Bluesiana Rock Cafe / Austria
Concert date: 30.01.2018
Attendance: 100
Ticket price: €32.00 (on the day of the show)
Rhino Bucket, California’s »Sunset Strip AC/DC« rockers, just made their third return to the legendary temple of good rock and blues, the Bluesiana Rock Cafe in Vrba in Carinthia, and it delivered nothing less and nothing more than a standing invitation to come back to this prestigious club.
Rhino Bucket are one of those cult legends spawned by the glam rock scene, but what sets them apart from their peers is that they’re the only band from that corner of Los Angeles whose songwriting unmistakably channels the look and sound of AC/DC. These days the long-running lineup only slowly cranks out new albums. We waited a full six years for the current »Last Real Rock’N’Roll« to follow its predecessor »Who’s Got Mine?«.
The band showed up as a quartet of old familiar faces: Georg Dolivo (vocals, rhythm guitar), Brian “Damage” Forsythe (guitar, backing vocals) Reeve Downes (bass, backing vocals) and Dave DuCey (drums), and they dropped yet another bomb of top-shelf rock’n’roll! To put it modestly.
Rhino Bucket hit the stage after the crowd was warmed up by the Austrian support act Soulgun, who came across as a solid blues/hard rock outfit. Only this time Soulgun ran into plenty of sound problems, and the lead singer in particular could barely fight his way through the verses, running painfully out of steam in the higher registers. The cherry on top was an unconvincing take on the Deep Purple classic Highway Star, which a band with very solid original material and real character certainly didn’t need. A decent set, but as said. Soulgun have surely played better shows in their history.
Rhino Bucket, on the other hand, left nobody in the room indifferent. Even though they walked on stage mildly buzzed, which went above all for vocalist and rhythm guitarist Georg Dolivo, the band found its footing fast in the opening stretch, locked into proper tightness and then, brimming with confidence, chopped through one career classic after another, without of course forgetting to showcase the new studio album.
Dolivo, who chatted with the crowd more than usual and kept dishing out a bagful of dark one-liners that kept the mood in the club light, since he was generously fortified with a healthy dose of liquid courage, warmed up his voice somewhere around the song She Rides, and from there on his vocals mowed down everything in front of them with truly piercing screams. Forsythe remains an outstanding guitarist who misses no detail of his handcrafted guitar wizardry. Same goes for the ferocity of the wound-up rhythm section. In terms of performance, everything about Rhino Bucket stays at a high level. The band played some songs on stage that they hadn’t done in a while. The setlist got a nice refresh, which especially delighted a fired-up group of five Slovenian fans who claimed their spot in the front row, right by the stage, where they sang the choruses at the top of their lungs.
Rhino Bucket gigs always fly by. This time too, an hour and twenty minutes was over in a flash. The band captivates you with its sheer intensity, and that’s enough. That’s the heart of why Rhino Bucket once again took us over and won us over, full-blooded. Let’s hope we meet the band again soon at Bluesiana!
Setlist
RHINO BUCKET:
1. One Night Stand
2. Hardest Town
3. Beat To Death Like a Dog
4. Hello Citizen
5. Blow By Blow
6. She Rides
7. Forgiveness
8. Welcome To Hell
9. Word
10. Hey There
11. Who’s Got Mine
12. Smile
13. Bar Time
14. Beg For Your Love
15. So Long
16. She’s a Screamer
19. Hammer And Nail
20. Ride the Rhino
Photo Gallery
