Review & Photos: Robert O’Connor
Hairspray, eyeliner, tight/stylishly ripped leggings and optional tops. It’s not often Dublin gets to indulge in a night of sleazy, sexy cock rock so when we get the chance it’s time to go all out… and the girls look great too. Just as Finnish glam rock legends Hanoi Rocks hang up their spandex for good, newcomers Reckless Love are doing their very best to fill the void and judging by the large crowd pouring into Crawdaddy tonight for the bands debut Irish show, word is spreading very quickly that Finland has done it again.
As the chocolate bar fills up with KISS, Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses t-shirts, patch covered jackets and peroxide haired punters, Dublin local’s Eazy Tyger are opening a night that’s guaranteed to get our rocks off. Lead singer Tommy Rockit struts to the stage like a happy to be here headliner as the band squeeze together in the tiny space between three bands equipment, playing a tight, well rehearsed live show. A crowd helped sing along to Too Fast For Life (Too Young To Die) leads the way for the closing One In The Chamber which sees Tommy jumping from the stage and walking through the crowd getting fans to sing with him. A good show from an undoubtedly up and coming band. In places there’s a little too much style over substance, but things are definitely coming along for Eazy Tyger.
Next up is English hair metal hopefuls-Jettblack who are quickly coming under the spotlight as one of the next big bands of the genre. Not worrying so much about the hair and makeup as Eazy Tyger, the band deliver a set that notches the professionalism up to 11 (has that been used too much yet?). Get Your Hands Dirty and new single, Two Hot Girls win the band many new supporters while the full frontal Mother Fucker gives the crowd a well needed kick of metal. A guest appearance by Reckless Love guitarist Pepe builds the anticipation for tonight’s headliners before Jettblack finish things off by themselves. The vocal swapping between Jon Dow and Will Stapleton works well for the band’s sound, and any young Irish musicians in attendance are surely taking notes…leaving enough room for tonight’s main attraction of course.
As professional as Jettblack were and as stylish as Eazy Tyger presented themselves, none of them come close to the sight of Finland’s latest gift to the world of metal as they arrive on stage. In the darkness of Crawdaddy’s intimate live room, Reckless Love appear in full glam get up and we see the polished talent of a rising band mixed with the over the top dress/makeup style of their eighties peers. Opening with the foot stomping, hair tossing anthem Feel My Heat, Reckless Love instantly show who the real headliners are tonight. Lead singer Olliver Twisted (Olli Kosunen) ozzes glam rock charisma with blonde hair combed back, sunglasses and biceps on full display as he straddles the audience, delivering note perfect renditions of the album. The band are just as tight as they provide a wall of high note harmonies that allow Olli’s voice to soar under the heaving, heavy handed idyllic rock machine the band expertly plough out.
As they move through album favourites Wild Touch, Romance, Beautiful Bomb, Badass and Back To Paradise, trouble erupts in front of the stage which results in Olli offering several warnings to the instigators, even reminding them he has in the past accidently kicked people in the head for getting out of hand. Luckily the band are mostly unphased as everyone else in the venue laps up all the riffs, guitar solos, high pitched sing along choruses and humour the band have to offer. Things come to a head when a final order is issued to the trouble maker before Reckless Love’s drummer, Hessu Maxx comes to the front of the stage landing a punch squarely on the ‘fan’ annoying them. This prompts a massive applause from the crowd who are visibly getting fed up with someone interrupting the show, and the band resumes the night with incredible performances of Sex, Love Machine and Born To Rock. Mixed with jaw dropping solo’s from Pepe and Hessu and one instant classic glam rock hit after another, Reckless Love leave the stage conquering heroes, satisfied that everyone in attendance got exactly when they came for.
After rapturous chants for more, the band returns and announces that tonight’s show is the last of their European tour and they want to make it special. Kicking into their guitar driven anthem, One More Time, Ollie invites Jettblack and Eazy Tyger on stage for a group performance of the tune which sees Olli leap onto the partition beside the stage and perform near the balcony for half the song. A stage invasion is narrowly avoided but a few manage to leap on and crowd surf off. With all three bands on stage, they take one group photo before ending the night. An excellent night and another three great bands from promoter Dublin Metal Events. Despite the earlier altercations between the band and one fan, The Reckless Love boys looked like they thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the show and hopefully it won’t be too long before the eyeliner can be used again.
