We’re always being told that rock, or at least classic blues based heavy rock, no longer appeals to young people and that limits the scope for the much needed new generation of bands to progress to mass market popularity.

Michigan based Greta Van Fleet, featuring a trio of brothers, are the exception to the rule, with a meteoric rise on both sides of the Atlantic, the speed of which has been controversial, not least because of their debt their sound owes to Led Zeppelin. But their last two London shows have been at Alexandra Palace and now Wembley Arena where a sell out crowd only boasted a few of us oldies with the majority both young and female. Having only seen them on a couple of support slots early on that journey to success, my interest was firmly piqued to see what the secret of that appeal was.

Curiously, there were two support acts, but both only allowed extremely short sets. I wanted to check Hannah Wicklund out as she was one of the rising names touted in the blues world a couple years back. She opened with new song ‘Hell In The Hallway’, but it was ’Witness’, beginning slowly with piano, but showing off her powerful voice when it got going, that was the first to really impress me. In contrast ‘Bomb Through The Breeze’ which ended a short set was heavier blues rock: her guitar solos were not long but had a raw and distorted feel in contrast to the smoothness often present in the genre.

I’d still be interested in investigating further as a short 20 minute support slot in this cavernous barn was not the best introduction. I later discovered her forthcoming album features a couple of the GVF guys playing and producing which may have explained her addition to the bill.

On the other hand I found the 30 minute set by main support Mt.Joy staggeringly dull. Whether indie rock or when exploring ambient prog or even lounge music territory, I found them a dreary dirge devoid of hooks and tunes, except when they briefly broke into covers of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ and Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’. They did improve as the set went on but despite being big enough to play the Roundhouse next year were simply not for me.

Greta Van Fleet opened with a lengthy piece of classical music before the curtain fell and the four band members posed in silhouette form at the top of a raised platform, as if in homage to Kiss. The stage set was certainly arena worthy but the lighting managed to render the band invisible for long periods with the overhead lights augmented by flashing neon at stage level.

Opening in impressive fashion with ‘The Falling Sky’, where he also played harmonica, and ‘Indigo Streak’, Josh Kiszska certainly sounded somewhat like Robert Plant but, combined with his elfin like other-worldliness, on the high notes he also reminded me of Jon Anderson, and when he roared in a lower register, there was even a touch of Noddy Holder. However just three songs in he spent large periods off stage as on ‘Lover Leaver (Taker Believer)’ must have gone on for over 15 minutes as the band went off into some freeform jamming.

They certainly carried off the big gestures needed for an arena show, evidenced by ‘Meeting The Master’ which saw brother Jake play an intro on acoustic guitar before switching to electric and both going out into the crowd on raised platforms.

With bassist and the third Kiszko brother Sam switching to keyboards (the John Paul Jones role, if you like) as he did with increasing regularity, the more commercial ‘Heat Above’ got the best reception yet, and was one of a number where early Rush was just as natural a comparison as Zeppelin.

Taking of the latter though, Josh was in the middle of a spoken intro when Jake crunched out the gargantuan riff to ‘Highway Tune’ which was more concise – though still broken up by some jamming- and got people going as perhaps their best known song.

There was then a drum solo from Danny Wagner, dreadfully dull and imaginative even by the standards of the form, to kill time as a small stage near the back of the arena was set up, sadly with the light little better even for those of us close by.

Initially just Josh with Sam on keys covered ‘Unchained Melody’ before Jake and Danny joined on acoustic guitars for ‘Waited All My Life’, reminding me again of Led Zep III or early Rush. Like the majority of the set, it was taken from the new ‘Starcatcher’ album but a trip back saw ‘Black Smoke Rising’ clearly treated by the fans as one of the band’s anthems.

Back on the main stage ‘Fate Of The Faithful’ was a long jam with a discordant guitar solo from Jake, and a lengthy solo slot from the latter preceded a very impressive ‘Sacred The Thread’, Josh prowling the stage in white papal- style robes. ‘The Archer’ ended the main set with what seemed like an interminable guitar solo. There was no questioning Jake’s technical ability, but a rather jagged and scratchy sound lacked the tone, soul and melody I personally prefer from my guitarists.

The length of the jamming and noodling made me even more puzzled why they have struck such a chord (pun intended!) with a younger generation especially as we always hear these days about their concentration span having being eroded by the digital age. Having spent a full two hours and played just 12 songs by my reckoning, time constraints forced them into two rather more concise encores.

There was a mass waving of phone lights to the ‘who- oah’s of ‘Light Your Love’, Josh’s voice soaring high on a mid tempo song with perhaps more of an indie-friendly crossover and virtually the only song with a vibe from anywhere after the early seventies, followed by the fittingly entitled but dull ‘Farewell for Now’.

Ignore the naysayers – GVF are certainly ready to put on the spectacle required to successfully carry an arena show. Yet with a couple of exceptions the songs are not particularly accessible, and combined with the lengthy jams, I was surprised they have attracted the fan base they have. It was an interesting and informative evening to find out what the fuss has been about, but I left feeling that particular itch has now been scratched.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 14 April 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 29 April 2024

BRIGITTE PURDY Sugar Fried Candy (Dirtshack Records)
ATTIC THEORY The Legacy (indie)
THE HOWLERS I Need Your Love (indie)
VELVETEEN QUEEN Bad Reputation (indie)
WILLS AND THE WILLING Scuffed Knees (Smash & Grab Music Ltd)
READY THE PRINCE Still Believe (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 29 April 2024

09:00-12:00 PRAYING MANTIS Defiance (Frontiers)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023

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