Gig reviewsPhotographyThe Other Side Reviews

The Dead Daisies @ Landis Theater, New Jersey (18.09.21)

It is always a great pleasure to watch a young band thrive and blossom into a great musical success in a limitless amount of time since 2013. While the musicians spin has gone from a five-piece throughout the limelight longevity of The Dead Daisies to a great four-piece, they have certainly come full circle with the current lineup now with the legendary vocals of Glenn Hughes and the guitar extraordinaire work of Doug Aldrich. Combined these musicians have enriched this band going forward with not just the older recordings but their new CD entitled Holy Ground.

We all enjoy the fruits of a large scale full production type show that often give our eyes to that impressive wow factor. We now see many bands taking that back road to a smaller intimate up-close approach giving many diehard fans of live music a much deeper experience. While living in an abundance of a great music market that has opened doors to many great bands from big to small, I found myself with a rare opportunity travelling to this, well, not so new anymore venue called the Landis Theater (nestled inside downtown Vineland, New Jersey) to be a part of something truly special – a rare rock show from The Dead Daisies.

The evening went quick as The Dead Daisies opened their headlining set right at 8 pm as the current new lineup nailed down 16 trailblazing songs surrounding the band’s back catalogue, including stellar renditions of CCR’S ‘Fortunate Son’, ‘Deep Purples’, ‘Mistreated and ‘Burn‘, which sounded absolutely great live with Hughes belting out the lyrics while shredding on bass guitar centre stage.

Nothing completes a sensational rock show in a small intimate atmosphere than a blazing drum solo of Tommy Clufetos pounding the kit to a standing ovation. Definitely wish more bands did that in their sets; reminds me of the 80s when that was a great add-on to any typical rock show. Like many of us who are fans of Doug Aldrich’s great work with Whitesnake and Dios, he absolutely is a talented player sailing through all these great Daisies songs, rounding the evening with ‘A Long Way to Go’ from 2016’s release Make Some Noise.

As Glenn Hughes brings this band to a whole new level with a unique sound going forward, I have to admit it was a sensational show. Never seeing this band ever live, despite the numerous lineup changes in the fold, they truly can bring the energy, the talent, and an unforgettable tight-knit rock show as many of us gazed forward at the stage at the Landis Theater. One amazing rock show without a single doubt from The Dead Daisies during their most recent show on the east coast.



Photography credited to Steve Trager.