Gig Review: Tequila Mockingbyrd / Renegade Twelve – Bannermans Bar, Edinburgh (6th June 2018)

A warm sunning evening here in Edinburgh as I head into my home from home, Bannermans, to catch one of the best trios out there: Tequila Mockingbird. I think this is the 5th time I’ve caught the girls live, the previous being at Wildfire Festival and they always deliver.

First up tonight is band Renegade Twelve who I had not heard before but I will certainly catch them again if tonight’s performance is anything to go by. The band formed in 2014 and say their influences range from Iron Maiden to Pantera through to Slash and Alter Bridge. The majority of tonight’s set comes from their self-titled debut album out last year. “Vanity” kicks us off and my first thought is Avenged Sevenfold. It has those familiar hook-laden vocals from Sam Robson and short riffage from the twin guitar demons of Jacob Mayes and Dan Potter, along with Josh Barnard on bass and bringing up the rear ably on drums is Joe Evans. We go all “Bipolar” now, again those vocals from Sam with the boys slaying it on guitar, Jacob is all over the playing like a grinning loony along with Josh throwing his bass about the place. Dan, on the other hand, is playing it cool in the corner.

We get two unreleased tracks next in the form of “Disenchanted” and “No.12”, I am getting exhausted just watching these boys play as we climb aboard the “War Plane” – a soaring stunner of a track. The crunching guitars from the boys lead us into “This Town” and I’m thinking Avenged Sevenfold meets A Jokers Rage with Sam having a lot of similarities in singing and moves like Zakk from A Jokers Rage; not a bad thing at all – the guitar work on this track is incredible.

Another unreleased track in the form of “Rack n Roll” before we meet “Heroes of Mine” with its fantastic guitar and drums intro and hook-ridden chorus; just tremendous as we head into the last track of the set with “Bill & Chief”. The album version has an acoustic opening but the version tonight is no less fantastic, what a set closer.

I have to say I have not been so taken by a new band for a while now and the album will now be on repeat in the car and on Spotify. The band give it their all on stage – 110%, just fantastic. Do yourselves a favour and catch this band before they get any bigger and you will be blown away as I was tonight, and check out the album on Spotify.

The main act up now, as Tequila Mockingbyrd‘s powerhouse drummer Josie kicks in. We get “Money Tree” from their debut Fight and Flight out last year with its addictive riffs and vocals. We get to “Never Go Home” next before we hit the first of several killer new tracks tonight in the form of the new single “Tell Me”, which feels more grown up but no less catchy a tune with a killer hook line. Another new one with “Enjoy the Ride” before Louisa’s guitar leads us into “Catalyst”, quickly followed by the jive and groove-laden “Jägerbomb” and its catchy “All I want is a Jägerbomb” chorus line.

If the new tracks aired tonight with the likes of “Pink Cigar” and “Pretty Picture” are anything to go by then the new album will be superb, but back to the first opus with the slower pounding laid back “This Ain’t Dead”. The pace picks back up with “Somebody Put Something in My Drink”; you can’t help but smile, nod your head and your feet have a life of their own when listening to this and watching these girls. The band have come on leaps and bounds since I saw them last time. The vocals are tighter with Louisa obviously enjoying herself, Jacinta on bass is never still all night and the powerhouse Josie is killing the drumkit to the point she needs to repair the kick pedal part way through the set.

The recently-turned 22 years old Jacinta gets a bit of stick from Louisa as they launch into another new number, “Step Mum at 21” along with “Popcorn”. Again these bode well for the new album. A triple barrel from the first album – “Why Are We Still Friends”, the thumping “Shut Me Down” and the bass-driven, hook-laden “Good Time” – followed by another new one titled “Forget My Number” which I doubt would happen with this band. The crunching guitar heralds the rocktastic “So Not Me” with Josie’s hypnotic playing on the drums (more cowbell please) and they end the set with a headbanging kick-ass thumper of a track from the debut album Fight and Flight, “I Smell Rock n Roll”… we really got a strong smell of it tonight.

A noisy crowd shouts for one more song and the girls oblige by getting their “Hair Down”. This is a band on fire, having seen them numerous times now, they only get better. This is a killer line up of a band ably backed up by one of my favourite drummers who is just a joy to watch. I, for one, always enjoy a night with TM and am looking forward to the new album when it comes out. If you can catch them on tour then you will leave with a smile on your face. Tequila Mockingbyrd are back later in the year after this tour as they are out on tour with The Treatment and Airrace in September, so no excuses for not seeing them this year.

Photos by Gary Cooper Photography

Tequila Mockingbyrd: official | facebook | twitter

Renegade Twelve: facebook | twitter | youtube

Setlist:

• Money Tree
• Never Go Home
• Tell Me
• Enjoy the Ride
• Catalyst
• Jägerbomb
• Pink Cigar
• Pretty Picture
• This Ain’t Dead
• Somebody put something in my drink
• Step Mum at 21
• Popcorn
• Why are we still Friends
• Shut Me Down
• Good Time
• Forget my Number
• So Not Me
• I Smell Rock n Roll
• Hair Down