The Intrepid Fox is your classic flea ridden rock venue, off a side street and down an alley. The music’s loud, the beers cold - Just the way it should be! It’s not the sort of place you’d take your mother though. Nether the less it’s a good spot for hearing new music. On the bill was Spanish band StopStop and Damn Dice.
It’s not the first time I’ve heard Stop Stop play, so when I heard they were playing this gig I was eager to go a long and see how they were getting on in England… (I should mention that they came to England from Barcelona with nothing!) In fact lead singer and bassist, Jacob, has truly lived the rock’n’roll lifestyle, doing everything from busking for a pittance in Milan to living in a van behind the notorious “Whiskey a go go” in Sunset Boulevard. I’m sure he has some wild stories to tell of his adventures!
Fortunately on his travels he teamed up with dashing Vega (lead guitar) and talented Danny (Drums). It’s refreshing and inspirational to find a band that is willing to go all out for their music and their dedication certainly shows.
All about sleazy tunes, with colossal riffs, powerful guitar solos and high impact drums. Jacob was wearing full glam style make-up and set about delivering hard rocking songs, to get the audience moving. Songs from their debut album ‘Unlimited’ like ‘stop,stop!’ and ‘down’ were played with frenetic energy and drive and proved that these guys aren’t just an image they really know how to play their instruments.
Knowing just when to slow the pace down they played ‘Regret’ a slower heart felt ballad type song that really showcased Jacob’s vocals. The trio have a brilliant stage presence and interacted with the audience with ease. When they played ‘born to rock’ the entire audience were singing along to its catchy chorus. I hope these guys are planning to stay in England for a while yet, but wherever they end up I’m sure they’ll never stopstop rocking!
The first thing you notice about gorgeous Damn Dice (am I allowed to say that?) is their immaculate long hair and their gloriously ostentatious clothes, but don’t let the studs and hairspray fool you, not only do these guys know how to grab and hold your attention they put on a pretty good show too!
The band play simple, fun songs in the vein of Motley Crue and KISS, with copious shredding and riffs from Wallis (Guitars) backed up by solid rhythm section Marco (Bass) and Fransoa (Drums) all brought together by suitably named lead singer, and heartthrob Bobby Valentine.
Similar to Steel Panther, with ‘All night long’ and ‘one more’ having typically sleazy themes of sex and partying but unlike Steel Panther these guys know when to rein it in, ‘close to your heart’ had a slightly more serious note to it. The band continued to keep things light hearted with covers of Ke$ha, Dead or alive and Skid Row all with their own unique twist.
These four guys played really well together and with confidence as big as a skyscraper, their stage presence was great to watch. They certainly seemed to go down well with the audience, as a few determined, scantily-clad young ladies jostled their way through a crowded audience to be at the front and impress the guys with their dance moves! A really fun, talented band, I’d be happy to see them again.
Eleanor Knight
