The first time I heard Candlebox was on an early nineties mix tape I acquired from my sister, who’s ex had given her it and for that reason it was now mine. ‘Far Behind’ stood out as a piece of grunge era sweetness amongst all that other grunge, and I was hooked from an early age. Many bands have come and brushed my listening range but for some reason this band stuck with me, and I still listen to them on occasion. When this tour was released, 20 years since their last visit to the UK, it was a given that this underrated band needed to be actually witnessed live.
Its an early 10pm curfew, and arriving at the venue just before 9pm I am very lucky to just catch them! Kinda gutted I missed Staticland but missing these would have been even worse. From the first song its full on, the band give their all for every single track. Effortless talent from the Seattle quintet.
There’s a heavy dose of the bands back catalogue, with the odd new song like ‘Crazy’ from last years release ‘Disappearing In Airports’. Singer Kevin Martin, a very affable chap, jokes that we should “buy it, steal it, they don’t care as long as we listen to it”. Very modest and funny to boot. There’s little jokes tailored for us, like ‘Happy Pills’ being for our Manchester mates. When he gains a can of beer from a lady in the crowd he jokes “Shag you later! Only kidding!” and informs us that his neighbours in LA are English so he knows the lingo. There’s many a time he enters the crowd and sings in people faces, some loving it, some feeling awkward with the personal space thing. Nearly everyone here gets it up close and personal, or a handshake at the very least.
The hugely rocking ‘Arrow’ really makes the crowd wake up to what’s happening fast! It continues on with ‘Bitches Brewin’ and all them lovely swearwords, then onto the probably more well know ‘Change’ and slower and sweet ‘Blossom’ (which Martin says is about an old girlfriend, though his wife thinks its about her!). ‘Vexatious’ follows other new track ‘Crazy’, then it’s back into ‘Happy Pills’ for some heavy rock. ‘Simple Lessons’ flows this vein. It’s into a more somber song next though called ‘Alive At last’, where Martin on acoustic guitar joins the other axe men, which includes new member lead guitarist Mike Leslie. We are told a touching tale where this is dedicated to his friend who died of terminal cancer before he could say good bye. ‘Cover Me’ also has a tale about how Martin and former guitar shredder Peter Klett were having a heated conversation about their different religions and how the song says that no one should harm others over any religion. Current rhythm guitarist Brian Quinn has his baseball cap removed and given a lady front row and centre who Martin has been chatting along to all night, and jokes that he has now lost his mojo.
The band mention (or rather Martin does, he is the real Candlebox spokesperson here) that they play a lot for US and British troops, and ‘Miss You’ goes out to all those war heroes who are “not coming back”. There’s also a touching story about his father, himself a war hero.
After the funky rhythm section from bassist Adam Kury and drummer Dave Krusen (yes, he of Pearl Jam ‘Ten’ fame is back with the band. Super stoked!) during ‘She Come Over Me’ the band are told they only have ten minutes left. “Damn discotheque bullshit!” Martin’s exclaims. This means they have to cut out ‘Summertime’ and ‘Supernova’ sadly as they have to make way for the hits ‘You’ and of course ‘Far Behind’. The band finish dead on time. Skills to pay the bills.
This was such a stand out show, they deserve a bigger venue and bigger crowd than this, but then again the intimate venue makes this show more special. Thanking us for coming to see them after all this time, the band truly are super talented and very modest with it too. A must to see live.
Arrow
Bitches Brewin
Change
Blossom
Crazy
Vexatious
Happy Pills
Simple Lessons
Alive At Last
Cover Me
Miss You
She Come Over Me
You
Far Behind
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.