Buckcherry - Bring American Rock to the London Koko!

***1/2 

Josh Todd delivers a great vocal performance!

Buckcherry ***1/2 are back in the UK after rockin' on previous tours the London, Electric Ballroom and the London, Islington Academy. The American Rock giants led by Josh Todd who almost was the singer for Velvet Revolver as well really have got a great reputation for putting on a memorable live performance and they have a new greatest hits album out to show they have a good body of work to, and the set tonight was going to consist of songs from each album that makes up this collection.

The crowd have been warmed up by Hardcore Superstar to burning point so are ready to be entertained by Buckcherry. They open with mega hit 'Lit Up' and you notice from the first note that the volume is just not loud enough and this continues for the next four or five songs and it's not until they hit 'Porno Star' that it get's louder and the band almost instantly get more lively. Stevie D. looks like a cross between a pimp and a Mexican cowboy from a Bon Jovi video but cool at the same time, and Xavier Muriel looks like he is on a mission behind the drums.

'Lit Up' is an adrenaline rush of cocaine while 'Rescue Me' is an anthem of a Rock love song, almost like a Rock ballad in places but still keeping an uplifting feel to it. Unlike 'Sorry' which is a total power ballad and 'For the Movies' that is just a little much for me in places. 'Rescue Me' does run nicely though at the beginning of the set and runs into 'All night Long' a favourite for any WWE wrestling fan in the crowd, because it is played at most pay per view events. Keith Nelson runs through the riffs with ease while Josh's vocals during this song are on point with every not matching the ones delivered on the albums.

We all love when Buckcherry turn up the juice a bit and they do this on new track 'Gluttony' and 'Crazy B**ch' which Josh hits all notes perfectly including the high screams to it, which are the bits that really kick in the song and make all the crazy b**ches in the crowd get on the floor grinding and trying to get off with all the guys, So this is a big favourite for all the girls and for all the guys and is the end of the main set.

Josh comes back on for the encore wearing an NWA cap and looks all Dr. Dre and ends the set with furious versions of 'Wrath' and 'Onset'. I used to really love Buckcherry and have gone off them a little over the years and the were parts of this set that was just too slow and like they were running through the motions, but their was also parts of the set that were really up tempo and made you realise why the band is so big and why you loved them in the first place. If you want a good America Rock band you can't go to wrong with Buckcherry.

Buckcherry - Setlist
--------------------
Lit Up
Rescue Me
All night Long
Dead Again 
Everything
Sorry
Dead
Porno Star
Sunshine 
Gluttony
Tears
For the Movies 
Crazy Bitch
----------------
Wrath 
Onset

Review and Photo's by Dan Devour 

Check Out! the Video for 'Gluttony' Below...