Belfast, Northern Ireland - Media Reviews

Joe Elliott's Down 'n' Outz - Belfast, Limelight 1 17/12/2014 By Planet Mosh

As the frontman of one of the biggest stadia-filling rock bands of their generation, it was perhaps fitting that Joe Elliott‘s self-described “little side project” should be born in a similar environment – in front of thousands of people supporting, and then emulating, in turn one of the most iconic and influential acts of their particular generation… however, wind the clock forward a decade or so, and the Def Leppard vocalist has turned his career full circle and is taking rawk ‘n’ roll back to its roots – sweaty little backstreet bars and clubs with his like-minded band of musical troubadours known as the Down ‘n’ Outz (although, believe us, with a multi-millionaire at the helm, these particular tramps won’t be looking for a free handout from the Sally Ann anyway soon!).

Speaking to Joe Elliott before the gig, it was very obvious that the singer was battling the final stages of a bronchial infection, as he sought to protect his throat as much as possible: what was not so obvious was that two-thirds of the rest of the band were in a similar predicament – something that he alluded to early on when, affter a surprisingly lackadaisical start, which saw the singer seated behind a piano for the extended instrumental intro of ‘Funeral For A Friend’ / ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, he welcomes the now half-filled auditorium to the ‘Rock N Roll Pneumonia Boogie Woogie Flu Tour’…

But, being the consummate professionals that they are, Elliott and the rest of the band – Quireboys Keith Weir, Guy Griffin and Paul Geurin, Vixen bassist Share Ross and session drummer Phil Martini – battle on through the sauntering, swaggering ‘Rock N Roll Queen’ and into the bumping grind of ‘Drivin’ Sister’. Elliott also plays cognisance to his surroundings, recalling that, while he may not have played this particular stage before he has visited the venue, when he popped up from Dublin to watch his good friend and bandmate Viv Campbell perform with Last In Line back in August 2013: the singer happily reports that the guitarist is well on the mend following his recent stem cell surgery, and dedicates ‘Whizz Kid’ to his brother in musical arms.

‘One Of The Boys’ brings the sublime guitar interplay of Griffin and Guerin to the fore, as the duo simultaneously recreate and update the classic tracks from which the set is drawn: rather than just patly covering the songs, Joe (and the musicians) displays his indepth knowlede of his rock ‘n’ roll craft and heritage, as he also tells the stories behind songs such as ‘Shouting And Pointing’ and the haunting ‘Sea Diver’. The result is a set that balances the right combination of grit, grunt and sleazy grind to recreate an era when – in Elliott’s words – “music was fun”. With Elliott’s voice failing fast, the likes of ‘Crash Street Kidds’ and its 40-year old riff nevertheless shakes the grout from between the brickwork and and the dust from the overhead air-conditioning, while ‘Violence’ retains its dark broodiness and the encore of the specially re-monickered ‘Belfast Rocks’ is no less rambunctious.

There may be those who would argue that the Down n Outz are nothing more than an all-star tribute band: but, when the hat is tipped to what has gone before with such obvious affection and passion then, as Elliott again said, “it doesn’t get much better than this”. And who am I to argue?

By Planet Mosh 2014.

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Joe Elliott's Down 'n' Outz / Vega at the Limelight, Belfast, 17th December 2014 By My Global Mind

On a bitterly cold winter’s night in Belfast, rock ‘n’ roll enthusiasts made their way to Belfast’s Limelight to be treated by Mr. Elliott’s rabble-rousing band of rockers in the form of the Down ‘n’ Outz. Joe Elliott has made no secret of the influence that Mott the Hoople has had on his musical career and this new bunch of like-minded musicians, primarily from The Quireboys, are a means of reviving those 70s beauties in a somewhat refreshing manner.

Now, onto the little matter of one Mr. Joe Elliott. Even without the flu that has been plaguing him on this recent tour, Joe cannot hit the notes of yesteryear. He won’t be climbing to reach that note at the end of ‘Promises’. Having said this, Joe Elliott playing in a club as small as Belfast’s Limelight is incredibly humbling. This man has done it all in terms of rock and roll but has not lost sight of what is important. He retains that love of music. So much so, that his Down ‘n’ Outz are on a mission to reinvigorate those old Mott songs that were so important in the construction of his own musical legacy.

With a rather unorthodox start to a gig (certainly in my experience), Elliott took a seat at the piano as the band kicked off with a lengthy instrumental intro, leading into the infectious ‘Love Lies Bleeding’. Feet were soon tapping and heads bobbing as the band, suitably warmed up, began getting into full swing.

Stepping away from the piano, Elliott switched to guitar for British Lions’ cover ‘One More Chance To Run’ before plunging into a fantastic rendition of ‘Rock and Roll Queen’ that had the crowd licking their lips and raising their fists.

On a night of lookalikes, The Quireboys’ Paul Guerin was doing a certain John Sykes no disservice at all in delivering a sterling performance on lead guitar. The solos were effective, aggressive and eloquent all at the same time, particularly in the band’s superb rendition of ‘The Journey’. Similarly, a lot must be said for Vixen bassist Share Ross who demonstrated an enviable and effortless style of bass playing that just resonated cool throughout. Guy Griffin and Phil Martini rounded off the rhythm and guitar sections impressively and professionally.

A rather touching moment of the night came when Elliott made mention of Vivian Campbell’s heartfelt hello to the people of Belfast, referring to them as “my people”. The song ‘Whizz Kid’ was then dedicated to Vivian in suitable style.

The final jewel in the crown was, for sure, the altering of the Ian Hunter classic ‘England Rocks’ to ‘Belfast Rocks’ during the encore. When given the chance, yes, we do like to partake in our fair share of rocking, it has to be said.

It can be strange to see this form of idolisation come from one of rock’s very own success stories but, in many ways, Joe was our guide on this journey through the Ian Hunter and Mott back catalogues and, for all intents and purposes, his Down ‘n’ Outz did a fantastic job of bringing some old, and perhaps even forgotten, classics back to life.

A fantastic night all round. Bravo.

By My Global Mind 2014.

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