Greta Van Fleet

November 3rd 2019

Leeds O2 Academy

It is pretty much impossible to write any sort of review of a Greta Van Fleet gig without recourse to the seemingly ubiquitous Z word.  There may come a time in the future where GvF's humble beginnings as rather effective Led Zeppelin imitators will be forgotten.  But on the evidence of both this evening's performance, and the Frankenmuth lads' most recent release Anthem of the Peaceful Army, we are some way from that particular point in time.

For it really does not take much imagination - although an in-depth knowledge of the LZ back catalogue helps - to draw a line back from most of the band's songs to their Plant/Page composed progenitors.

GvF's most effective song Black Smoke Rising, clearly takes its chorus from The Rover.  Highway Tune is The Immigrant Song writ slower, with a soupçon of Dancing Days added.  Whilst elements of Your Time is Gonna Come and Down By The Seaside appear to have found their way into both You're The One and Flower Power.  Other tunes are sprinkled with vaguely familiar-sounding, but maddeningly unidentifiable Zeppelin-y bits.  

Ultimately though does all this matter?  As long as the chaps stay on the right side of plagiarism suits, I think not.  Greta Van Fleet are just starting out on what promises to be a long journey of discovery, and just ponder, if you will, how derivative of the old blues guys Led Zep sounded on their first two albums.

And, anyway, there were times this evening when I was put in mind just as much of AC/DC and Judas Priest in their prime.

I missed out on a ticket for Glasgow...so down to Leeds it was.

GvF made a bold early move this evening by laying down three of their strongest cards straight away:  Highway Song, Edge of Darkness and Black Smoke Rising.  This was something Zep would do back in the day, but of course they had a whole smorgasbord of tunes to follow things up with.  GvF do not – at least not yet.

So, a consequence of this decision, was an inevitably flabby middle to the set, wherein no amount of prancing and preening by Josh or guitarotechincs by twin brother Jake could hide the fact both Age of Man and Watching Over are a pair of plodding duffers.  Thankfully, the guitarist's slide work was on hand to swiftly get the train back a-rollin' with Mountain of the Sun (a Ronnie James Dio song title, if ever I heard one).

I knew the band had recorded a version of Adele's Rolling in the Deep some time back.  We did not get that particular oddity, but this evening's covers came from a pair of equally odd sources: John Denver and Labi Sifre.  Brave choices perhaps, but neither really worked.

The show closed with the Black Dog-ish Safari Song – although I took my leave as soon as the drum solo started.  For I knew if Danny Wagner planned in any way to attempt to emulate Bonzo Bonham, we could be here for some considerable time.

Twins !!

But all in all this had been an impressive performance, I have to say.  The Kiszka brothers will adamantly deny the fact of course, but I am sure there would have a modicum of trepidation in bringing their tribute act “home”, as it were. 

And it was a refreshing change to hear some fucking guitar solos – no-one seems to do them any more.  With perhaps the only folks in the arena having more fun than the 2,000 plus sell out crowd, being the four Van Fleets themselves. 


Set list

Highway Tune
Edge of Darkness
Black Smoke Rising
The Music is You
You're The One
Age of Man
Watching Over
Mountain of the Sun
The Cold Wind
When the Curtain Falls

Encore
Flower Power
Watch Me
Safari Song

Greta Van Fleet - Leeds, November 2019
(L-R Josh Kiszka, Sam Kiszka, Danny Wagner, Jake Kiszka

Support for the evening had been the large of hair, and even larger of vocal cords Bristol-born singer Yola.  Primarily performing what I would term (despite her roots) Memphis Soul, she would trowel occasional layers of C&W into the mix, aided and abetted by her guitarist's pedal steel work.  

In sharp contrast to her between-song mumblings, the lady's powerful singing voice boomed out over the hall impressively, particularly during Faraway Look.

Her rendition of Spanish Harlem was none too shabby, either.