Year Long Disaster
Record Release Party
Black Magic All Mysteries Revealed
The Troubadour
West Hollywood, CA
March 8, 2010
By Victoria Joyce
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
With a free show at the oldest rock club in West Hollywood, Year Long Disaster whooped it up for their record release party celebrating: “Black Magic; All Mysteries Revealed.” A little long on the title there, guys.
The Troub is a club with serious history. Music and comedy. Bob Dylan, Elton John, Waylon Jennings, Sam Kinison, Tom Waits, George Carlin, Bette Midler for Christ’s sake. And it is still going strong. The only club in town that does not do “pay for play” and it’s normal for the lines to go around the block. Quality works.
YLD’s claim to fame is leader, Daniel Davies (guitar & vocals) who is the son of Dave Davies of the Kinks who made Rock and Roll History with his quote, “I didn’t call it Heavy Metal when I invented it.”
Dave (bother of Ray – yeah, that is Daniel’s uncle) was struck down a few years ago
with a heart attack. The good news is Dave is on the mend. In fact, last month there were several local concert dates scheduled with Dave and Year Long Disaster that were canceled at the last minute on doctor’s recommendation. That would have been one hell of a Father-Son Outing. We will light candles and pray for the re-scheduling.
In the mean time, good times at the Troubadour. Daniel is backed by Richie Mullins on bass and Brad Hargreaves bangs the drums. A good old fashioned Power Trio in the tradition of Cream and Hendrix. Their sound is clean and mean. Check out the free download on their website/facebook/MySpace pages; “Show Me Your Teeth.” And cover your neck.
Not coincidentally “Show Me Your Teeth,” the first cut on the new release is also the opener for their set. Super tough-guy lyrics and wall-to-wall power chords. We prefer the live version. Just like back in the day, some bands are just too big for the studio. Year Long Disaster is that. Stark solos, crafted hooks and perfect riffs come flying out of Daniel’s guitar. YLD starts at 11 and dials up from there. Cue the smoke machine.
Davies is reed-thin and about eight feet tall. Between bending completely over and windmill-ing wildly, he is all over the stage with a mass of dark curls hiding his face. We see slivers of his features, a perfect hybrid of Rock Star Papa and Super Model Mama.
Bass man, Richie does a precise “Johnny Ramone Stance” with legs spread beyond
the limit, stone-faced serious and eyes down. Brad the drummer, same deal, in the pocket and all business. Eyes down, neck stiff, machine gun delivery. Both with little military caps. Obey!
Year Long Disaster has been playing clubs for near 4 years and sharp as an optical laser. Neo-classic Blues Rock, sounding like Led Zep-the lost tapes. Daniel’s voice is high and clear. Lyrics are poetic and dramatic, literate and unflowery. Headbanger syncopation out of a much admired Orange amp.
Between song banter is gracefully brief: “Thanks for coming out,” at the start and “This is the last song on the album and our last song. Good night.” Class act.
Tonight kicks off a 23-date world tour that starts out in California and rolls to SXSW, then onto Europe and the UK ending up in Columbus, Ohio for Rock on the Range at the end of May. That’s a lot of frequent flyer miles my brothers. Mystery revealed? Pack light.
