British rockers PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, led by former Motorhead guitarist Philip Anthony Campbell have released a brand new live album titled ”Live In The North”. Recorded in 2021 during a particularly intense show at The Independent in Sunderland, UK, ”Live In The North” is the first recording to feature the band’s new vocalist Joel Peters. It serves as a document of their live expertise ahead of their upcoming UK tour supporting Black Star Riders and Michael Monroe.
There’s a couple of things there. First, this is the first ever PCABS live album, second, in addition to their own stuff (which is superb) there’s a liberal sprinkling of Motorhead too. And that’s never, ever going to be a problem.
“Live In The North” was recorded in Sunderland on the tour they did when gigs resumed in 2021. It opens with “We’re The Bastards”, their anthem. They are. And they are really, really good. New single “Bite My Tongue” casts a critical eye on this decade and concludes there’s not much you can do with stupidity, except “Rock Out”, I guess. That’s the first Motorhead tune and it takes you back to every Autumn, when we’d go and worship. They were shows like no other and credit to PCATBS for keeping the flame alive in such a fashion, while writing their own songs that don’t copy them much at at all.
Indeed, if this live album does one thing, then let it recognise just how good these cuts are. The Orange Goblin flavoured “Spiders” for one, “High Rule” for another. It reasons we live in an “age of absurdity”. It’s got worse since this was written too.
Another from their 2018 record, “Ringleader” has more of a flavour of the job Phil Campbell used to do, but its interesting to hear them sung by Peters. He’d stood out as a member of Bootyard Bandits and he’s relishing the chance to front this band.
They’ve got a groove, have the Bastard Sons. “Dark Days” is full of it, and if “Big Mouth” swaps that for pure, visceral energy, then either suits them.
It also helps that you’ve got a clutch of legendary songs to play, but that neglects to mention “These Old Boots” from Campbell snr’s solo record. A standout even here, but lets be honest here. There’s “Ace Of Spades”, there’s “Going To Brazil” and there’s “Killed By Death” to finish. I am probably not the only person in this world to have it as a top ten song of all time, but we are where we are and its still genius. And it still makes me think of Lemmy every single time.
Of course too, this was a tour tinged with tragedy and “….Hell” is poignantly dedicated to Tom from Wolfjaw, who were originally slated to support before he tragically died.
Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons have rock n roll in their DNA, of course they do, but they are a quite marvelous band in their own right. “Live In The North” underlines that for anyone still unaware.
Highly Recommended
01. We're The Bastards (Live) (3:38)
02. Bite My Tongue (Live) (3:06)
03. Rock Out (Live) (2:12)
04. Spiders (Live) (3:50)
05. Son of a Gun (Live) (2:57)
06. Born to Raise Hell (Live) (4:33)
07. High Rule (Live) (4:10)
08. These Old Boots (Live) (4:46)
09. Ace of Spades (Live) (2:55)
10. Silver Machine (Live) (4:18)
11. Ringleader (Live) (4:46)
12. Going to Brazil (Live) (2:28)
13. Dark Days (Live) (4:41)
14. Big Mouth (Live) (3:00)
15. Killed By Death (Live) (6:05)
Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons – Live In The North (Live) – 2023, MP3+FLAC
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