For: Live Review - Iron Duke From: Stonerrock.com by pkeeg - 13/08/00 Friday night 11/08/00, Iron Duke Hotel, Sydney Australia. I arrive at 8:45pm to the heavy grooves of Shamens Ride and I realise that part of the stoner community had truly landed in this Showcase from the mighty HIGHBEAM Label and that this was where I needed to be. Next up were Monstrous Blues with a familiar yet powerful new vibe which took the punters attention and had the feet tapping and the heads nodding (no mean feat with the Sydney music scene). Ok, so on to the headliners. DAREDEVIL. Bang, the ignition breathed life into the 454ci Chevy V8 and they accelerated into a 1/4 mile set of in your face rock with all the power and passion that great rock should have. From the very first notes, what some people call the groove, filled the room and took the band and audience physically. No choreographed two step dance routines here, when they played the big chords you not only herd them but you saw them. They played a couple of songs from the "Third Degree Burnout" EP which have been polished and sound even better than the last time I saw them. Then it was into material from the forthcoming "Big Block Rock" LP which I`ve been waiting with anticipation to hear. I wasn`t disappointed. The new songs have even more appeal and feeling than the earlier stuff. There seemed to be a lot more of the bands personality and vibe in the new songs. Their bracket was a set of big powerfull songs played in the way that rock should be played with the complimenting and duelling guitars having their own excellent tone and personality. The absolutely solid bass driving the huge groove and filling every hole and gap perfectly all being held up by and based on the drum sounds that where like the foundations of a giant building. A great set that I totally enjoyed, even the classic breaking string and change of axes by one of the guitarist. Being a musician myself I know it takes a great amount of hard work and a huge amount of talent to be successful. These guys are doing and have got what it takes to go a very long way. The late set saw Bob Sledge pounding the blues with their huge sound of guitar, drums and Bass x 2,as I said, HUGE sound. Good Stuff!! Hell of a night. Thanks HIGH BEAM RECORDS. ++ Back to Reviews