Austin Gold

I have been trying to see Austin Gold since I reviewed their debut album ‘Before Dark Clouds’ a few months back.

Camden’s Dublin Castle is one of the truly classic rock dives and the standard of band that has played there is pretty high so I knew that Austin Gold were going to be playing to an aficionado audience, one that expects quality. And the band knocked us all out with a short set of superb rock.

Their music has tinges of Southern rock but they are also very much in the spirit of the great rock bands of yore – Free and Deep Purple come to mind – as well as being very much up to date.

David James-Smith is a terrific frontman – the right mix of confidence and talent – while Jack Cable adds some great rhythm guitar to bring the sound forward. Russell Hill’s keyboards – especially his Hammond playing – give the band a warm and expansive sound while the rhythm section of Lee Churchill (bass) and Chris Ogden (drums) drive them powerfully on.

On the night the set included tracks from the album as well as a great cover of Wings ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ and one of the things that struck me was how much they seemed to enjoy playing and how the individuals really intertwined – I’ve seen a fair few bands recently who just didn’t gel as a live entity but Austin Gold really looked at home playing together.

I think they are still developing their sound and I expect that if I go back and see them again – hopefully headlining – they will have become even more solid and powerful.
In the meantime they are a band well worth dragging yourself out on a cold wet night for and I’ll look forward to the next time.

Set list:
The Reason
Brand new low
Before Dark Clouds
Maybe I'm amazed (Wings cover)
Roadside
Another kinda bad
Home ain't home
See the light