Live Music Isn’t Dead—It’s Thriving with Cardinal Black

Craig Mander

Live Music Isn’t Dead—It’s Thriving with Cardinal Black

Crowd Critics Fan Review by Craig Mander

As a veteran of over 150 concerts, I have had the privilege of watching some of the very best live acts from Queen to David Bowie, Aerosmith to Maroon 5, Blur to Oasis, Take That & Bruno Mars to Justin Timberlake… and everything in between, including southern blues band The Black Crowes, Lenny Kravitz and the legendary performer Prince with his incredible New Power Generation live band.  And, as a talented musician myself, my stardards are probably higher than most, as is my ear for quality and expectation for brilliance. So it’s fair to say it takes something very special to get me to travel over 1500 miles to attend 7 live shows up and down the UK in a little over 2 weeks!

Somehow this talented Welsh band, Cardinal Black, managed to keep the set fresh and make every event a personal experience despite full houses in Sheffield, Shepherds Bush, Manchester, Cambridge, Birmingham, Rock City Nottingham, and Gloucester, where I took my 8-year-old daughter to get her first taste of live music. Each song hits deep and leaves you wanting more, so it’s almost a shame that their set has to end, hence seeing them again and again.

Just as the Black Cardinal isn’t your ordinary plant that you would find in your average flower store, Cardinal Black, formed in 2020 in Cardiff,  is not your ordinary rock band.  In fact, it’s tough to pigeon-hole them into any musical genre such is the talent and soulfulness of their Rock/Blues music.

They pay homage to old school sounds, with a modern twist and have a balanced sound with a tight rhythm section, with Adam Roberts on drums and Sam Williams on bass layering the stage brilliantly for the enigmatic and highly rated Chris Buck on guitar to do his thing.  You know you are hitting the right notes (excuse the pun) when Slash & John Mayer take time to mention you, and whilst he has these endorsements, words just simply don’t do him justice.  Perfectly phrased, beautifully played and soulfully caressed, each solo is like a rollercoaster ride full of joys and excitement almost like traveling through decades of great guitarists each time.

Then you have the vocals which are not only the icing on the cake but captivates you in its own right. Tom Hollister’s voice is the perfect mix of rasp and feeling and hits in all the right places.  His words and vocal range deliver the main course and it doesn’t disappoint.

The band is often supported by keyboards but it varied from night to night who was playing, but I was lucky to hear some beautiful playing that complimented the sound.  Some bluesy “question and answer” solos were the highlight of the tour for me so far in Sheffield and were a treat in an already brilliant show.

This brings me finally to vocalist Taylor Cousins.  I have seen the band play without her on a few occasions but when she is there she adds a new dimension to the band with beautiful harmonies and a powerful voice with a great tone, so it’s great that she is becoming a key member when they tour.

I was also impressed on this tour by the quality of the support acts. Rosie Frater-Taylor for the earlier shows, and Liam Cromby for the latter part really complimented the concerts.   The jazzy fusion style that Rosie and her band brought was refreshing, with some recognizable songs added into the mix.   Then I had the pleasure to see Liam take center stage with just vocals and a guitar, and a whole lot of stage presence and talent.  I told him after the gig at Sheffield that it’s incredibly difficult to get the audience to lean in on stage with just an instrument like that but he won them over every single night with ease.   I’m 100% a new fan and will look closely for any new work from him for sure.

The thing that strikes me the most about this band is that they are down to earth, and just really nice guys and gals.  Humble, respectful and give up time after the show to meet fans and followers, sign set lists, t-shirts, records, and the like.  They all personally went out of their way to meet my 8-year-old daughter and gave her a night she will never forget.  What an intro to live music for her!  Something I will always be grateful for.

The best part of the show? There is just so much going on. Tom teases the crowd and gets them to sing along.  Both he and Chris entertain the audience with jokes and banter throughout the show. Each night Tom will take one of the audience’s phones on stage with him to record an unforgettable keepsake for the lucky fan during ‘Warm Love’. The whole show is the perfect balance of songs, for the perfect time, with brilliant encores.. this really is a show that I will NEVER tire from. I plan on making 4 more shows in November, once the band returns from Ireland. My only wish is that these guys get a bigger following and break into the mainstream. Their hard work and endeavours deserve it and more people need to hear the brilliance of this band.

With a new album due out imminently and a few early tracks teased, it’s great to see the band getting some press and breaking into the rock chart, but if there is anyone out there that want to see one of the best live bands in the UK make sure you get along to see them live for an experience that will convert even the most skeptical music fan.  Don’t just take my word for it.  Go see for yourself.

In an era dominated by loops, electric samples, rehashes of old songs and very little originality, do yourselves a favor and go and see some real music by real musicians.  And hopefully, I will see you at a show very soon.  Before AI takes over, go see a proper band that smacks you right in the feels.