Black Aces, Gullivers. 9th November 2022

Black Aces are from Australia and play unashamed riff laden rock n roll. Yes they sound like AC/DC. No that’s not a bad thing. Alright, it’s not new, but it is exciting. They describe themselves as “Gritty, no frills, no bullshit, Aussie pub rock”, that hits the nail squarely on the head and being hit about the head is a bit what it’s like watching them live. The sound guy is a mad man, it’s fucking loud. So loud I opt for ear plugs, I’ve not done that since Sunn O))) threatened to rearrange my internal organs. Guitars squeal, vocals are pitched high, possibly due to the dangerously tight denim, the hooks are heavy and there’s a lot of hair. It’s not subtle. It’s easy to get sniffy about bands like this, but Black Aces do what they do very well. Pulverising drums, with a three guitar front line attack. It’s fun to watch, wide stance solos, synchronised head banging and lyrics about getting out of small towns. They’re as tight as their jeans and they’re clearly having a blast. With songs like ‘Shot in the Dark’ about getting caught having fun on your own and others about waking up the next morning after a heavy night, it’s all straight up dumb fun. The only shame is there’s not enough of a crowd to match the energy on stage. I can’t help but feel if Gullivers were sold out, it’d go off. I’m a bit lost on song titles, but there’s a new one with a Motorhead paced backline that by rights should have this place reduced to a seething pit. They don’t seem to care though, so neither do I.  The extra room in the crowd just means that singer Tyler can get out on the floor and work the room. He's not cabled and bounces around, pulling his best Angus Young moves, it's brilliant! They close with a raucous cover of 'Nutbush City Limits' and threatened to level the cozy Gulliver's stage. If you like a bit of meaty rock n roll to shake your arse to, give Black Aces a go.