There was a time when your concert ticket bought you an amazing double bill, a killer headliner with an opening act that was a perfect fit. Think back to the days of the Black Crowes opening for Aerosmith, Skid Row for Bon Jovi, Whitesnake opening for Motley Crue, and so many others. The great tradition of the double bill was resurrected when Barns Courtney and The Struts hit the road this summer. This electric show stopped in New Haven, CT, and blew the crowd away.
Barns Courtney and his band exploded onto the stage in a whirl of constant motion and distorted guitars. Seeing Courtney live is a very different experience than listening at home. Barns and his band are far more restrained on record. On stage, he presents a big rock show with some songs almost unrecognizable from their studio versions. While those studio versions are great, the sheer energy of his live performance blows them away. Favorites like “Glitter and Gold” and “Fire” kept the crowd’s energy up alongside tracks from his latest release Supernatural. If the purpose of an opening act is to get the crowd pumped and excited for the opener, Barns Courtney’s set was an overwhelming success.
The Struts are a band in constant motion and evolution. Still touring behind their 2023 release Pretty Vicious, they have released 2 non-album singles in 2024. They are also a dichotomy. The band has a high profile, thanks in part to frontman Luke Spiller, and have toured with huge acts like Foo Fighters. They feel (and play) like they should be an arena band, but this tour sees them in around 2000-capacity theaters. The general admission floor at College Street Music Hall in New Haven filled up as fans crowded to get close and soak in the live energy of The Struts.
Luke Spiller, along with guitarist Adam Slack, bassist Jed Elliott, and drummer Gethin Davies attacked the stage, opening with “Primadonna Like Me” from 2018’s Young & Dangerous. The band sounded great with a perfectly balanced sound. Spiller prowled the stage like his idols Freddie Mercury and David Bowie before him. The opening trio of songs centered on that 2018 sophomore release with “Body Talk” and “Bulletproof Baby” following “Primadonna”.
The band was in great spirits throughout the performance with Spiller frequently interacting with the crowd. The set had a great flow and featured tracks from all four full-length studio releases as well as stand-alone singles like “Fallin’ With Me”, “One Night Only”, and the new song, “Heaven’s Got Nothing On You”. The biggest crowd reactions were usually felt for the tracks from their classic debut Everybody Wants.
In a night full of highlights, one segment that really stood out was a short acoustic interlude with Spiller and Slack. With Slack seated playing an acoustic guitar, Spiller asked that the lights be shut off as only the glow of cell phones illuminated the stage during the beautiful “Mary Go Round”. The acoustic set continued for a rare second song as the pair played “I Won’t Run” before bringing Elliott and Davis back for the campy “I’m In Love With A Camera”
The main set climaxed with a sing-along of “Put Your Money On Me” which saw Spiller out in the middle of the crowd. A three-song encore of “Pretty Vicious”, “One Night Only”, and their breakthrough single “Could Have Been Me” ended the two-hour set.
Seeing The Struts live is an experience like no other. They combine influences of the great period of British glam rock with their own unique style for an unforgettable night. While I truly believe this band belongs in bigger venues, there is something magical about seeing them in a theater setting. Now four records and more than a decade into their career, The Struts aren’t a new band, so seeing what finally pushes them to the next level will be interesting. In the meantime, do not miss this band, or this double bill, wherever they are playing.
