Blog Post
Classless Act - 'Welcome To the Show'
Iain McArthur • 5 July 2022
Album Review
“We’re coming up so fast, we’re going to get the bends” is a line in the song ‘Time to Bleed’ that sums up where Classless Act are at right now. This is their brand-new debut album and they’ve also blagged the coveted opening slot on the current Motley Crue/Def Leppard/Poison/Joan Jett US Stadium Tour. It’s no wonder that some folks are talking about them as the new saviours of rock n roll and, on this form, they might just be right.
There’s a definite LA classic rock & sleaze vibe from them but with a fresh, youthful and slick delivery of some pretty spunky songs. Some of that is down to the irrepressible singer, Derek Day, who channels a bit of Luke Spiller and a young Dave Lee Roth in his flamboyant and animated delivery, but the band are a really impressive musical gang with members from Hawaii, Texas and Argentina in their ranks and all of them on top of their game with some neat flourishes perking up every song.
The album title is lifted from the chorus of the self-titled single ‘Classless Act’ and it features a guest appearance from Vince Neil on record and video - both Vince and Tommy Lee have helped the band get started in the business. Justin Hawkins is another pal, and he pops up on ‘This is For You’ to add a lead guitar solo to the already excellent song. There’s a video for this one too and it’s a medium that really works for this band of photogenic and charismatic performers.
The high octane ‘Give it to Me’ is another track that benefits from a swaggering studio performance video (and some cowbell) and provides further evidence why our American friends should turn up early for their afternoon live set on the tour. ‘All That We Are’ is a beauty with a bit of a funky edge to it and a massive chorus while ‘Haunting Love’ is a high-energy, highly infectious romp. It’s not entirely “all gas, no brakes” gonzo stuff though, as they vary it up with tunes like the ultra-modern lament of ‘On My Phone’, the positively anthemic “Circles” and ‘Thoughts of a Dying Man’ which is good but way more morbid and mature than you might expect from such a young and punky band. Don’t let the name fool you – everything about their performance is very classy indeed.
By all accounts, they totally kick ass live and Rockfiend will be journeying from Scotland to Denver to check them out in July at two shows (they’re tagging on a free club show on the night after the Stadium Tour gig), so we’ll break the news after that but, in the meantime, tell your Mama and your friends to turn on and tune in to the next rock sensation – the record is out now in the UK.