Words by: Bredan O’Mahony
Photos by: Olga Kuzmenko
Live Review: Nick Oliveri- Death Acoustic with support from New Valley Wolves and Alex Harvey
Venue: Button Factory, Dublin
Date: Saturday 13th of April 2019
Having brought the Death Acoustic show toIreland previously, including a now near mythical gig in the Thomas House barto a mere 80 people a few years ago, I knew that the chance to see Nick Oliveri put on a show with just anacoustic guitar and his screaming vocals was one not to be missed. From theearly Kyuss records, to the first three Queens of the Stone Age albums and onto Mondo Generator, Oliveri has made consistent quality his mainstay. Takingtracks from those bands and paring them back to the bare bones of acoustic is abrave move but one that ultimately pays off in spades.
Providing the first musical output of theevening is Alex Harvey, a man normallyfound on stage beside his band mates inThumper or Dublin Punk Rockers PanikAttaks, but flying solo tonight with just an acoustic guitar. After thegreeting of family and friends in the audience Harvey breaks into a set full oforiginals with more than a nod towards JeffBuckley. Songs such as ‘Hole’, ‘Give A Little’ and ‘Concrete’ show greatpromise and he is one to definitely keep an eye out for.
The great aspect of a mainly acoustic showis that the changeovers between acts are fast, so in no time at all we aregraced by New Valley Wolves, atwo-piece from Dublin with a guitarist/singer and drummer. Tonight’s set is theexception as it’s fully electric, drummer Baz Joyce actually explained afterthe show that they were originally playing acoustic but Nick changed it toelectric because that’s how they need to be heard. Weaving between songs from their2015 album ‘Refusal Is Our Weapon’ and2018’s E.P ‘Gospel’ the duo’s mix of Clutch style blues-rock grabs theattention and never let’s go from opener ‘Shake Your Bones’ to the closing‘Fire In The Blood’, so much so that Nick Oliveri himself migrates from themerch stand to the front of the stage for a better look. It is more than just arequest, a compliment rather, that they have been asked to join Nick later inhis set on each night of the tour so far in Ireland with the possibility offurther shows in Europe also mooted.
So, to the main event and the arrival of Death Acoustic. The set is opened by the absolute cracker that is ‘Green Machine’ from Kyuss which, remarkably, still packs a punch on acoustic and is immediately followed by Roky Erickson’s ‘Bloody Hammer’. The next hour gives us dedications to his ex-wife in ‘I’m Gonna Leave You’ and ’Another Love Song’, a friend who overdosed in ‘Autopilot’ and one of the originators of acoustic punk, GG Allin, in ‘Outlaw Scumfuc’. We are also treated to a new track from his forthcoming work with Sons of Alpha Centauri ‘If I Left You Alone’ while ‘Feel Good Hit Of The Summer’ gives everyone in the audience a chance to rest Nick’s vocal chords. This show works not because Nick Oliveri can shred on a guitar, rather the opposite, he provides a set full of raw, aggressive emotions, hammering away at the guitar, venting and releasing everything from within until a mesmerising vocal only rendition of ‘Six-Shooter’ from Songs for the Deaf. Left momentarily breathless, he invites New Valley Wolves up on stage to drag the last ounce of energy from himself for ‘You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire’ bringing to a close a short but incredible set.
Interview with Nick Oliveri after the Death Acoustic Show:
MGM: Hey Nick, thanks for taking the time to sit down and chat.
NO: Oh no problem at all man.
MGM: So, you are on the Death Acoustic tour. How has it been so far in Ireland?
NO: Well I’m actually getting to play inplaces that I’ve never played before in Ireland which is great you know. I’veplayed in Dublin, I played Limerick and Cork. To be able to play all theseother places has been more than great man.
MGM: The last time you were here was in the Voodoo Lounge and the time before that was the Thomas House to 80 people and it was just the one show, kind of secret, very few people knew about it whereas this time you are playing 6 shows here.
NO: He did it (pointing to the tourorganiser Julian). Julian did it.
MGM: You’re going down to Wexford as well which is a new one.
NO: Yeah, he told me and I asked “Where’sWexford?” and he says ah man it’s an hour away it’s good. It’s going to begreat and I am super excited to see more of the country man.
MGM: I have to ask actually; the last time you were here you had a pedal stolen?
NO: Oh yeah, that’s right, that’s rightman. But no, I got it back, I couldn’t believe it I was like “somebody stole mypedal?”. It has a D.I box and I was going to bring it out on this tour, it hasan E.Q signal, like a little amp in a sense and you can send how you want yourguitar to sound like to the front of house. I left it at the front of the stageand I guess somebody took it and the tour manager I had, this girl Jenny, shegoes “somebody took your pedal” and I was really like “that’s a bummer”. Youknow it happens, I shouldn’t have left it at the front of the stage but Iwouldn’t have thought that in Dublin but they had the guy on camera doing itand so Jenny got it back. It took like half way through the tour to get but shegot it back man and the guys in the club man, they were stand up guys too,helping us out. It tripped me out and I try to forget about stuff like that,it’s just a pedal at the end of the day. I would have given it to him if hewanted it that bad you know; I would have asked him “you really need it dude?”I can probably get another one, maybe, but here man no need to steal it.
MGM: Guitar picks, drum sticks, setlists you know, people take those things.
NO: Yeah man, like if somebody needssomething, I will probably give it to them you know. I had this bass playercome over one time and she was playing my bass, a Fender Telecaster, and shewas like “I love this bass man, can I have it?” and she kind of threw me off andI was like “eh, eh yeah” (laughing) and she took it man, she took my bass. Itwas weird but it’s hard, you know, somebody asking.
MGM: Well, it’s good you got the pedal back man. We’re good people you know.
NO: Yeah dude.
MGM: Looking at your support tonight you had Alex Harvey and New Valley Wolves. How did they get on the show with you for this tour?
NO: This guy here Julian he built the tourand it’s been so great for me and so much fun. The bands kick ass man and dudeNew Valley Wolves man, I’ve never seen a drummer hit as hard except maybe DaveGrohl man. I saw them the first night in Cork acoustic and I said the nextnight you gotta’ play electric and maybe we can play a song together. I likebands to play electric and they said they would rather play electric becausethey’re more comfortable.
MGM: The backing to Millionaire tonight, the last track, was unbelievable and for them to get to play with you is great.
NO: It’s super cool for me as well man,they’re great musicians.
MGM: So, you’ve got the No Hits At All selections Volumes 1 to 5. How is it for you going back into those songs and listening to the stuff you’ve recorded before and getting to release it.
NO: Well some of it is demo quality andsome of it is production quality, it’s basically bands that asked me would Ising on a record, it was that simple. It wasn’t a money thing, just getting toplay with bands that I like you know. Some were released, some weren’t tillnow. It’s been cool to have a home on Heavy Psych Sounds and to put outspecialty stuff because I’m a collector of vinyl. They’re going to put out thenew Mondo stuff and maybe look at Volume 6. The new Mondo stuff I’m reallyexcited about and I am doing the stuff with Sons of Alpha Centauri as well. Ihaven’t been this excited about the new stuff for some time man especially withMondo. I really want people to hear it and I’m bringing the guys over for aMondo run after this tour, we’re doing Desertfest and stuff you know.
MGM: Right, you’re going to do London and Berlin and in Berlin you’re doing your own acoustic, a Mondo set and also Wino are playing so you’re getting to play alongside Scott Weinrich so is there any chance of a Royale Daemons get together?
NO: Oh man Scotty, man I love ScottWeinrich man. I’d love to do the Daemons stuff dude. That was his idea to doRoyale Daemons and spell it the way it is because he said “it’s 13 letters ifwe spell it like this.” (laughing) He’s been a great friend of mine for a longtime, I love Wino so much man, I sometimes come home and he’s at my house juststaying over because my house mate is an old friend of his from way back andyou look into one of the rooms and just go “you moved in didn’t you” but manit’s great. We do the same things we did the first time I met him, just goparty. I don’t want to say there’s a better guitar player but he’s pretty hardto beat when he wants to do lead man. At the bridge he’s an insane player manand I don’t think a lot of people know that. He’s a great Doom Metal singer manbut his guitar playing is pretty rad too man.
MGM: I know his stuff from The Obsessed and Saint Vitus but as a lead guitarist, he is where it’s at?
NO: There’s one song they get him to playguitar on in Saint Vitus and Chandler is great, he’s one of the best but I don’tthink he wants Wino playing guitar man. If I was a guitar player and saw Winocoming in, I wouldn’t let him have it man. I’d tell him to go sing. I’d love todo the Daemons again, him and Joey Castillo. Joey lives just two blocks from meman.
MGM: That’s another thing Joey Castillo has been in nearly every band you’ve been in man.
NO: I got him into BL’AST man because Iknew he was a BL’AST fan man.
MGM: He was in Bloodclot as well!
NO: Oh man he got me into Bloodclot man.You know John Joseph from Cro-Mags they are one of my favourite all-timecrossover bands from when I was a kid. I mean the video ‘We Gotta Know’, longhaired kid, you know it was a dream to play with them and Todd passing, we allmiss Todd Youth, it’s a sad thing but we are putting together a new guitarplayer and trying to do a tour of Europe in September so trying out new guitarplayers and trying to make that happen, while writing for, hopefully, a newE.P.
MGM: That is great news on the possibility of going forward with it because that album ‘Up In Arms’ was immense man.
NO: Oh yeah, I heard the demos and I waslike “I want in dude, I have got to get on this”. Actually, maybe Joey actuallyhits harder than anyone I know. I dunno’ maybe.
MGM: You definitely keep busy man because Brant Bjork, or possibly the other way around, brought you in to Circus of Power?
NO: Oh, I brought Brant in to Circus man.Brant got me into their music initially, played them for me when we were doingKyuss in ’89 or ’90 and he told me to check them out and then I met Al at myhouse one day and he asked me to come down and be in one of their videos and Isaid “yeah man I’ll rock out to some Circus of Power, throw some air-guitar inthere dude” and I loved every minute of it but he was asking if we knew adrummer and I was “yeah dude I know the drummer for you”. I said I couldprobably get you Brant and so Al says get him to call me. So, I told Brant andhe was “No way” and he was super psyched because he always loved Circus man. Iwant to see my friends do what they want to do and create stuff. I’m not thematchmaker normally, I would be if I could be and in this case it worked. Brantis the first drummer I ever played with in my whole life dude so when I get tojam with him, it’s the most comfortable thing in the world.
It’s similar to when I see, like yourt-shirt man C.O.C, man I love that band and their records and I’ve got theoriginal Eye For An Eye on Toxic Shock man, Mike Dean playing on that bass manand Eric Eycke, another who sadly passed recently, but that’s an awesome albumman.
MGM: Well coincidentally today is Record Store Day. Did you get a chance to pick anything up?
NO: Nah not today, I was driving in to towntoday man. Driving over here is hard man, I went up to Christchurch thinking that’swhere I had to park and then I’m driving and it says no turn here or no turnthere and I was f*ck this is really hard so I end up way far away and comehobbling out of the parking spot and I stop a little old lady and ask how do Iget to the Button Factory and she says oh it’s miles away (laughing) so I thinkright I’ll grab a taxi and I ask the driver where’s the Button Factory and he’slike “it’s just up the road, I ain’t gonna drive you there dude, just ask somepeople when you get to the lights”. I’m like “thank you for the tip”. I metthis music teacher Jonathan and, even after a 12-hour shift, he was nice enoughto walk me down here. He just tells me “I got you man”, he was a cool guy.
MGM: Well look you got here and played an amazing set. I want to say thanks for today and best of luck with the Mondo Generator tour as well. Also, I see you’re going out on tour with the Svetlana’s in Australia soon so you got to bring them here on tour too.
NO: Oh yeah man. We’ve been in my house formonths at a time writing music and stuff and they are awesome dude.
MGM: Well next time you’re over bring them too. Thanks again for your time Nick.
NO: Oh no problem at all man. Thanks for coming to the show.
About Author
Erik DeViking
Erik De’Viking is a London based freelance music journalist. His musical interests include blues, rock, and metal in all its forms, and he is constantly on the lookout for new bands and genres to discover and later preach about to the masses.
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