Top Dogs
The Winery Dogs are appearing on a short mini UK tour on the back of their Sonisphere appearance. Where time is limited at a festival, the massive crowd queuing outside the small, bijou, and furnace like Slade Rooms were there for what would turn out to be, a truly memorable gig, and a full on in your face Winery Dogs immersive experience. They come complete with their own splash zone, but more on that a little later
The Slade Rooms are a marmite venue – small, compact, little actual view unless you're in the first couple of standing rows, so our viewing spec was grabbed (near the front), and two things became immediately clear; firstly that it would be the hottest and most cramped gigs in ages (hot also because of their performance), and secondly, movement from both bands would be limited as there was no stage room whatsoever!
That said, it was only Billy Sheehan that had the ability to flex his boundary. The Dogs have 3 performers who are at the top of their profession. If Carlsberg did rock bands, then this was it. Billy Sheehan, the best bass player in the world? Probably. No, definitely! Mike Portnoy has very few peers when it comes to drumming, possibly only has Neal Peart as a challenger. Finally Ritchie Kotzen, Singer/guitarist. Whilst he may not appear in many peoples top 10 lists as either a singer or guitarist anyone that thinks otherwise is wrong, with a capital WRONG!
Kotzen has the playing chops, and also a truly wonderful voice. Not only that,the bloke is one cool looking dude, with a bohemian rock appearance, black vest, tight fitting cardie, and an beardy hirsute look. Top this off with piercing blue eyes and when combined with the guitar and vocal range, he has the whole package.
The Dogs didn't hold back and blitzed the audience from the off with Elevate, and The Slade Rooms erupted as one sweaty mass. Anyone who has visited Sea World In Orlando is aware of the 'Splash Zone' at the Shamu stadium. If you sit in the first 10 rows you will get wet. Well the same theory here, only its provided by 550 hot melting bodies, and more importantly you are in the range of Portnoy's spit!
Its somewhat inevitable when a band only has one album out and they go on tour, they have no option but to play the whole thing. In the case of The Dogs, that's no bad thing, as this puppy sat at the top of many album lists for 2013. It was not exactly a drum solo, but Portnoy played everything possible on The Other Side, the mic stands, Billy's Bass, drum frame, everything was not out of his jurisdiction, and dexterity. After the pulsating Six Feet Deeper, Kotzen took the lead on the Leaves/Hendrix classic Hey Joe, showing he is every bit the guitar hero.
Sheehan is without doubt one of the finest examples of bass playing you'll ever witnessed. There was showing off, but in the finest sense, as he wrung every single note out of his Yamaha bass, and complemented Kotzen perfectly, not just filling in Kotzen's gaps, but also matching him note for note. Kotzen shone....a lot. But it was for his acoustic solo spot covering his own Doin' What The Devil Says To Do, that he shone the brightest.
Kotzen played the organ for the very soulful Regret during the encore, before they absolutely ripped the room apart by playing the old Talas/DLR classic Shyboy. Sheehan took the vocal lead before Portnoy took over, and with the sonic pyrotechnics of Sheehan's bass and Kotzen's guitar, it was the perfect and fitting finale. Portnoy wrung his top out, but only after he paid tribute to the late Keith Moon by trashing his kit after the finale. My sympathies go out to his drum tech!
Being 6ft away from your musical heroes is the best way to spend an evening, along with 550 future mates called the audience. The Winery Dogs are one of the finest outfits you will see plying their trade today or any other day. These guys have all played to much bigger crowds in their past careers, but I doubt they ever got the buzz that they got for a very up close an personal encounter like this evening
Setlist:
Elevate
Criminal
We Are One
One More Time
Time Machine
Damaged
Six Feet Deeper
The Other Side
(Billy solo spot)
You Saved Me
Not Hopeless
I'm No Angel
The Dying
Desire
Encore:
Regret
Shy Boy