Out and About With …The Delta Bombers

Gig Review

22nd June 2022

The Actress and Bishop, Birmingham

Written by & Photography by Erin Connolly

On a very warm Wednesday evening I made my way to the Actress and Bishop, naively bringing a jumper in case I got cold. The moment I walked into the pub I felt like I was transported to the mid-1950s rockabilly era. Men adorned with band t-shirt’s, rolled up jeans and tattooed arms, alongside women with beehive styled hair and polka-dotted dresses. Although I was probably half the age of most of the audience, wearing my punk badges and Dr Martens I felt comfortable and welcomed. After people-watching in the bar for 10 minutes, I made my way up the stairs to the venue, admiring the charming vintage look of the interior of the pub. The audience members almost felt like part of the decor with their retro style and coiffed hair. As I walked into the notably small venue, I started to wonder how busy it was going to be and whether it would feel like the surprisingly spacious Tardis or a tight sweaty shoe box! Little did I know it was a combination of the two, but I’ll get into that later!

We started our night with Midland locals The Deadshots. In preparation for this gig, I had listened to both band’s music but one song from the midland natives, stood out to me and I couldn’t get it out of my head for days. Although I find ear-worms slightly annoying, I personally feel it is a big compliment to the song writing. As I listened out for their catchy tune ‘The Devil in High Heeled shoes’, I watched them perform many of their other upbeat, rockabilly rhythm songs. Each song was performed with confidence and such a comfortable swinging swagger, that it persuaded even the most reserved to bop with the best of them. All four members kept the whole set energetic and fun, but one band member stood out for me. I was slightly annoyed when I saw that The Actress and Bishop did what most venues do, which is have the drummer pushed to the back with very low lighting. As a photographer and general gig goer I find this quite frustrating, however Jack the drummer didn’t let that stop him tear the roof off with his impeccable drumming skill and contagious energy. They were an incredible starter for the nights main course and made me hungry for more!

At the end of their set, we had a small break where I replenished my much-needed cold water and sat downstairs for a little cool down. I made my way back upstairs and got ready to see the Las Vegas based rockabilly quartet, rock it out. As the crowd gets bigger, The Delta Bombers walk through the audience and arrive with swagger at the very unique circular stage. It becomes very clear that their rock and roll persona, their bearded, denim jacket wearing appearance, pairs perfectly with their amalgamated sound of rock & roll, country, blues and rockabilly. Imbedded in this nostalgic and my opinion not heard enough sound, comes the beautifully gritty vocals of Chris Moinichen. He had a notably compelling and dynamic stage presence and his energetic performance, made some of the heavy metal gigs I have been to seem tame! The rest of the band’s energy was also on par with Chris and it stayed that way, even with the ever increasing sweatiness of the room. The heat became a kind of fifth member of the band, being mentioned with comedic intermissions such as ‘do you people have a problem with air conditioning’ and ‘are you all feeling as sweaty as us right now?’ The answer was yes! As I said before, I was slightly worried it was going to feel like a sweaty shoe box and although the sweaty part was right, the room surprisingly fit in quite a lot of people, with even some room for dancing. Talking about dancing, the music felt almost hypnotic and in between taking photos, I found myself unable to resist the urge to dance.

If this show is anything to go by, The Delta Bombers will still be rocking the stage until the very last day of their current UK tour.

Follow The Deadshots // Delta Bombers