Everlast
London Islington Academy
3rd December, 2008

The hulking Everlast brandishes tattooes like most men wield their guitars. With fine renditions of songs from across his catalogue, his blues-rock-rap four-piece are tight and funky. The drummer completes a final encore with a showy solo, while a new, puny keyboardist adds colourful touches to a performance which otherwise might err on the side of over-serious. It’s a gig with two sides, the bluesy growl and tortured lyrics of the white trash Everlast rock the party (one tune turns from FLC into metal), but every now and again he breaks the mood for an X-Factor styled love song. Whether he’s written one of these for a girl in each state or not, they’re still cringeworthy. But for the most part, Everlast roars at us like a beery, slightly demented pirate, and it’s as invigorating as a shot in the arm.