Wolfmother

Appearances can be deceiving. Even the most convincing of rock god costumes, no matter how elaborate, can’t disguise a man’s nerves. Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale, whose hair is only marginally smaller than his collection of guitars, seems edgy. You would think that playing in a band like Wolfmother, who appear unable to play a song without digressing into an extended guitar jam, would demand nothing less than 100 percent confidence. Yet Stockdale seems almost sheepish tonight, flashing a series of nervous grins between songs, and barely uttering a word to the sold-out Academy crowd all evening.

This uncertain demeanour seems completely at odds with Wolfmother’s music. To the uninitiated, Wolfmother are about as subtle as a brick in the face. This is not a criticism; the noughties will most definitely not be remembered as a fruitful period for the guitar solo. Instead, this century has been defined by bands that would rather choke on their skinny jeans than ever dream of turning their amplifiers up to eleven. Wolfmother have defiantly stood against this trend. They have succeeded by playing riff-heavy, hard-rocking songs which grab you by the neck and rattle your boots. By virtue of their willful idiosyncrasy, Wolfmother have become unbelievably popular in the UK. How many other bands that released their debut album in 2005 are still packing out venues of this size? Not many is the answer. By embracing a supposedly moribund genre of music, Wolfmother have struck gold. So with all this success, why does Stockdale seem so tense? It’s probably due to the fact that tonight we are watching one of the first shows undertaken by Wolfmother v2.0.

Following the acrimonious departures of founding members Chris Ross and Myles Heskett last year, Stockdale is now the band’s sole surviving original member. Added to the generally unfavourable reviews that greeted Wolfmother’s most recent album, Cosmic Egg, the reason for Stockdale’s apparent nerves become clear: there's a lot riding on this tour. The Academy crowd obviously don’t care for such petty band politics, remaining buoyant throughout the show, roaring their approval for every song the band play. The band's new members don't seem to share Stockdale’s nerves, delivering a flawless, if mildly clinical performance

Musically, Wolfmother are hardly original. Their influences are not so much predictable as achingly obvious; just name any band that once headlined the old Donington Monsters of Rock festival. Wolfmother are no pastiche however, bringing their own 21st century twist to some well-worn riffs. The hard rock genre may be easy to mock, but it’s a damn hard thing to do well. Wolfmother have the talent not only to do it well, but to thrill their audience at the same time. If they manage to continue playing gigs of this scale, Stockdale will have nothing to worry about.