Fresh from a month and a half in their native Isle of Man, Back Door Slam (BDS) is continuing the second leg of their first US tour. The British Blues/rockers are working their way along the east coast for the next few weeks and will make an appearance at Buffalo's Mohawk Place on Halloween night.
BDS sounds like a cross between old school Cream and Jimi Hendrix circa Electric Ladyland, combining crashing, jazz-inspired rock guitar with angry, sorrowful lyrics and tones that have roots in Delta Blues.
Lead vocalist/guitarist Davy Knowles sounds like a bitter, cynical 45-year-old alcoholic, despite the fact that he is a 20-year-old British kid who laughs his way through interviews and lives half in awe of his band's sudden fame.
"I don't have any background for singing...no actual training. Just been singing for four or five years. I've been playing guitar since I was 11," Knowles said. "This is all brand new to me. I never thought I'd get to do any of this."
Validating the dreams of millions of 16 year olds across the globe, BDS is a high school band that made it.
BDS's experiences on tour in the US have been positive thus far. They've opened for Rusted Root and REO Speedwagon several times each and played at famous Blues venues across the Deep South and Midwest, including the Memphis Blues Festival and Austin City Limits.
"We love Austin. It's this little musical oasis right smack dab in the middle of Texas, of all places. There's a lot going on. Such a great feeling about the place...it's very artistic."
As they travel, BDS is constantly surprised by the sheer size of the US compared to England; they drove over 20,000 miles on the first leg of the tour and will probably match that on the second leg.
"We knew it was big, but jeez," chuckled Knowles.
It's odd to hear such a young band singing such convincing Blues. Their weight, depth of tone to the lyrics and melodies serve as a refreshing throwback to an older style of music.
The uniqueness of BDS cannot be denied; notwithstanding the amazing performers from across the pond (think Clapton), their style is traditionally thought of as one of the only quintessentially American genres.
"This worried me in a big way. Coming over and it's your music, not ours, but we have to make it the best we can," Knowles said. "It's intimidating to come in and play the Memphis Blues Fest. But we've been really lucky with all the audiences. They've been really great."
Part of the success of BDS is because Knowles-et-al grew up steeped in Blues.
"My sister, when I was very young, got magazines called The Blues Collection, and every month we'd have delivered this magazine with a cassette," Knowles said. "I listened to a lot of classics. It's hard to find this genre by yourself. Someone really has to show it to you. I was very lucky to have a sister and father who listened to Blues."
"It's a Robert Cray song. He's one of our big influences," Knowles responded.
BDS is one of those bands that, from the beginning of the first song on their debut album, can only be described as "worth it," which is one of those weird, audiophile music-freak code phrases for, "a band that is worth going to almost any length to hear their latest material or see live."
It's a quiet phrase, far from the frenetic energy of the rabid fan and speaks more of bands that, if missed, will be regretted for the rest of one's life. Don't miss this act; they are worth it.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
