JULIETTE AND THE LICKS

Cardiff Nov 2006

So you got yourself a rock and roll band

Juliette and the Licks burst onto the music scene with their EP ‘Like a bolt of lightning…’ in March 2005.  The sound was serious Rock and Roll but was this all a celebrity act?  Having seen her perform at Reading Festival 2005 and a few times since I can assure you the band are in this for the long haul and they give 100%.  Having said that, they’ve lost and replaced a few members of the band since they were formed in 2004, although this current line-up give the impression they’ve bonded and are out to prove this isn’t just a passing phase. Not only are they fronted by one of the most energetic passionate leading ladies in rock but the band themselves have included at one time or another members of NY hardcore band ‘H20’, ‘Hole’, ‘Aerosmith’ and legendary USA punk band ‘The Dwarves’.

This tour coincides with the release of their second album Four on the Floor, which featured no less than Dave Grohl on the drums after the departure of their drummer last year.  Dave Grohl has been a friend of the band for some time and invited The Licks to support the Foo Fighters at their biggest gig yet in Hyde Park last year, which also saw Juliette Lewis making an appearance on stage with Motorhead.

Support on the night was by Fortune Drive from Bristol who went down well with the crowd.  A straight up no nonsense rock and roll band but with a very unconventional style which belies the power and energy they belt out.  Definitely a band I’d like to see again if not only for the Jimmy Hendrix style guitar finale where the lead singer played out the end of their final song on the edge of the amps.  An added bonus was them selling EP’s in the foyer for a pound!!!

After arriving on stage fashionably late The Licks came on to their next single release ‘Sticky Honey’, Juliette wearing a khaki army shirt and her current trademark Indian feathers.  Halfway through she stripped off the shirt to show her lycra pants and the knee pads which enable her to throw herself around the stage like she does and still be able to walk!!  It’s not only Juliette with the energy, Todd, Kimble & Paul all give it their all, putting on an impressive physical performance for the crowd.  They played a long set with old favourites from their EP ‘American Boy’ and ‘Got Love to Kill’ and slowed the tempo down with ballads from their first album You’re Speaking My Language.  There was a fair bit of welcome crowd interaction, Todd mentioned their previous Cardiff gigs at Barfly and the Coal Exchange and Juliette proclaimed her Welsh ancestry, much to the appreciation of the crowd.   There was also a mention about Kimble writing the song ‘Play for the band Latoya’ when the band were going though a tough time.

They came back for more in the encore with the guys coming on stage undressed to the waist, I was half expecting to see Juliette arrive on stage topless with some duct tape to hide her modesty but she remained clothed much to the dismay of the male (and some female!!) members of the audience.  The tempo was raised further with ‘You’re Speaking my Language’ where each band member did their own solo performance and the night was topped off with their last song ‘So Amazing’ which featured some impressive vocal gymnastics in the introduction.  Unfortunately we didn’t get the infamous stage diving and crowd surfing finale that drives the crowd wild but I think this was down to the unusual venue which is usually the student union nightclub, or maybe Miss Lewis is slowing down (although I doubt it).

Anyone who’s ever witnessed Juliette and The Licks playing live will know that this is not a Hollywood stars play thing but the product of a real passion and talent for music.  At the end of the set Juliette said they loved playing Cardiff and they’d be back next year because ‘we’re not going anywhere’. If that’s the case and you get the opportunity I recommend you make the effort and see a genuine Hollywood star finding her true vocation in life.

Chantille Hopkins