The Cadillac Three / Rock City / Nottingham

Sep 12

Sep 12 The Cadillac Three / Rock City / Nottingham

Back to my old fave tonight and a trip to Rock City to see The Cadillac Three, with support from Lindsay Ell. It’s been a while Rock City…. Well 2 days actually since I was hear for Embrace !

First up we have Lindsay Ell who was born in Calgary, Canada (Go Flames !) and she started played at a young age picking up her dad’s guitars around the house. Her style is influenced by the likes of the great Buddy Guy, Keith Urban, Hendrix and the wonderful John Mayer. Moving to Nashville, her first album “Consider This” was released in 2008. She’s since released four more, the latest “Heart Theory” in 2020.

A simple set up on stage, with Lindsay on guitars and a drummer to the side she launces straight into the first track Wildfire. Taken from the 2017 album “The Project”. Next up we had Want Me Back from the latest album “Heart Theory”. This one slows the pace down and is more emotional, but ends with a cracking guitar solo.

Following Right on Time , we head into a more blues like number with Hits Me. The crowd are really getting into the set by now, and Lindsay has some skills ! Again the pace slows as we head into Get Over You a song she tells us, which is about her last break up. A cracking and emotional track, one of the highlights for me.

A nice little surprise next. I recognise that one…… as we launch into No Doubts classic Just A Girl. The crowds energy levels are right up now and they’re dancing away as the track seamlessly morps into Queen’s Bohemien Rapsody ! Well, who could resist eh ? The crowd as one are singing along to the lines with Lindsay.

A delightful instrumental introduction brings in What Happens in a Small Town. Following a number of thank yous and telling the crowd that Rock City was a venue she’s long wanted to play we head into a ballad in the form of I Don’t Love You, again from her most recent album. A heartfelt story of relationships it includes a couple of great solos, really showing off her skills.

Finally we come to the last track, Criminal which starts with soft vocals supported by a beat before the tempo rises and ultimately she delivers a roaring riff laden solo.

Wow, a great set from a very talented musician. Well worth the entrance money alone, a beaming Lindsay leaves the stage as the crowd cheer for more.

Setlist

Wildfire

Want Me Back

Right on Time

Hits Me

Get Over You

Just A Girl/Bohemian Rhapsody

What Happens in a Small Town

I Don’t Love You

Criminal

As the crew change the stage over, we eagerly await The Cadillac Three. Originally known as The Cadillac Black and formed in 2011 the band play a raucous form of Southern American Rock and consists of Jaren Johnston (lead vocals, guitar), Kelby Ray (lap steel guitar, bass guitar, vocals), and Neil Mason (drums, vocals). The guys have since released five studio albums , the latest “Tabasco and Sweet Tea” in 2020.

The band head out onto the stage, with Kelby stage left (as we look) on a raised platform on the lap steel, Neil Mason on a platform stage right with his drums and Jaren front and centre on guitar. We dive straight into Peace Love & Dixie from the album “Bury Me in My Boots” from 2016.The sound is big, with powerful guitars complimenting the drums.

We transition into the next track Slide seamlessly, which has faster vocals and a more banjo picking feel to it. It has that Southern frantic style to it, and the crowd are already well into the vibe, with hands and phones in the air.

Soundtrack to a Six Pack is next before we head into one of my favourite TC3 tracks Hard Out Hear for a Country Boy, somewhat slower with a real good rhythm to it. Also from “Country Fuzz” we get Blue El Camino heavier with riffs driving the sound, the crowd are really stompin’ those feet now.

Crackin’ Cold Ones With the Boys, also from their latest album is up next and is clearly a favourite with the fans as they eagerly join in the vocals. The Jam has a different feel to it, being more funky before we head into Bury Me In My Boots a classic Southern ballad track and my personal favourite, and reminds me of the fantastic Americana track Carry My Body Down by Nick 13 (Tiger Army).

The great tunes keep coming with Tennessee Mojo and Back It Up. What’s fantastic is that there is real variety on their sound, and some real great heavy tracks mixed in there.

A slow beat introduces Take Me to the Bottom, a slower tempo track, laden with emotion. A huge cheers rings out as Lindsay Ell returns to the Rock City stage for a jam.

One of my favourite tracks from 2020’s “Tabasco and Sweet Tea” is next in the form of Sweet Southern Spirit which has an incredible bassline running through it, full of funk. The lyrics are brilliant and paint a somewhat stereotype view of the Deep South with references to Dukes of Hazard style cut off jeans, pick up trucks and girls that are “Sweet like molasses, sweet like tea”. I love the line about them being at a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert, his girl “Sayin’ hell yeah, shake that thang, make a fella wanna buy that pawn shop ring. It’s in her touch, it’s in her kiss, she on a Country boy bucket list”. It has a wonderful comic feel to it along the lines of our own Outlaw Orchestra.

As we get towards the end of the set, we head right back to the first album from 2014 and “Tennessee Mojo” for the classic track Down to the River, which slows the pace right down, and tells the tale of a broken man, a hard working man who heads down to the river, the place he knows best to clear his mind, and hoping his troubles will float on by. An emotional one, and so evocative….. Just beautiful.

We come to the end and the final track. Once again it’s back to 2014’s “Tennessee Moho” for this one and I’m Southern. Somehow, perfectly fitting really to end on this one. Heavier it gets the crowd moving again. Again summing up that Southern man, last at the bar, hard to love but hard to hate, who don’t always make it on Sunday’s to Jesus. The chorus is one to sing along to with lines like “ Cause I’m… Southern, and it’s not my fault. My daddy came from Louisiana, like the hot sauce”

This is genuine Southern Americana Rock and the guys are at one with their roots and it comes through in their songs and lyrics. Sometimes difficult, but more often funny and they don’t take themselves too seriously. This is a genre of music that has grown on me over recent years, and they are great at what they do. Well worth some of your time. I can’t wait to see them again.

Setlist

Peace Love & Dixie

Slide

Soundtrack to a Six Pack

Hard Out Here For A Country Boy

Blue El Camino

Crackin’ Cold Ones With the Boys

The Jam

Bury Me in My Boots

Tennessee Mojo

Back It Up

Hank & Jesus