Truckfighters – O2 Academy, Islington – 14/11/2014 | Live Review

Truckfighters are unstoppable touring machines. Over the last year or so they have covered hundreds of miles in support of their latest album, Universe, and they have been wowing crowds the world over with their fuzztastic live show for much, much longer than that.

Main support White Miles are a blues influenced stoner rock duo of guitar/vocals and drums. Their first few songs are good, and get some in the crowd moving, but they don’t really start impressing until they are joined onstage by guest guitarist ‘Micko’ Larkin of Hole fame. This brings an extra depth to their sound, a welcome bite that really emphasises the strength of their rock licks. Hansjörg Loferer hammers seven shades out of his kit, losing his shirt in the process, and Medina Rekic acts as a focal point, an absolute bundle of excited energy, jumping and yelling her way across the stage.

Source: Graham Berry

The anticipation in the Academy is palpable, chants of ‘Truck-fight-ers’ echoing around the space. They come on stage to huge cheers before a single note is even played. They lay into a set that, understandably, includes a lot of material from their latest release, but otherwise spans the entirety of their thirteen year career. They sound absolutely fucking massive, their tone is a thing of utter beauty, deliciously fuzzy, weighty but with just the right amount of melodic clarity.

Bassist/vocalist Ozo (Oskar Cedermalm) puts in a brilliant performance, his vocals smooth, rich and unblemished, perfectly replicating his laid back style found on their recorded works. His bass flourishes cut right through, felt as much as heard. Guitarist Dango (Niklas Kallgren) is a shirtless, sweaty ball of athletic excitement, bounding around the stage, jumping off everything, pausing to high five audience members, his tongue out almost the whole set. Latest addition, drummer Enzo (Axel Larsson) is animated, practically bursting out from behind his kit. The trio are tight and focused, a joy to behold.

Source: Graham Berry

Their excitement feeds into an already joyous crowd. Constant headbanging and fist-pumping erupt throughout, and crowd surfing is abundant. When they close with a masterful ‘Desert Cruiser’, Ozo thrusts his mic into the audience, and they absolutely belt out the choruses. It’s obvious the band enjoy what they do as much as their fans, and you’d have to be a very dour individual not to get swept up in the good time vibe of their desert rock sound. Kyuss may yet live, but they live through Truckfighters.

Review by: Jamie Hampshire
Photos by: Graham Berry