Danish rock n'roll lifers D-A-D are back with A Prayer for the Loud, their first new record in almost a decade, and it's a banger.
The album is full of their usual brand of killer boogie rock, but that's not even the best news. The best news is that they're touring to promote this new rock and roll statement and I was lucky enough to catch them last night at Le Petit Bain, a cool Parisian venue located on a barge on the river Seine.
D-A-D are not strangers to our land. They seem to play here every two to three years whether they have a new album to defend or not. I guess I never realised how popular the band was around here: the show was sold out and the place was packed. No matter how many shows I've seen, no matter how old I get, there's something very exciting about a small rock gig in a cool club... Even the questionable aromas (sweat glands, skunked beer or other types of party favours) are welcome participants. It's part of the atmosphere.
D-A-D could have been huge. They certainly had the talent, the chops, the songs. The image, even. For a while. But they never did get huge, which is both a blessing and a curse. I'm sure they'd love to be rolling in royalties, but at least they'll never be have-beens and used-to-bes.
What they are is a no-nonsense working rock and roll band, bringing their slightly metallised boogie-rock to audiences the world over. It's not just a calling, it's a way of life. The bus parks across the venue, the stagehands load the gear out, the band plays, the roadies break everything down, etc. rinse, wash, repeat.
That is the reality of rock and roll. All of the extra curricular activities like drugs, groupies and fame are optional. What is not optional is the necessity to put on a kick-ass show and these guys know how to deliver. Their biggest asset? Their songs. It's After Dark, Pilgrim, Riding With Sue... And a whole bunch of new tracks from their latest offering, which sound just as great as their "classics".
Now in his mid-fifties, vocalist Jesper Binzer still sounds like a youthful Bon Scott. His younger guitarist brother Jacob perfectly tows the line between American blues-rock and European metal. Bassist Stig Peterson still has the coolest axes and "newcomer" Last Sonne, who's only been in the band for two decades, is the quintessential solid, dependable drummer.
D-A-D is still here. Still recording, still touring. The audiences are still showing up, evidently. Their career is a modern rock and roll success story and for ninety minutes you have the privilege to be a part of it. Don't miss it.