Artists: Tremonti/Florence Black
Venue: Manchester, Ritz
Date: 13 February 2025
"‘Flying Monkeys’ made a mockery of its studio counterpart and saw both Mark Tremonti and Tanner Keegan flex both facial and finger muscles to their stretching point."
It is nearly three years since I last saw Tremonti. It was June 2022 to be exact, when they were out on the road on the back of the ‘Marching In Time’ album. The recently released ‘The End Will Show Us How’ is the band’s sixth full-length studio opus and, in many ways, continues the trend of the previous five. It was a bitterly cold night in Manchester, but the show had been sold out many months in advance, so despite the temperature levels outside, the queue to get inside the Ritz stretched far up the street and into the next.
Florence Black had thirty minutes to warm up the crowd, and they did just that. When I saw them for the first time, seven or eight years ago, I was actually underwhelmed somewhat, by both the performance and the songs. 2024’s ‘Bed Of Nails’, and its predecessor, 2021’s ‘Weight Of The World’, have seen a step up in writing and this has also had a knock-on effect in the live arena. Despite being only a three-piece, the sound was in-your-face and heavy. Songs such as ‘Start Again’, ‘Bed Of Nails’ and ‘The Deep End’ had a Classic Rock vibe with a contemporary edge and the hooks were instant, with a big impact. No frills for sure, but a great way to get the evening under way and I might be checking them out again when they tour as headliners in their own right, in September of this year.
Tremonti took to the stage at 9 pm prompt and launched unceremoniously into ‘We Wish You Well’. The photo pit was busier than usual, but it was impossible not to be drawn into the show from the very start, whilst taking shots and dodging extra long camera lenses. The barrage of riffs continued with ‘Cauterize’ and ‘You Waste Your Time’, with Mark Tremonti centre stage and leading from the front. He has come a long way as a frontman, since I first saw him take on that mantle, and now exhibits complete confidence in his dual role. Flanked by Tanner Keegan (bass) and Eric Friedman (guitar), with Ryan Bennett to the rear on drums, they were extremely tight and displayed some quality musicianship. Mark Tremonti’s love of Speed Metal has influenced his writing style, but this band is the perfect outlet for it. ‘The Things I’ve Seen’ and ‘Throw Them To The Lions’ continued the assault, but the creative mantra was highlighted by the more reflective ‘It’s Not Over’ and a mesmerising ‘Dust’, which showcased not just some spellbinding six-string antics, but also emotional deliveries vocally. It transpires that Mark has been suffering from a cold, but it was hard to tell based on the way the songs were attacked. You couldn’t have squeezed a mouse’s fart between the gaps in the crowd and an ocean of energy emanated from the stage to flood over everyone in the packed room. Fortunately the sound mix was spot on, allowing the identity of the songs to shine.
‘Flying Monkeys’ made a mockery of its studio counterpart and saw both Mark Tremonti and Tanner Keegan flex both facial and finger muscles to their stretching point. Eric Friedman also showed he is no slouch as a lead-guitarist during several solo spots, but at all times the songs were key and there was never any over-indulgent ego massaging. Mark brought out Sophie Burrell for an extended run through the epic ‘Marching In Time’ and she displayed some great six-string skills of her own. After a rampant ‘Decay’ the band took a brief breather before returning for ‘A Dying Machine’. It was then time to return to the chilly Manchester air. I have to admit, that in recent years I have enjoyed the Tremonti studio output and live performances more than that of Alter Bridge, and that was merely reinforced by tonight’s brilliant show.
Gallery: All photos © Dave Bott (used with kind permission)
Review: Dave Bott
Photos: Dave Bott
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