The first time I saw Band Of Skulls, I didn’t really have much in the way of expectations. After all, when a band puts the word “skulls” in their name, one might have some preconceived notions about them. Luckily, they didn’t turn out to be a bad Misfits tribute band. Rather, their music is basically riff rock, albeit a brand of riff rock that’s often a bit more interesting than the average tune that you might hear in the drive time slot on the local rock radio station. And as I would come to learn that night, the band puts on a solid live show.
That first time seeing them was a show at the El Mocambo back in 2009. They’ve obviously come a long way since then as evidenced by the big, fancy looking tour bus parked outside The Phoenix, as well as the sizeable and appreciative crowd inside the venue. And why wouldn’t they be appreciative? This band makes big, capital-R rock music that goes down well in big rooms while still having a totally cool, laid back demeanor onstage. Band of Skulls’ stage banter leans more towards a polite “Thank you very much” than “Scream for me Long Beach!” and frankly, it suits them.