Tuesday 23/05/06 The Black Keys @ The Scala, London

There’s a guy on his porch blasting a harmonica, it hasn’t rained for months, you’re keeping your pet cactus alive solely on sour mash and the old Wrigley’s chewing gum ad is on eternal rotation with ‘All Right Now’ the soundtrack to your life.  That’s what '10 AM Automatic' sounds like.  Literally.  In the midst of recent plagiarism claims Free surely have an open/shut case but it’d probably just give the Black Keys something else to sing about.  Dan Auerbach’s lazy come powerfully gritty drawl and snaking guitar work coupled with Patrick Carney’s free roll drum style drop you firmly in bourbon swilling, Levi wearing, sun drenched blues rock country and it’s the kind of raw, rootsy release that’s got to be good for the soul.

It might be two pieces feel inadequate or that they’ve got something to prove volume wise and like DFA 1979, The Black Keys make quite a racket.  Like a stripped down Kills without the melancholic edge and a healthy influence of the classic rock of the 70’s The Black Keys got the funk, got the soul and got the blues.  It’s like Napolean Dynamite got his groove on.  Again.  Despite a smattering of new material the strength of ‘Rubber Factory’ prevails with the anthemic ‘Girl Is On My Mind’ getting the Scala rocking early on, ’10 AM Automatic’ blasts out with hefty feel good volume and the stop/start commentary of ‘Grown so Ugly’ despite it’s lyrical simplicity is a searing blues stamper.  Auerbach’s repeated foisting of attention onto band mate Carney is met with an expression of a toddler eating a worm with a similar reaction when he’s told ‘there’ll be no yoghurt break’ – instead he chooses to beat the shit out of his skins as Auerbach showcases some convincing white boy soul.

It’s a performance the audience are fervently receptive to with every lick, riff and fill delivered with a self assured conviction that comes in the knowledge you know exactly what you are.  The Black Keys dont aspire to break the mould yet comfortably fall into classic.  It's simply an incredible live show and for those who missed out; content yourselves with the live DVD but I guarantee it just won’t be the same.

Photos by: Linda Chasteau