It’s not very often that an opening act will almost be on par with the headline act in terms of showmanship and musical capability. But this is exactly what happened when Wolverhampton-based Chris Wallbank & The Cowards supported Dog Is Dead at their recent show at Birmingham’s O2 Academy 2.

From the moment they walked on stage, everybody in the audience knew they were in for a treat. The confident grin and swagger of Chris Wallbank as he strutted to the front of the stage sealed this. And as soon as the band launched into a boisterous rendition of The Clash‘s ‘I Fought The Law’, the audience lost themselves in the maelstrom of emotion and energy.
Fans of The Libertines will in no way be disappointed with this band. Not only does Chris Wallbank bear a resemblance to Pete Doherty, but the band’s level of showmanship and their explosive approach to music makes them easily comparable with The Libertines. They are also comparable to early Oasis, with great vocal harmonies and a similar approach to song structure. The band are brilliantly crazy, and crazily brilliant. And my word, don’t they know it.

The band close their energetic set with a rabble-rousing rendition of Top Notes’ ‘Twist And Shout’ which shows exactly what the band are capable of. The vocals are powerful; the instrumentation is energetic and spot-on; the performance is exhilarating. The band leave the stage happy, taking their time as they bask in the warming cheers of their new-found fans.

Listen to this band. Go and see this band live. They will blow you away.