CHEZ KANE – 23.11.2023 – TROON

Welsh vocalist and melodic hard rock sensation Chez Kane played the main stage at the brilliant WinterStorm festival on the Thursday (i.e., the first day of the glorious and inspired festival) and left quite the impression on me. While I thoroughly enjoyed the self-titled debut LP from 2021, the follow-up from 2022, namely Powerzone, was an uneven and occasionally lukewarm affair, so I was curious as to what the gig in Troon (Scotland) would be like. As it turns out, it was fucking great and positively brimming with energy, and the whole quintet displayed a heartfelt desire to properly rock the audience. For one thing, the setlist was comprised of the very best material from her albums, which entailed that those forty minutes went by in a flash. Another thing was the pedigree and potency of the whole band and how everyone contributed a sense of charisma, enthusiasm, and strong musicianship to the proceedings. You could tell that Chez was having the time of her life up there on stage, and the joyous and almost celebratory atmosphere of the performance was uplifting. Also, the vigorous and meaty live renditions of Kane’s tracks possessed a raw edge that made them much more appealing and enjoyable to these ears than their somewhat glossy-sounding studio counterparts. Highlights included ‘Love Gone Wild’, ‘Ball N’ Chain’, and the fist-pumping ‘Get It On’. A very cool and memorable event and one that the WinterStorm audience undoubtedly appreciated.