The Answer are a Northern Irish hard rock and blues band.  Having been on the music scene for around 3 years and opened for AC/DC on their Black Ice tour, The Answer are back on the road.  LLR saw them at Nottingham’s Rock City.

The crowd were sufficiently warmed up by special guests, SKAM, a rock band from Leicester and a lot of fun to watch, although I was slightly distracted by and concerned about bass guitarist Matt Gilmore’s tongue, which seemed to just hang out for entire songs.

The ‘official’ support was The Union, a four piece rock band with some great songs and love for the audience.  Their set was explosive with fans in the crowd dancing from start to finish and participating when they band cajoled them.  They left the room satisfied and ready for the headline,

Anticipation was in the air as the smoke machines began at full pelt The Answer appeared on stage.  A no frills rock band – perfect for Rock City and actually how it should be!

Huge cheers began as they launched into their first song, a firm favourite with the audience with a lot of participation and equal enjoyment from the band.

For the next hour of the set they didn’t disappoint their eager fans.  Crowd pleasing with every song, the atmosphere was excitable without the tension that being surrounded by a lot of rather large bald rockers could bring.

Playing a selection of songs from each of their albums, they didn’t fail to promote 2011’s Revival album, a clear favourite amongst those watching as they knew the words to every song.

Cormc Neason, lead singer and front man, works the room with his eyes.  Unlikely he can actually really see anyone with all those lights shining down on him but he tries to engage with everyone and it’s nice to see.

As a front man he’s somewhat refreshing, charismatic on stage but without the obvious arrogance usually associated with the lead singer.  His voice is distinctive; it holds its own perfectly over the heaviness of Mick Waters’ and Paul Mahon’s guitar riffs and bass lines. Neason can sing, not just scream and it’s a pleasant sound.

The Answer are a band who know what it is they’re doing.  Their music is hard rock with an element of blues, which breaks up the harder numbers for those who may tire of the overzealous, but necessary instrumentation.

The set was full of energy, emotion shown in the right places the pure enjoyment of the band could be felt in every song.

The highlight of the gig had to be Nowhere Freeway, a song which Neason said they had started performing differently at every show.  Fortunately for us on that Sunday night they chose to do a semi acoustic version of it, slowed right down into almost a ballad.  It was beautiful, Neason’s voice was spectacular and it enabled each band member to showcase their individual skills as well as indulge in some spine tingling harmonies.

Fran Bonner – March 2012