Wayward Sons make their debut headline performance on Tyneside in front of a packed out Saturday night crowd at the Riverside Newcastle.

Since their formation last year, Wayward Sons have been gaining a lot of momentum, with widespread airplay on Planet Rock Radio along with support slots with the likes of Steel Panther and Inglorious. The group released their debut album Ghosts of Yet To Come earlier this year and subsequently the uber-talented five-piece are out on the road in support of the album.

Tonight the band have taken a somewhat refreshing approach to the concert experience in that rather than taking an opening band out on the road, the task of warming up the crowd has been bestowed upon comedian Pete K Mally, whose witty banter entertains the masses early in the evening. Subsequently, a screening of a short film which centres on the band’s music videos sets the tone for the rest of the night ahead.

As Wayward Sons burst onto the Riverside Newcastle stage they open their set with a triple whammy of the groove-heavy “Alive”, the incredibly infectious “Ghost” and current single “Don’t Wanna Go”. Each track in the band’s classic rock arsenal is packed full of catchy hooks, hard rocking riffs and a fist-pumping rhythm.

Despite being a relatively new act Wayward Sons are incredibly tight, it feels as though the band has been playing together all of their lives; you wouldn’t expect anything less from Toby Jepson (Vocals/Guitar), Sam Wood (Guitar), Nic Wastell (Bass), Dave Kemp (Keys) and Phil Martini (Drums). The British five-piece comes together seamlessly like a huge wall of sound all night long.

Of course, Toby Jepson is no stranger to Newcastle having performed here with The Little Angels numerous times throughout his career, and also more recently with Fastway. Jepson nostalgically recollects shows at the now sadly missed Mayfair Ballroom, the legendary Newcastle City Hall as well as the original Riverside nightclub on Melbourne Street. Many of those in attendance this evening having been at one or more of those shows in question.

During the course of their roughly 90-minute set, the band showcase their latest offering with the lion’s share of Ghosts of Yet To Come included in the show. There are many stand out moments in the set, one of which being the epic “Crush” which has all of the hallmarks of a classic rock masterpiece. During the latter stages of the song, the group even manages to segue a few bars of Blondie’s “Union City Blues” to great effect.

Wayward Sons take the opportunity to preview tracks from their forthcoming EP including the first song they ever wrote together “Standby Heart” along with “Backslide”. The band’s forthcoming three-track release is currently available for pre-order online.

As the band hurtles towards the finish line they deliver one of the stand out songs of the set in the shape of “Be Still My Heart”. This gargantuan classic rock number features an incredibly catchy 70’s tinged breakdown and has the crowd clapping along and stomping their feet from the off.

For the Little Angels fans in the audience, the anthemic “Kicking Up Dust” still sounds as good as it did back in the early 90’s. From a past classic to a future classic in the making, Wayward Sons close out their main set with their now signature tune “Until The End”, which leaves the crowd wanting more.

The five-piece brings their high octane, no messing rock and roll set to a close with one further Little Angels number, that being “Young Gods”. This timeless fan favourite has the crowd singing back every word to the stage wholeheartedly, before the song culminates with a few bars of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

On the strength of tonight’s show and the band’s debut record, it’s fair to say that Wayward Sons have firmly established themselves as one of the most exciting new British hard rock acts on the touring circuit.

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Wayward Sons
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Event Date: 21-April-2018