Bootleg Vinyl - Them Crooked Vultures - The Verdict

Firstly, I would like to start by apologising to Them Crooked Vultures guitarist Alain Johannes, for failing to give him a mention in my initial excitement over the employment history of the other band members.  His own CV includes no less than working with a Josh Homme on some of his brainchildren, Brody Dalle's new set up, being a bit of a legend with a cigar box guitar, as well as writing and producing a bunch of influential music.  And more to the point he smashes it on my first bootleg vinyl - Live at Rockpalast.  Please accept this belated doffing of my cap.

Now I'm not keen on the term 'Supergroup' but it is a deserved accolade, there is no doubt that these gentlemen ooze skill and a certain confidence with both their instruments and their ability to work a crowd, which is laid bare here in bootleg format.  This record has a fluidity of performance but is brutally live - a fair distance away from overdubbed live albums ala Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous.

I'd be lying if I said the sound quality was as good as you'd expect from a label release, there's a few clicks and strange pauses, but hell - it sounds pretty epic when you turn it up loud.

The quality of the physical record is not at all substandard.  It's a good, heavy 180g pressing and the black cat logo on a home printed label gives the whole thing a deliciously underground vibe.  Like with all live albums on vinyl, it's a bit weird when you suddenly go from the sound of live action and a roaring crowd to the muffling of dead wax.

The first track No-one Loves Me and Neither Do I has got an oh so dirty bass, which is relentless and kind of beats you up just like bass does at a gig.  This is a no surprise considering  this was recorded at the Palladium in Cologne, which has a capacity for 4000 standing.

Maybe it's because the Germans have penchant for taking their rock in BIG, loud doses.  Maybe it's because you can clearly hear the crowd having a ball.

All in all I love it and my only regret is that I wasn't there!

P.S.  If you Google the acronym 'TCV', you will also come across the The Conservation Volunteers, for the record I dig what you guys do too.