Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray and Neil Mason – better known as The Cadillac Three – have been wowing audiences with their blend of rock, funk and country since they released their self-titled debut album in 2012. After five years away from the UK due to the pandemic, the past two weeks they’ve been back here on their Hillbilly Hypnotised tour, culminating last night with a sold-out show at the Roundhouse in London.
The trio arrived on stage to roars from the audience, before launching into ‘Hard Out Here For A Country Boy’ from their 2020 album ‘Country Fuzz’. Right from the off it was clear they were bringing the party, with Jaren spinning about the stage and spraying beer high above the speakers. Their energy was fantastic and the thunderous applause at the end of the song showed that the crowd was as delighted to have them back as they were to be performing here again.
From there it was almost two hours of non-stop rock and roll. From the driving ‘Blue El Camino’ to the swagger of ‘The Jam’, via the bluesy ‘Back It Up’ and the defiant ‘I’m Southern’, the group didn’t let up for a second and showed that they’re able to completely hold an audience in the palm of their hand. They also encouraged the crowd to clap and sing along throughout, which they did with great gusto on the likes of ‘Peace Love And Dixie’ and fan favourite ‘Bury Me In My Boots’.
One thing that struck me throughout the show was how musically solid TC3 are as a band. Jaren in particular had brilliant showmanship, clambering onto speakers during ‘Soundtrack To A Six Pack’ and playing his guitar at such a fast pace you could practically see smoke coming off it in ‘Slide’. He also had great charisma up on stage, cracking jokes throughout the set and reminiscing about their first trip to the UK playing for 300 people at Camden Assembly. Meanwhile, Neil was an absolute machine behind the drums, keeping things tight throughout and blasting through tracks with barely a pause for breath in some cases, whilst Kelby got to show off his incredible steel guitar skills with a killer solo on ‘Whiskey Soaked Redemption’, which the group dedicated to Whiskey Myers.
For me some of the standout moments came on the slower songs. ‘Tennessee Mojo’ provided a slinky, bluesy highlight early in the set, whilst Jaren’s moving renditions of ‘Hank And Jesus’ – dedicated to his dad, who passed away earlier this year – as well as ‘White Lightning’, ‘Take Me To The Bottom’ and his solo ‘Runnin’ Red Lights’ showed that the group are just as comfortable showing their emotional side as they are rocking out, as well as his skill as a songwriter. That said, I also loved the sense of fun they brought to songs like ‘Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys’ and the anthemic ‘American Slang’, with its fast-paced chorus that had the crowd chanting along throughout. Their funk section featuring support act Lindsay Ell was also a real treat, particularly ‘Head Over Wheels’ and ‘Sweet Southern Spirit’ – both of which put me in mind of early Red Hot Chili Peppers – whilst ‘Tabasco And Sweet Tea’, the title track of their most recent album, had more of a sultry groove.
TC3 closed the show with arguably their signature song, ‘The South’. Right from the start they encouraged the audience to join in, which they did with aplomb on both the quickfire chorus and the chants of the bridge. For me it sums up everything about them – the love for their fans, their skills as musicians and lyricists (with the song still sounding as new as it did on release) and the sheer drive they’re able to bring to their performances after ten years in the game. Afterwards, they snapped a photo with the audience to the strains of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’, before tossing picks and hats into the audience who loudly demanded more – I genuinely think if there wasn’t a curfew most of the crowd would still be there now!
Overall The Cadillac Three produced a masterclass in rock and roll, showing off their incredible musicianship and the sheer diversity of their unique sound. They had fantastic energy throughout and still sound incredibly fresh, and clearly love playing for UK crowds as much as we adore watching them. Midway through the set, Jaren promised “if y’all keep coming back we’ll keep coming back”, and on the strength of this show and the tour as a whole, it hopefully won’t be quite as long a wait before they’re back on this side of the pond.
Set list: 1. Hard Out Here For A Country Boy 2. Blue El Camino 3. Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys 4. The Jam 5. Peace Love And Dixie 6. Slide 7. Soundtrack To A Six Pack 8. Bury Me In My Boots 9. Tennessee Mojo 10. Back It Up 11. Hank And Jesus 12. American Slang 13. Runnin’ Red Lights (performed by Jaren Johnston) 14. Take Me To The Bottom 15. Head Over Wheels (with Lindsay Ell) 16. Sweet Southern Spirit (with Lindsay Ell) 17. Tabasco And Sweet Tea (with Lindsay Ell) 18. I’m Southern 19. Whiskey Soaked Redemption 20. White Lightning 21. The South Performance date: 6th September 2022
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