The difference with Don Fernando is they’ve done it all before. So this time round their European Tour is more like a homecoming – a chance to catch up with friends made on their successful jaunt in early 2010, and build on it. With a new guitarist, a new bass player and killer new album Dia De Los Muertos in tow, it is a refreshed, focussed and fiery outfit that hit the stage tonight.
Down a dark cobblestone alley, a cosy couch-bounded room full of mostly Dutch punters awaits. From the first ‘cha-chunk’ of Sammy Crawford’s big shiny white flying-V guitar blasting from his fat Marshall stack, it’s obvious this is going to be loud. Foot to the floor stompers like Take You and High Bankin Hell certainly confirm this, with heads banging in unison in front of the stage and on it.
Bringing a healthy swagger of blues rock and down-tuned rolling grooves, Don Fernando has always been likened to Kyuss, QOTSA etc. This compliment/constriction has obviously worn on frontman Andy Simpson and co. They’ve apparently decided, “Fuck this, it’s time to break out, and BRING THA NOIZE”.
Ball-screaming in threes, leaning back into bass heavy brutality and generally pushing their riffs and rhythms into much meaner, darker territory – it becomes clear this is not the Don Fernando I once knew in Melbourne. Sure there’s still the catchy hooks, sleazy grooves, silly-big guitars and equally silly stage banter like, “Hey Holland, I watched some of your porn. What’s with the horses?” But this slick smiling face sits on different shoulders these days– bare, sweaty, tattooed shoulders. Be warned: Don Fernando has found its nasty streak and is blatantly riding it all the way.
BY JAMES RIDLEY
