4 - Des Rocs - The Dome
As he’s just wrapping up the Dream Machine World Tour, celebrating his second album, let’s go back a few weeks, to Des Rocs’ night in London.
DES ROCS ROLLS HIS DREAM MACHINE TO THE UK!
As the last date in the UK leg of his tour, Des Rocs conquered The Dome, in north London, last 20th January, just before conquering Europe. It’s his first headline UK tour. And the little bugger is more than happy to be here. His 1000-watt smile only rarely fades away from his face. Incredibly communicative, his smile is not his only asset.
How do you become this new Elvis Presley? A reborn Freddie Mercury? The modern rock Sinatra? To be very honest, I think that neither you, me, nor them, have a definitive answer. The truth is that, for me, Des Rocs is not any of them. The New Yorker will never deny his inspirations, quite the contrary, paying tribute to them in small ways, but Des Rocs is nobody but himself. With such a unique sound in the studio, as per his incredible three EPs and two albums, I was eager to find out what he was like on stage. Have socials told me the truth?
Must I believe the hype?
Let me be very clear from the get-go: yes. Des Rocs is made to be on stage, where he mixes his gimmicks with unmatched emotional sincerity. Close to his bandmates, Eric ‘Doc’ Mendelsohn on the bass and guitars, and William Tully on the drums, Des Rocs remains close to his audience too.
Before he walks on stage, it’s up to Christopher Shayne to open the evening. With a rough and heavy sound, a mixture of diverse subgenres of rock, from Americana to blues, punk, and thrash metal, that growls here. Chris Shayne admits that, to come over here, it costs quite a few quid (or bucks rather). But that’s fine, they’ll do everything they can to convince the public. And it quickly works. The first riffs buzz through, and the band is relaxed and chatty. For the most sceptical, it’s the cover of Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy, amps to 11, and the respectful nod to AC/DC that makes it. That’s how they win over the kind-hearted, fan and receptive public.
It’s therapeutic.
Lights off for a few minutes, and without further ado, our headline struts on stage. His suit is black and white, red glittery flames up on his leg, and his black curls up in a 50s-like sobre and stylish quiff. The rockstar outfit reads DREAM MACHINE, his sophomore album, in red, on the back of the white biker jacket, perfecting the overall look. A smug smile stretches his lips as he comes into the light, a mischievous yet honest light brightening his eyes.
His music might be wounded, sometimes getting into heartbreaking subjects – trauma, depression, suicidal thoughts – there’s still something deeply joyful in his interpretation. And yet without ever creating a gap between subject and form. Used to the Darkness is sung and chanted, that grand smile plastered on his face, contrasting with the gripping lyrics. It’s therapeutic. The distortion makes the venue vibrate, the audience is here for it, and Des Rocs seems almost surprised by this reaction, coming from the guts. Suicide Romantics, closing the show, has the same flame, although the track has a quieter feel to it.
London will call him back.
For over an hour and a half, the New Yorker tells his story, hand on his heart. The flamboyance, he puts it into his gimmicks, winking, spinning madly, and jumping as high as he can. MMC and I Am The Lightning bring forward his love of rock’n’roll without ever limiting his explorations of other genres that inspire his productions. The artist has the whole venue dancing in the palm of his hand.
Between two songs, he jumps off stage to change the details of his outfit and fix his hair. The curls can’t keep up with the wild and unhinged moves he makes, and the stage suddenly seems too small. Des Rocs leaves the stage only after he’s thanked the entirety of the venue’s staff and his own crew. To say that I’ve got a stage crush is an understatement. The expectation was high and he delivered that and then some. It’s definite. I am certain Des Rocs is leaving an indelible mark on the rock scene. And that, even with an acoustic set – as he showed through his show, affected by a blackout in Amsterdam, a couple days later.
Professional and nice, I am an ultra-fan of his communicative energy and of the kindness I’ve felt coming from both the band and the audience. Des Rocs is to see live as soon as possible, again and again, as much as you can. London will call him back, soon, I’m sure.
A couple of shots:
