Concert review: The Struts w/ Barns Courtney | 07.27.24, The Factory (with photo gallery)

Photo of Adam Slack of the Struts by Laura Jerele

The Struts are one of those bands that never let you down live. They have a certain, stellar way about them that only British rock acts can bring. It’s a mix of confidence, pageantry, and an absolute dedication to the glamorous side of rock ‘n’ roll. They made a tour stop here last year, but that didn’t stop them from drawing a huge crowd at The Factory for bombastic and bouncy Saturday night!

Let’s face it, their music is really good. With four albums under their belts, there’s not a bad song in the bunch to create a really fab setlist. Vocalist Luke Spiller is so vibrant and punchy, he plays off the crowd and sings his ass off. Bassist Jed Elliot is fun to watch as he stays ultra cool and in the pocket. Together they know how to bring a fantastic show with tons of bursting lights (and a ton of fog) to match their catchy-as-hell songs. They kicked it old-school with guitar solos (thanks, Adam Slack), tons of amps (we see you, Magnatone) and—yes—drum solos, compliments of Gethin Davies! Some of my faves from the night were “The Ol’ Switcheroo,” “Kiss This,” and their set/encore-ending mega hit “Could Have Been Me.”

The Struts, live at The Factory. Photo by Laura Jerele.

Barns Courtney was a perfect choice to open this tour as he is one of the coolest artists out there today. He’s got a killer fashion sense, confidence for days, and is everything you want in a frontman including having an incredible voice. His music is punchy and raucous in a way that makes you believe rock will never die. I wish his set was longer, but loved that I got to hear “Supernatural” and “99.” Ever the showman, Courtney was a mic-wielding madman (ala The Who) and near the end of the set he hit guitarist Andrew Martin in the head as it came down from a full swing. Andrew did not finish the final few songs of the set and I sure do wish him a speedy recovery (we also featured him in our coverage of LP). So yeah, you could say Barns Courtney left it all on the stage—blood, sweat, and tears.

And that’s why they call it rock n’ roll, kids. | Laura Jerele