REVIEW: The Treatment @Leeds Key Club

rattlemag
May 7, 2016
4 min read

In the current climate of buzzwords and Coachella, it’s easy to feel like the halcyon days of classic rock have forever passed us by. However, as crowds of long-haired, denim-vest wearing metalheads converged on The Key Club on Thursday night, it was clear that such a thing was anything but true. Rock had been kept alive in the hearts and minds of The Treatment's fans, and that night they were out in force.

First up were The Deadstones, a self proclaimed “loud as hell four-piece from Halifax” who cite their chief influences as their “parents and The Metro”. Having been together for just over a year you could be forgiven for thinking they’re a little undercooked, but any rough edges were made up for by sheer force of will. As they clamoured their way through a set filled with chuggy guitars and sing-along choruses, the opening chords of Dolly Parton’s Jolene took everyone by surprise. It was an odd choice but a successful one, with the familiarity bringing the older members of the audience onside even with the band’s fresh, and much punchier, take on the tune. Not to leave the younger attendees behind, a roaring rendition of Royal Blood’s Out Of The Black followed, a song perfectly suited to the ageless low-ceiling and sticky-floor charm of The Key Club. With the crowd successfully warmed up the band took their leave, but not before unleashing their newest hit Set Me Free and ensuring their mark was made on the night. You might not have heard of them before now, but you’ll definitely be hearing from them again.

Next came hometown heroes Late Night Legacy, a Leeds-based band with a penchant for bringing the funk. Sounding like Black Label Society with a Chilli Peppers twist they proved the perfect counterpoint to their predecessors, bringing a bluesy smoothness to the night that had previously been missing. Opening number Sunday Reign was a jazzy offering that felt just the right amount of sleazy, while rockier numbers like I’m An Eagle and My Liberation kicked the night up to eleven. Though the heavy Yorkshire accents occasionally shattered the illusion of effortless American cool, the undeniable bass hooks and laid back demeanor of frontman Ryan Kitto brought it right back, in a set that was equal parts gritty and feel-good. In short, the four-piece unleashed a classic sound with a maturity and polish not often found in bands so young, following in the footsteps of Alt-J and Pulled Apart By Horses in the crusade to keep the Leeds scene alive.

As the night wore on, The Amorettes arrived to bring some much-needed fire to proceedings with their unique brand of Riot Grrl hard rock. Heralded in the press as the “female Motorhead” and “Airbourne fronted by Joan Jett”, the trio of chicks burst on to the stage in a flurry of hairography and guitar solos, with frontwoman Gill taking control of the unsuspecting crowd immediately.

Though the audience did at times seem completely unprepared, struggling to keep up with the band’s unbridled energy and struggling to parrot the lyrics they were being told to repeat, within three songs they were chanting along like seasoned pros. Take Cover, a song pulled from the girls’ debut album proved a high point, while new offering Hot and Heavy did exactly what you might expect. Having revealed their presence at the upcoming Download festival and successfully avoided falling into the hole on the stage, they took their leave, but not before whipping the crowd into one final frenzy. I guess it just goes to show that rock can never die, as long as there are female-fronted bands from Edinborough ready to take up the mantle.

Finally it was The Treatment’s turn, as they entered with characteristic flair to a soundtrack that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Matrix movie. After basking in the applause for a few seconds, a polite “Good evening Leeds.” from frontman Mitchell heralded the beginning of the madness, kicking off an hour long set of gratuitous guitars, driving bass lines and somewhat bizarre tangents.

Placing songs from new album Generation Me alongside classic hits like The Doctor and Let It Begin, the guys proved that it would take more than a change in vocalists to bring them down, ripping through song after song that threatened to bring the plaster from the ceiling and the glass from the windows. Only pausing to thank the waiting crowd (and to ask “are you better than tea-bags Leeds?” in the most British crowd-hyping technique in the Key Club’s history) the band set to proving that sometimes there’s nothing better than classic rock and roll, in all its jumping on the monitor, knocking over the mic stand, glory. As the final chords of title-track Generation Me squealed to a close, it was clear that whether you’re from Cambridge or Boston, the rules of bringing the house down remain the same.