First published by Midlands Rocks 28th May 2012 Photographs reproduced by kind permission of Sean Larkin
And so, to the main event; much-loved Aussie AOR all-stars, White Widdow.
A heated exchange between two fans posed the question; are they better than Serpentine? Is Serpentine better than them? You may as well ask which is the superior fruit; apples or oranges? Such is the quandary engendered by such pointless speculation.
The truth is that despite working in the same genre, the two acts are so disparate as to render comparisons utterly meaningless. Serpentine, it’s fair to say, have the sharper, more contemporary edge. White Widdow’s appeal, on the other hand, owes much to that timeless classic AOR sound. A vibe and an era that is effortlessly and skilfully replicated and manages to sound reassuringly familiar without, remarkably, sounding in any way derivative.
While some bands stand or fall by the bad ass-quotient of their shtick, White Widdow unashamedly offers an inclusive feel-good time that generates happy smiles, dancing punters and an ecstaticjoie de vivre. One is left radiatingbonhomie and good-will to all men. Party band is a hideous cliché but that really is what we have here. The glorious sunshine raining down on the venue could not have been bettered in perfectly setting the scene for this endearing and increasingly popular act.
Jules Milas, on the back of an excellent Firefest performance, nevertheless demonstrated an exponential improvement to what was already a distinctive and pleasing voice. While his flamboyant and entertaining showmanship has never been in doubt, the vocals are now matching the excellence of their recorded counterparts.
‘Cry Wolf’ signalled the commencement of partying manoeuvres and the subsequent duo of ‘One More Day’ and ‘Strangers’ saw the band hitting their stride in short order, the crowd with them every step of the way…[continue reading]