It’s a cloudless night in late October when Crooked Steps gets to present their new EP in front of friends, fans and family. Fingers Crossed is the title of the 4-track disc produced by Erik van Biesen (ex-Gorki, Biezen). Despite having been active for four years now, and several successes in different rock rallies Fingers Crossed is the first release by the young blues rock duo.
The Cover is a cozy bar hosting the release-party in Ghent and the perfect location for the swinging rock by the boys from Gontrode (a small village ten kilometers to the South-East of the city). There’s a very friendly atmosphere and the mood got set perfectly by Jay and the Coffee. Unfortunately I ran a little late so only got to see a couple of songs of the support act, among which a surprising funk rendition of Freestylers’ hit Push Up.
By the time Crooked Steps hit the stage the pub was nicely filled with people looking for some rock and roll. The raw yet elegant guitar play by frontman Lou Lippens, his crushing yet enchanting vocal melodies and super tight drumming skills of Thomas Vandenbogaert combine in to a groove that perhaps isn’t the most unique of sounds but is nothing less than irresistible for anyone that likes dancing, clapping or just nodding along. Besides the tracks on their brand new EP some older songs were included into a varied setlist. Not only the style of the songs enjoyed a variety from melancholic blues to hard rock but also thematically the songs deal with different subjects. Lou gets to take the time to express his love for his queen after claiming he’s the king, shout out his frustrations about all that’s wrong in today’s society and tackle subjects like autism. It may have been very hot on stage, but no one really seemed to care for a second. As much as I liked their music, I almost enjoyed watching them play more. You got to hand it to them, the lads got style and seeing how clearly they’re enjoying themselves is just very contagious. Compared to the last time I saw the guys hit the stage, about a year ago, I got the feeling they made considerable improvements on the technical aspects of musicianship without loosing any of their natural energy and their impeccable sense for rocking grooves. For that I’d take my head hat off, alas I wasn’t wearing one to begin with and in all fairness it probably would’ve gotten rocked off anyway.
The Grimm-crew is already looking forward to Crooked Steps’ next performance in Den Drummer on November 16th where a similar setlist can be expected, and we would strongly recommend you to drop by as well.
We can proudly present you the exclusive premier of their upcomming hit Hello World
