Express & Star

Stafford rockers Piston return home for Christmas gig - review with pictures

A return to Stafford for hard rockers Piston after recent support slots for The Cult, Phil Campbell and Glenn Hughes, the five piece Cannock-based band played a packed Redrum.

Published
Piston at Redrum, Stafford. All pictures courtesy of Piston. Pictures by: Mark Lloyd

There were major differences to the previous gigs Piston have played at Redrum, their performance fine-tuned on the road in front of discerning audiences – Confidence? Cockiness? Chutzpah? An homogenised mixture of all three?

The smiling band members – Luke, Stuart, Brad, Jack and Rob - were clearly enjoying themselves, interacting with the audience, encouraging chants and singalongs.

Piston at Redrum, Stafford. Pictures by: Mark Lloyd
Piston at Redrum, Stafford. Pictures by: Mark Lloyd
Piston at Redrum, Stafford. Pictures by: Mark Lloyd

Rainmaker and One More Day got everyone bouncing up and down, and were followed by the slower Carry Us Home – because after all, they were ‘home’.

The set ended as usual with a cover of Proud Mary. Off the stage went the band returning wearing Santa hats and brandishing sideways outstretched thumbs and knuckles to play their latest single, a cover of Slade’s Mamma Weer All Crazee Now.

Piston at Redrum, Stafford. Pictures by: Mark Lloyd

Initially the band had felt they were not quite ‘tight’ enough to include the song, but after reading the Express & Star feature earlier in the week that they would be playing the song they changed their encore, playing the song live for the first time ever, complete with a sing-along crowd chorus that threatened to blast the windows open wide and collapse the floor.

Within minutes of leaving the stage Piston were signing t-shirts, posters and even a skull and crossbones false leg and chatting with fans.

Piston at Redrum, Stafford. Pictures by: Mark Lloyd

In January the band will start putting ideas together for their second album. No rest for the wicked? Absolutely.

Review by Richard Pursehouse

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