On Tuesday, rock and roll band Rival Sons took a detour in between supporting Guns n’ Roses in Birmingham and at Wembley, to play at the York Barbican, supported by Creeping Jean as part of their current UK and Europe tour.

By Veronika Lapuridi

Photos by Dave Lee

They saw a fantastic turnout, and excited fans queued for ages after the show to buy merch, which sold out really fast.

Opening the evening, Creeping Jean, a modern rock and roll band from Brighton, jumped right into their high energy setlist with Sassy got Shakes. The performance was elevated by great use of lights and flamboyant, whimsical, ‘70s outfits. The great musical skill of the band playing was apparent throughout their act, as very technically challenging guitar parts were included in their work.

Tom Elliot, responsible primarily for percussion and some backup vocals, added charming character to the set, dancing with his tambourine.

From the start of Rival Sons’ hour and forty-five minute set, the stage was brought to life with a bright and colourful light show, which was the perfect background to the striking performance that they delivered, with an incredibly smooth, groovy and energetic sound and powerful, fast drums.

Jay Buchanan entered the stage, barefoot, and with great presence, and the band started playing End of Forever. Throughout the show, Rival Sons included a drum solo, a solo performance of Shooting Stars by Jay, and a selection of songs from every album, with most being from Feral Roots and Great Western Valkyrie.

Scott Holiday had several guitars on stage with interesting effects, producing very creative sound throughout the performance and Jay’s vocals were powerful, clear and captivating.

The crowd had no want of energy and excitement to match the classic rock sound of the band and a large portion of the audience were fans who sang along throughout the show.

Rival Sons are returning to the UK in July with shows in Bournemouth, Liverpool, Stockton, Birmingham, Ipswich and Folkestone.

Creeping Jean and Rival Sons played at York Barbican on Tuesday 24 June 2025.