The Treatment have had a good year. Of that there is no doubt. Supporting Steel Panther. An exciting Kiss/Motley Crue adventure. Their highly regarded Download performance. A major tour with Thin Lizzy. This year just went on getting bigger and better.
So the Camden show at the weekend has been seen, by the artists, as a great big London “Thank you” Christmas present to all their loyal fans – for keeping the faith.
The cavernous venue was filled with the sweaty Underworld swarm for this sizzling end-of-year celebration. The boys kicked off their meat grinders ball with “I Want Love”. This monster hit us like a thunder jack right where it hurts – straight in the mint imperials. Hard-hearted guitars (from Ben and Tagore) crept up on us – attacking us while we tried to stand our ground. Meanwhile, super-sharp fragments of drum-work ( from Dhani ) hurtled towards us like dynamic hailstones from hades.
Then we had “Killer” which is a long-range rocker. Fat slugs of guitar were ceremoniously uncoiled, along with some flagrantly flaying guitars. The vocal ( from Matt Jones ) was pushed so hard that we seriously wondered whether the feverish throat crushing would cause him permanent damage. This was romp rock of blistering proportions.
When the Cambridge reprobates played their “Get The Party On” song, the wildness really got out of hand. This is the ultimate feel good anthem. They played at full speed. With a passionate intensity. It was for all the rock chicks out there, and their oil-pan lovers. It went full pelt, with a sleazy guitar at the end that pushed us so hard, and so deep, that we expect that we will all be heaving wrecks for at least another week.
“Just Tell Me Why” had an invigorating riff that scalded our ears like a demented flame demon. And it had a lead guitar solo that sprang out and attacked us like a pouncing tiger. The fire-whip voice was like a grizzled steam-jet of emotions. Then “The Doctor” had grand slabs of concrete-hard guitar . These were embedded against vocals that were strained taut against the hardest muscle-power you could possibly imagine. And some of the most brutally hot riffs we’ve ever experienced.
“Nothing To Lose But Our Minds” was a high point of the show. This is when the band sounded like Mott the Hoople crossed with Aerosmith. No one can deny that the droning riff in this song is absolutely spectacular. And the melody is enchanting. It would be fair to say that this is one of the best rock anthems of the year. If not the decade. The band played it as if they dared us not to like it.
And “Shake The Mountain” is The Treatment’s fantastic ‘Jumping up and down’ song. Created to finish off parties and send folk rocking out into the night. An undiminished extravaganza of epic proportions. It is proper rock ‘n’ roll. Feverish. liberating and licentious. God, we love it.
“London Bleeds Rock n Roll…” Shouted Matt. We roared back our approval. What a night.
