Deadstring set to rock at the Tams

Oct 6 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

COUNTRY rockers Deadstring Brothers will make their Perth live debut this weekend.

The Detroit-based outfit, who have strong UK connections, will play the Twa Tams on Saturday to plug their recently released fourth album São Paulo.

The Bloodshot Records signings modestly describe their album as “one for the classic rock fan in all of us, that never stoops to mimicry”.

Lying at the heart of the record is singer/guitarist Kurt Marschke who, like a man bloodied and bowed, sings, “I can kneel down, but I just can’t pray” on stand-out track It’s A Shame.

Another aching effort, Yesterday’s Style, is gaining plaudits as the sound of a cracked soul.

Marschke pulls together the remaining shards of his dignity to look to the future on the album’s closing track Always A Friend of Mine, which has the potential to become a country rock classic.

Joining him in Deadstring are long-time drummer and fellow Detroiter Travis Harrett, and the brothers Cullum, namely Spencer on guitar, pedal steel and slide guitar, and Jeff on bass.

The Cullums, a couple of London lads, entered the fold during a UK tour in 2006. Previously, both were mainstays in the burgeoning Heavy Load scene built around a communal love of all things Stones, Black Crowes and Allman Brothers.

After appearing on the band’s second album Silver Mountain, São Paulo marks the duo’s full integration and they have joint credits with Marschke on the majority of its songs.

Deadstring Brothers’ free gig at the Scott Street venue starts at 8pm on Saturday.