SINGLE REVIEW: ROSE CARLEO BAND – HELL AIN’T A BAD PLACE TO BE

Shane | 8 December 2022 | Reply

SINGLE REVIEW: ROSE CARLEO BAND – HELL AIN’T A BAD PLACE TO BE
Independent

9th December, 2022
93%
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar

AC/DC covers are a dime a dozen – and let’s be honest, not a lot of them are fit to lay in the shadow of Bon Scott’s statue, much less stand on their own two feet. Hell, I wouldn’t even bother writing about most of them.

Enter Rose Carleo, like Bon, a Fremantle dweller through her formative years, and leader of the band which bears her name featuring the dream machine line-up of husband Mick Adkins (Rogue Sharks), Mick O’Shea (everyone) and Steve King (Rose Tattoo).

Carleo’s solo and band releases have always been cracking, and here she proves that not only are her band an ace outfit amongst Australia’s best, but her warm, throaty, honeyed vocals outrank many acts of far higher repute.

What’s that – you haven’t heard of them before?

Well, here’s the problem: Rose and co hit the scene after the music industry had its wobble – the one it still hasn’t recovered from, at least where rock and roll acts are concerned. So radio hasn’t come knocking for them like it should – all the big radio stations want to play are zimmer frame-pushing heritage acts whose last hit was thirty years ago, and autotuned pop-by-numbers tripe that will be forgotten in three minutes and twelve seconds.

It’s a modern tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, and no mistake, because Carleo’s covers are pure gold, and her & her band’s original songs are easily as good as any of those you’ll hear at a Day On The Green or a raucous Saturday night pub gig anywhere in the country.

Sadly, c’est la vie.

The important thing is that we – those who know – share that knowledge around. The Rose Carleo Band are back, brothers and sisters, and on this faithful cover of Bon, Angus & Malcolm’s classic, they are smokin’ hot.

They have new original tunes coming as well, which is super exciting – but for now, turn this up, hit the repeat button, and rock hard. It’s the next best thing to new Bon-era Accadacca themselves.

Click here to Pre order [Releases 09:30 AEST 9th December 2022]