“SUPERGRASS + THE SIXX – CHALK, BRIGHTON 5.5.25”

“The Sixx are a dynamic band blending heartfelt Americana, soulful rock, and acoustic storytelling, drawing inspiration from legends like Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty. With a lineup of seasoned musicians, the band delivers a rich and authentic sound that resonates with audiences everywhere. Fans will be glad to learn that the band are currently in the studio crafting their debut album, so stay tuned for that announcement.

The Sixx take to the Chalk stage at 7:21pm and perform 8 unreleased tunes during their 33 minute set. Thankfully the venue is already rammed for their performance and no doubt will be winning new fans. The lighting and sound are both good and the quintet are positioned towards the front of the expansive stage, so everyone is able to see them. The first thing that takes my fancy is the Roland V-Combo VR-730 (which delivers top-quality organ, electric piano, acoustic piano, and synth sounds via a 73-note waterfall keyboard), as well as a Roland RD-300.

They kick off with ‘Time To Shine’ which surprisingly is a really rockin’ number. Having checked out their website beforehand, I was expecting solid Americana, and thankfully this arguably wasn’t the case for seven of this evening’s tunes. One tune down and the crowd have surprisingly really taken to the band so early, which is very impressive. ‘Save Your Tears’ is up next and it’s another really solid number with clear and powerful vocals from Maxine and there’s a slight 1970’s David Bowie musical vibe going on here. Selection three is ‘You Don’t Know’ with its repeated “You don’t know what you’re looking for” earworm chorus. It’s another solid rocking number that is drumming led with a whiff of American (not Americana) vibe going on. They then took the “pace right down” as Maxine informed us for ‘Have Faith In Me’ which is an Americana tinged tune and my least favourite of the performance.

Thankfully, the uptempo faster beats were back with a vengeance with the arrival of ‘Where Did You Go’ which benefits from some rather meaty proto punk guitar riffage. It really is evident that they all are accomplished musicians and Maxine clearly knows how to hold court. After this Maxine then announces the next track as ‘This Is Who We Are’ and this has a real 1978 new wave feeling to it and I assumed that this would be my choice cut of the set, but I was wrong as the arrival of ‘Roots’ secured that accolade. It kicks off with a really meaty bass guitar intro from Ricky and then Marty’s drumming accompanies him. It has the feeling of a late Jam or early Style Council track, despite containing some impressive whaaa whaaa guitar twangs. It’s another confidently delivered vocal from Maxine, when when not singing taps away on the tambourine, almost as a prop. There’s time for one more final number and this is ‘What Were You Thinking’, which reminded me of early Blondie but with a more bluesy vibe. It’s another corker. Being perfectly honest, The Sixx were much better than I thought they were going to be and I certainly wasn’t alone judging by the loud applause as they vacated the stage. ”

Brighton and Hove News by Nick Linazasoro