Metaltalk are excited to announce a brand new British rock act, Dylan Gers & The Blackbirds. If Iron Maiden and Radiohead had a supergroup lovechild, this would be it. And it is.
I was super excited to meet up and experience this brand new British rocking four-piece from the Teeside, the emerging capital of rock. So over a few cups of cappuccino at the Karma Sanctum Hotel in Soho, followed by a cheeky Nando’s, I caught up with Dylan Gers and his bandmate and cousin Louis Gers to talk about this exciting new group.
Dylan Gers is the driving force of the group, singing vocals/lead guitar and playing the Theremin. I’ve only ever witnessed one other rock star performing on this unusual instrument, and that is the legendary Mike Patton from Faith No More.
Drummer Noah Yorke, along with James Knott, are collaborating Blackbirds at this point, with Noah appearing on studio tracks and offering his writing skills with the song Red Skies. With the live band featuring Cameron Spence on drums, who has recently been touring with Two Door Cinema Club and Mital Dodhia on bass, this project from Dylan is exciting, relevant and most wanted.
Dylan hails the musical inspiration for his incredible songwriting from the icons that are Jeff Beck, Marc Bolan, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zep and Deep Purple with the production and sounds of Nile Rodgers. And his guitar of choice is the Strat.
“My sound is atmospherical folky dark rock,” Gers told MetalTalk, “melancholy and upbeat. My songwriting consists of stories and experience with ambiguity, which you can take what you want from. Each song is an experience.”
As a journalist who has worked a lot with Iron Maiden, I got to know Dylan and Louis through the hugely successful Chiswick Invasion gigs, which we covered yearly for MetalTalk. This sell-out set of events raised thousands for the Nordoff Robbins charity. From a young age, the Gers cousins played guitar and sang at these wildly successful events, and all of us rock journalists soon realised that one day, they would be a musical force to reckon with.
I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Dylan Gers & The Blackbirds brand new single drop White Swan and it is truly epic to the ears. Me and a few other journo’s were talking over a pint last week asking would there ever be any more new rock genres, and I can honestly say this group is reinventing the rock wheel.
White Swan is masterful and mature, and this new band is unlike any other rock band on the scene right now. The single is taken from the band’s upcoming EP, and an album by next year.
The band are playing a one-off exclusive gig this Sunday at The Finsbury pub, and you must come and experience this very exciting new project. It’s free, so come along and support live music. Full details and tickets are available from here.
They will also be announcing a showcase gig at the iconic Karma Sanctum Hotel, the hotel home of Iron Maiden, plus a brand new event, the Brentford Invasion.
So watch this space for more exciting news from the Gers camp. White Swan will be released 30 October 2024. You can find out more on Instagram.
