Islington Assembly Hall is no stranger to hosting many a great rock gig, and with The Dead Daisies on the bill, joined by Dan Byrne and Scarlet Rebels, another fantastically rockin’ night was had by all.
The Dead Daisies – Scarlet Rebels – Dan Byrne
Islington Assembly Hall – 20 August 2025
Words: Steve Kenton
Photography: Ryan Hildrew
Well, if there is one thing that holds true, it is that rock ‘n’ roll ain’t noise pollution and The Dead Daisies proved that with a blistering, high-voltage set that blew the roof off a packed Islington Assembly Hall. All 890 audience members were treated to a night of good old-fashioned, party-time rock.
The Dead Daisies
After kicking off with the intro to Led Zeppelin’s Rock & Roll, the Daisies tore straight into Long Way To Go from the Make Some Noise album. A fantastic opener, John Corabi strutted across the stage as though he owned it.
Rise Up followed, and the band were clearly having fun. With that hard, driving bass and solid drumming, the crowd were well and truly hypnotised. But there was plenty more to come.
A quick guitar change for Aussie axeman David Lowy saw the first emergence of his white Flying V for Dead And Gone. Guitarist Doug Aldrich was in his element, pulling shapes and running his fingers across the fretboard like a man possessed.
Naturally, there was crowd interaction, orchestrated by Dead Daisies ringmaster Corabi, as shouts of “YEAH, YEAH” bounced around the auditorium. Then Aldrich opened Last Time I Saw The Sun with some slide-guitar pyrotechnics. With its out-and-out bluesy feel, Corabi showed no restraint shaking his maracas. He was clearly having fun. Two great Aldrich solos solidified this song as a live masterpiece.
Crowd favourite Light ’Em Up then exploded into life. With its manic drums and Corabi holding court, this is another track that simply has to be experienced live. Bustle And Flow led into a 10-minute drum solo. How Tommy Clufetos kept going for so long is a mystery. Was he fuelled by Red Bull? Was he bionic? Who knows? He kept the solo driving at such a dramatic pace that I was exhausted just watching him. If anyone was under any illusion that drummers aren’t completely mad, this dispelled all doubt.
Virtuoso performances were not confined to the drummer. Corabi returned to the stage with his acoustic guitar, delivering Love That’ll Never Be, proving he is far more than just a gritty rock singer. He has a softer, tender side that does not get nearly enough credit.
This led into I Wanna Be Your Bitch, with its thunderous intro and Michael Devin’s rockin’ bassline – another crowd-pleaser. The irrepressible Doug Aldrich let his fingers do the walking with another blistering solo. The whole place was bouncing like a room full of over-inflated space hoppers.
One of the night’s highlights came as Corabi teased the audience with talks about freedom and motorbikes. The opening chords of I’m Gonna Ride (from the Light ’Em Up album) burst out of the PA like an over-revving Harley Davidson rumbling through London’s streets and lit up Islington Assembly Hall like a strobe light, driving the audience wild.
A thumping single note from Devin’s bass launched Take A Long Line. With its blues groove, Lowy – who had not really taken on many solos so far – stepped forward for the first one. Aldrich followed with number two, leaping about like a man crossing hot coals. Corabi’s vocals were holding up superbly, cutting a cool figure with his blond streak and Steven Tyler-esque poses.
The effervescent frontman then introduced the band, slipping into excerpts of classic rock tracks between each name. His interaction with the crowd is second to none, chatting, laughing, and bantering with ease.
The second half of the set featured numerous covers, including an incendiary version of the Lead Belly classic Black Betty.
Going Down, Fortunate Son, and Get A Haircut had the crowd rocking, with the latter featuring Lowy on vocals. What was noticeable at this stage was how few people had their phones out. They were actually enjoying the music rather than watching it through their screens, which was genuinely refreshing.
Some good-time rock followed. Mexico epitomises everything The Dead Daisies are: feisty, fun and flipping awesome. Then came The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s Midnight Moses. What a version it was, complete with another fantastic Aldrich solo. Watching a master in action on such a great song was pure pleasure.
With curfew fast approaching, there was only time for a two-song encore. The band’s 2018 single Resurrected was up first, bringing another appearance for Lowy’s Flying V, before a fabulous version of Helter Skelter ended proceedings.
It has to be said that what you see is what you get with The Dead Daisies – five fantastic musicians at the top of their game. No fancy gimmicks, no distracting backdrops or pyros. Just straight-up, no-nonsense rock and roll.
They are good enough to grace the biggest stadiums in the world, yet equally at home in the smallest venues. The Daisies are FUN, FUN, FUN.
Dan Byrne
First on the north London venue’s bill was Dan Byrne. Riding on the crest of a publishing deal, the rocker, ably assisted by an awesome backing band, set the stage for what was to come later in the evening with a fabulous six-song set.
With songs like Hard To Breathe, Saviour and fan favourite Like Animals, Byrne showed that he is not only a great songwriter but also possesses immaculate vocal skills.
With a voice that is both rich and extremely powerful, he had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. A lot of credit must also go to his band. With axes high and hair flying, these lads are exceptional and complement Dan Byrne beautifully.
Drawing on the classic songwriting inspirations of love and attraction, three tracks were taken from his current EP, Beginnings. With the brand-new track Death Of Me also on the setlist, it is clear that Byrne will be back at Islington Assembly Hall as a headliner before too long.
It has to be said that the Daisies were pretty damned brave in having Dan Byrne on tour with them. He really is an exceptional talent.
Scarlet Rebels
Hot on the heels of Dan Byrne came The Scarlet Rebels, and they meant business.
The Llanelli-based rockers are already a known quantity, with three albums under their belt. Their latest offering, Where The Colours Meet, hit the Top 40 at number 15 and went straight to number 1 in the Official Rock Chart.
Tonight’s set was a relatively short one, with just five songs, so every one of them had to be a winner, and they were.
Secret Drug kicked off proceedings with some fine harmonies and even better fretwork. Next up came Streets Of Fire, an annoyingly catchy number that had the crowd going. The Scarlet Rebels guitarist even managed to break his B string during that one, yet carried on as though nothing had happened. And sound-wise, it was not even noticed. Who needs a B string anyway?
Grace was the third track, and once again, this melodic number was perfectly chosen for the audience. With strong vocals and some rather nice bass work, it proved another highlight.
It Was Beautiful and Let Me In rounded off the night. Two more really catchy numbers. Nothing challenging, just great Scarlet Rebels melodic rock that leaves you with a smile on your face.
If there was one disappointing aspect to their set, it was simply that there was only time for five songs. I would have loved to hear more from these guys. They make hard rock seem both effortless and fun, and they were superb with the audience.
The only thing left to say is: move over, Manics – The Scarlet Rebels are the new Welsh Wizards.
