They may not be a household name yet, but if they continue with the same swagger they’ve shown so far, the Swansea quartet Zac And The New Men may soon be on the wider rock world’s radar. Tonight they impressed an enthusiastic crowd at The Patriot Home Of Rock.
Zac And The New Men
The Patriot Home Of Rock – 4 August 2023
Words and Photography: Paul Hutchings
Zac And The New Men have grafted away for the past couple of years, and the release of their debut album, Reinvent Me, earlier this year provided a result for those who craved something physical. The album is excellent, but it is live where the band really excel. 
Fresh from a support slot to no less than visiting Canadians The Damn Truth, who played the Steelhouse Festival down the road mere days earlier, the band launched into Birdcage with a confidence that only comes from multiple shows. 
What follows is a strong set, well-paced, with their bursting cover of Immigrant Song now a staple and getting heads nodding. They hit a snag when drummer Will Newman’s pedal fails, but the mark of any band is how they deal with adversity, and they ease through it with some gentle noodling and Zac’s easy style on the mic winning the day. 
A ballsy cover of Iron Man segues comfortably into The Lesson, and by the time they hit Beggin’ 4 More, the cohesion is fully back, and the band are going at full steam once more.
For those who have seen them before, it’s another joyous show. For the newcomers, it’s difficult to be unimpressed with such a vibrant display. 
As Zac acknowledged to me afterwards, they have a long way to go, but all the signs suggest they are well on their way.
