V-roys show, Schubas (Chicago, IL) November 23, 1996

Wearing their trademark suits and ties,Knoxville, Tenn., band V-roys opened with a smokin’ cover of Roger Miller’s "I Ain’t Comin’ Home Tonight". Their set included nearly every cut on their debut CD Just ADD Ice, and even though the songs were very faithful to the recorded versions, most had a bit rawer edge.

The slower numbers came off particularly well. During the mournful "Lie I Believe", drummer Jeff Bills’ cymbals and Paxton Seller’s rumbling bass built a musical tension that led to a crescendo as guitarist Scott Miller passionately sang, "But if you stand naked, the mirror won’t lie/But it has to be filtered through the wish of an eye/ And all that I needed was your reflection of me/ You said I was someone/ It’s a lie I believe". Another tear-jerker, "Kick Me Around", also gradually gained momentum before reaching a musical and emotional climax.

The slower material smoldered, but the fast songs crackled with energy. Guitarist Mike Harrison sang lead on "No Regrets", a tasty piece of pop perfection. The new tune "Amy 88", a rock workout that featured a dollop of distortion from Miller, segued into a powerful version of "Wind Down". It was a surprisingly raucous ending to the set, and although there was no encore, many in the audience were hungry for more.

talkin' V-roys | news clips | V-roys' sound recordings | Steve Earle & the V-roys | UK tour  radio play | vroys@vroys.com | V-roy Webmaster  Back to the V-roys music and news page