When the lead singer enters the stage topless and jumps into the crowd within the first three songs, you know you’re in for a treat.
Stone’s Scousified punk-rock sound has been modernised with their latest releases, in the more melodic If You Wanna, and catchy Money, but they still retain the grit and fast pace of their early singles Fuse and Leave It Out.
The lyrics are quirky rather than simple, often linked to the life of a young Liverpudlian, emphasised by Finn Power’s strong Scouse accent. There is no disguising where he’s from.
At times the vocals are conversational, and Power has the perfect tone in his speaking voice to pull it off.
The guitar work is messy in the best sense and kept relatively simple. This is not a guitar solo or shredding kind of band. They describe themselves as the ‘underground voice for the lost youth’ and in this sense amongst others, share similarities with a group like the Sex Pistols.
One of the best things about Stone and their lead singer is that it would be almost impossible to cover one of their songs and make a better version. Their approach is somewhat unique and requires a very specific style of vocal to pull it off.
It’s not just the accent; it’s the aggression, the tone, the distortion, the power, the rhythm, the feel. Also, Power can sing, and amazingly. He hasn’t lost his voice after several weeks of touring.
There were mosh pits, inevitably, and there were moments where the crowd took over the vocals themselves. The band from Liverpool are still in the early days of their career, but it’s clear that they’ve begun to build up a passionate following and there is a real thirst for the sound that Stone have created.
‘If You Wanna’ experience a topless Scouser with a mullet delivering an exciting, energy-packed rock and roll performance, Stone are certainly a band worth seeing.
Mersey Music 