Over the last few years, Hank Williams III has released so much music that, in order for him to promote it all live, he has to perform for four hours straight with no opening bands on the bill. And judging from the very diverse crowd which stuck around for his entire set at the Regency Ballroom recently, it was definitely not a problem.
Hitting the stage just before 8pm, Hank and his band delivered a two-hour set of country-punk which had the crowd two stepping and slamming into each other at the same time.While “Punch Fight Fuck,” “Straight to Hell” and “Six Pack of Beer” were all crowd favorites, it was his covers of “If the Shoe Fits” and “I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive” which were the real highlights of Hank's first set.
Barely taking time to catch their collective breath, Hank and his band changed shirts and got ready while Hank threw on a Copenhagen painters cap and strapped on his acoustic guitar before launching into a thirty-minute set of Misfits-inspired punk rock, joined only by his stand-up bass player and drummer. The songs of A Fiendish Threat (as the singer calls it) are is a sincere tribute to some of his punk influences, and showed just how diverse and talented of a musician he really is; “Face Down” and “Can I Rip You” were definite highlights but, really, there was no weak moment here – it was all killer and no filler.
By the time that mini-set wrapped, Hank had been on stage for over two and half hours – but he was far from done. Up next was his doom/stoner metal project, Attention Deficit Disorder, and the many fans who came to hear Hank's cow-punk tunes may not have fully appreciated it, the metal-heads in the crowd obviously enjoyed the Sleep “Dopesmoker” cover. The set was filled with slow and churning guitar riffs, and just another example of Hank's musical diversity.
Last but certainly not least, it was time for a little “Cattle Core.” Now performing as Three Bar Ranch, Hank threw a black mask over his head, picked up his electric guitar again and, with the help of a second guitarist, riffed through nearly 45-minute set of noisy guitar tempos.
By the time the smoke cleared and it was all said and done, Hank Williams III proved that he is definitely a very talented musician and has carved a name for himself in what is already a rich family music legacy.
Photos:
Hank Williams III – Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, Ca – 14/10/13 – [Live]
Artist:
www.hank3.com/
www.myspace.com/hank3
www.facebook.com/hank3
www.twitter.com/HANK_III
Tour:
Hank Williams III's North American tour continues. Click here for an updated list of shows.
