For the uninitiated, Des Rocs (Danny Rocco) is the quintessential reincarnation of rock and roll in the 21st century – the living embodiment of the devotion and romanticism of the genre’s glory days. The ‘Dream Machine’ Tour has been ongoing since January and has covered the entire US and Europe once already – the show at the O2 Academy in Islington was the second time he performed in London this year. 

 

Supporting Des Rocs on this final leg of the tour were fellow US-based rock bands Pistols at Dawn and Moon Fever, who both brought the thunder to the O2 Islington. Pistols at Dawn had a rocky start with a microphone malfunction, but gracefully recovered and went on to perform a glorious cover of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Bulls on Parade’. Moon Fever were a joyful, blaring bundle of energy; frontman Tristan Bracht was a relentless presence, and the entire band crashed around the stage – often into each other.

 

All this might leave you with an impression that these were rowdy performances, which could not be further from the truth; the crowd and bands were all considerate, and though passionate in their crowd work, they nourished the atmosphere with a love of music rather than violent moshing. 

 

If the support acts brought the thunder, Des Rocs brought the lightning

 

But if the support acts brought the thunder, Des Rocs brought the lightning – the gig opened with a pre-recorded minute-long track dedicated to the band’s hometown of New York City, before the arrival of Rocco with fellow band members and friends Eric “Doc” Mendelsohn and William Tully. They launched into ‘Dream Machine’, the title track of Des Rocs’ latest album of the same name, and the venue morphed into one continuous entity fuelled by the music. 

 

Rocco’s command of the crowd was a pleasure to behold – he seemed genuinely enamoured with creating and performing live music and you could feel it in his performance: the energy he produced on stage, the fire behind his distinct vocals, and the joy the entire band radiated during every song. When I interviewed Rocco before the show, he told me that creating music was his dream and how he aimed to share as much of his passion for the craft as possible through every performance he gave – it certainly showed.

 

It would be a disservice to call Rocco anything other than a musical powerhouse – his sweeping vocal range allowed him to command total attention, be it a roaring rock ballad or a dark, visceral dive into the whirlpool of emotions that arise from such fervent dedication to his dream. He is no slouch with a guitar either, absolutely nailing head-banging guitar riffs and flooring the venue with rapid solos. During one of his most iconic songs ‘I Am The Lightning’, Rocco paused before the final breakdown to adjust his guitar behind his back Jimi Hendrix-style, and went on to deliver an explosive outro oozing with style and charisma. 

 

It was a pleasure seeing three masters of their instruments united in such determination

 

Both of his stage partners were at the height of their game; Mendelsohn’s bass carried each and every song with his punchy sound, and Tully’s drumming was phenomenal. I spoke to Tully before the show, and beyond being an amazing musician, he was a very genuine, friendly man; we spoke about the city’s we lived in, the music we loved, and his experiences on the tour. For the final encore ‘Suicide Romantics’, Mendelsohn brought out a two-headed guitar/bass combo to accompany Rocco’s hauntingly sweeping vocals. The trio were a cohesive unit, each responding to each other almost instinctively, and it was a pleasure seeing three masters of their instruments united in such determination to deliver a rock and roll experience to remember. 

 

Rocco’s crowd work went beyond his explosive on-stage personality; he ran a bit about all his information about the UK being informed by the movie ‘Saltburn’ and the Netflix show ‘Baby Reindeer’, summarising the UK with ‘Y’all are just a bunch of stalkers.’ One of the most poignant moments in the gig was about halfway through; Mendelsohn and Tully left the stage, and Rocco slowed the show to a screeching halt to discuss a memorable moment during the Covid-19 pandemic where his life had taken a turn for the worse. He described one night where a man interrupted his reminiscing on a park bench, and they sat and visualised the future they each wanted. 

 

He encouraged us to close our eyes during the speech and to do the same; this easily could have been very corny, but after everything we had seen from him it was clear he was serious. Such authenticity was really refreshing to see from an artist, and the fact that it wasn’t cringey is a testament to the reputation he has cultivated. Upon opening our eyes, Mendelsohn and Tully had returned to the stage, and they went on to perform the song inspired by this event in his life, ‘Hanging By A Thread’. 

 

Such authenticity was really refreshing to see from an artist

 

Des Rocs’ live process really demonstrated the difference between a gig and a performance; the band were so clearly enjoying themselves that it spread throughout the audience – I feel that a crowd’s mood is often a reflection of whoever is on stage, and I have never seen it so clearly demonstrated than in that sweaty room. Rocco ended the show with a final speech to the audience – to dedicate your life to something you love, so when you wake up and you are 90, when you can no longer do what you once could, that you can look back on your life and feel content that you lived to your fullest and never compromised your vision. I feel in the current day and age this sentiment is sorely missing, and finding that spark is no sure thing, but perhaps even the pursuit of a dream is enough to lift us out of the mundane and start falling back in love with being alive, even in the smallest of ways. 

 

Des Rocs’ newest album, Dream Machine – The Lucid Edition releases October 11th, 2024.

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