Ray Gunn and Luke Reel were expecting to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but a misunderstanding about the eligibility criteria means that they’re going to have to find a new way to achieve rock infamy.
Rayguns Look Real Enough embrace the ridiculousness of the Rock & Roll dream. Ray Gunn is dressed as - and may believe he actually is - a tiger and Luke Reel is all eyeliner, perfect cheekbones and faux emo hairstyle. They present themselves as the ultimate stadium band fallen on hard times after a disastrous charity tour and a falling out with U2. The gags come thick and fast; they have fantastic chemistry and have crafted some excellent one-liners and witty ripostes.
It’s the music, though, that really makes this show soar. The Rayguns are masters of the mash-up, putting more songs and references into a single tune than some bands manage in a career spanning three greatest hits albums. Gunn has a fantastic voice backed up with a confident strut and I was regularly stunned at Reel’s ability to pull epic rock riffs out of an electro-acoustic guitar.
This is an excellent show and, apart from a few glitches with the sound, was the perfect hour’s entertainment for an old rocker like me who also has a love of cheesy pop.
Rayguns Look Real Enough are the British answer to Tenacious D but way funnier. I saw this act on a quiet Tuesday night with only ten other people in the audience. These guys deserve to be filling stadiums.
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