The Von Bondies

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The Von Bondies @ the New Stereo, 20 Feb

Detroit garage rockers the Von Bondies suffered a bit of a bad reputation because they emerged in the shadows of the Strokes and White Stripes way back in 2001. Often dismissed as slipstream riders who got lucky, their credibility took a further blow when singer Jason Stollsteimer got into a fight with everyone’s favourite Wacko Jacko lookalike Jack White, and lost. Despite the bad rep, the Von Bondies are a tight and thrilling live act, particularly when ripping through side A of debut LP Lack of Communication, which was produced by White. But they’ve never been the fastest of workers, taking three years to release second full-length Pawn Shoppe Heart, which means they’ve struggled to build and sustain any kind of momentum. Nearly four years later, after several line-up changes, and a short-lived marriage for Stollsteimer, comes third effort Love, Hate and Then There’s You. Expect sleazy blues riffing and a great big dollop of spilled beans.