If you’ve ever seen Danko Jones live, you’ll know what to expect. There might be trios who put on bigger shows, or fill bigger halls, but you won’t find any with a bigger work ethic. Danko Jones onstage are a phenomenon; a whirlwind of intensity and wild fury, a group of musicians lost in the thrall of rock’n’roll’s fierce power. And while it might be tempting to mock a band whose catalogue of song titles include such manifesto statements like Sleep Is the Enemy, Never Too Loud and (I Can’t Handle) Moderation, Danko Jones are a very serious proposition. They mean business.
New album Wild Cat is the band’s eighth studio recording, and it carries on right where where 2015’s Fire Music left off: 11 short’n’sharp anthems of pride and pain, sex and swagger, dirt and devilry. It’s an album Danko himself is clearly proud of, and he gave Classic Rock a guided tour. You can hear the whole album below.
1. I Gotta Rock - The opening track on every rock record needs to be a boisterous one and this track does the trick. Plus, I do need to always “rock”. It doesn’t get any deeper, nor should it.
2. My Little RnR - This is the first single off the record. Even though it doesn’t sound anything like The Rolling Stones, it was lyrically inspired by their song, Little T&A, off of Tattoo You. There’s even a lyric mention of Tattoo You in our song. I think it’s a nice ode and our song is just as bangin’!
3. Going Out Tonight - This is a Misfits-inspired ditty. We had a few of those on our last album, Fire Music, and kept with it on this album, with this song. It’s got a slight Dr. Who vibe too.
4. You Are My Woman - This song is definitely an ode to Lizzy, something we’ve never really done before. When you come up with a riff that sounds a little like Thin Lizzy, you either try and mask it or you go whole hog and we went whole hog. We’ve always been compared to Thin Lizzy but I never understood the comparison. Now, with this song, we’ve proven the comparisons correct.
5. Do This Every Night - This song celebrates being in a band for 21 fucking years. That’s us. I’ve noticed a lot of bands break up when the going gets tough and then reunite with renewed interest. What about all the bands, like us, who never broke up when the going got tough? This song celebrates that tenacity (in a catchy way).
6. Let’s Start Dancing - One of my favourite songs off the album. Think Top Jimmy by Van Halen meets Pay To Cum by the Bad Brains. That’s pretty much the mindset behind this one.
7. Wild Cat - Being the title track, this carries some weight. It was the first song where we derived inspiration from Van Halen. Stripped the guitars to one, Michael Anthony back-up vocals à la Harry Hess from Harem Scarem, DLR-esque vocals in the bridge. Of course, we have a million years to go before we sound like Van Halen, but it was nice to tread their trail for a short while.
8. She Likes It - This is a response song to the Ike & Tina song, I Like It off their album, Feel Good from 1972. Even lyrics like “She satisfied my thrills and liquified my ills” are copped from Tina’s lyrics. The chugging guitar on our track is meant to mimic the pulsating organ on theirs.
9. Success In Bed - This is a sweaty greasy cut - a celebratory romp of mutual sexual satisfaction. I think lyrics like “…initiate this tryst, do it ‘fore I change my mind” pretty much sums it up. Success in bed can only be deemed successful when both parties (or all parties) are satisfied.
10. Diamond Lady - This is another song about a woman. I only like to sing about strong, independent, intimidating women. They’re the most attractive to me and make me want to sing about them from the peaks of mountain tops. That’s where this song comes in.
11. Revolution (But Then We Make Love) - Don’t misunderstand this song’s intent, our music isn’t becoming political or socially conscious. This song is simply about that person (and we all know this type) who feigns being politically active to get laid.
Tour Dates
Mar 15: Garage, London (UK)
Mar 16: Rockhal Club, Luxemburg (LUX)
Mar 17: Batschkapp, Frankfurt (GER)
Mar 18: 013, Tilburg (NL)
Mar 19: Melkweg, Amsterdam (NL)
Mar 21: Live Music Hall, Köln (GER)
Mar 22: Huxleys, Berlin (GER)
Mar 23: Proxima, Warsaw (PL)
Mar 24: Kwadrat, Krakow (PL)
Mar 25: Beatpol, Dresden (GER
Mar 26: Backstage, Munich (GER)
Mar 28: Salzhaus, Winterthur (CH)
Mar 29: Kofmehl, Solothurn (CH)
Mar 30: La Maroquinerie, Paris (FR)
Apr 22: Ski & Rock, Sälen (SE)
