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Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs rocked Atlanta Friday night. The lead guitarist and frequent writer/co-writer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers can more than hold his own on stage, and his backing band, The Dirty Knobs (named after a faulty amp dial).
Of a set of 23 songs, six were from the band’s 2020 (and first) release, Wreckless Abandon, with another five from this year’s External Combustion. For those wishing for a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers revue, take pause. The songs may sound a little rougher – no Petty Vocals or keyboards – but they’re every bit as good, generally rock a little heavier and just plain fun.
The band kicked off with “Wicked Mind” – a surefire hit back in the days of radio relevancy, with a great chorus:
I don’t think you understand
What kind of man I really am
I’m a sinner with a rebel soul
Got a wicked mind and a heart of gold
Follow that up with “Dirty Job,” a rocker about things most would rather not do, and the evening is off to as fine a start as anyone could hope – an unapologetic two and a half hour set of refreshingly straight forward rock’n’roll.
Talk about an artist who is “in to” playing live. During his frequent banter with the audience, he gave great tribute to his band, “his lifeblood,” which carries a tone of life purpose in Campbell’s band and desire to tour.
For only two recent albums to show for their twenty year association, the band recently replaced their founding guitarist with Chris Holt, aka “Sidewinder.” There wasn’t a need for the backstory, but Campbell was obviously delighted with the new bandmate. Holt added some fine solos and many shades of nuance to the set.
For those wanting the Tom Petty content, it’s not like Campbell is trying to reinvent himself or compete with his Heartbreaker legacy; he embraces it, with a generous seven song selection covering the first to last of that band’s albums. That said, “Running Down the Drain” almost happened in the encore, but Campbell doesn’t stick to the planned set-list. Frankly, I would have been just as pleased with “Elegant Gypsy” off his latest CD, but no complaints. All of it was good.
What one remembers from shows will vary, but the two that will carry are “F*ck That Guy,” which one might consider to be an “extended play” version. Sure, it’s the old, familiar expression, but profanity isn’t the point. Campbell took his time suggesting persons that may upset the ladies, having them sing the chorus, then followed by the men. It was a fun time that added to whatever sense an audience can make of a performer’s personality.
The second, introduced by “I’m a child of the 60’s,” was an uber groovy musical cover of the James Bond theme, “Goldfinger.”
“Southern Accents” also stood out with a lot of audience love, as the band members are from the South and they were playing in Atlanta.
Check out the band’s solo albums and give them a few listens. I was excited for this one, and the band flat out delivered. And Campbell… mad respect for a guy who loves what he’s doing and just… gives.
Additional photos follow.
Setlist:
Encore:
