Chuck Berry’s ‘Nadine’ has always been a chase. A man spots the girl of his dreams across town and pursues her through traffic jams, coffee-coloured Cadillacs and crowded sidewalks, forever one step behind. It’s only fitting, then, that His Lordship have turned it into a breathless pursuit of their own. They’ve built it around a circular, hypnotic riff and driven it at a speed that suggests the handbrake has been ripped clean out.
The track is the first taste of ‘Promised Land’, the London band’s tribute album marking what would have been Berry’s 100th birthday. Now it comes with a video directed by Spencer Kelly.
The recipe is Jon Spencer Blues Explosion mixed with The Hives, add a splash of gasoline, a ton of TNT and then light with a cool flick of a Zippo. The video is as frenetic and anarchic as the track: a performance piece that feels chemically altered and unhinged with all the explosive energy of a nuclear bomb. It’s deliciously cathartic and satisfyingly wild-eyed:
The single is out today as a one-off 7-inch on Chiswick Records, backed with Berry’s original. It’s a neat pairing that invites the listener to measure the distance travelled across six decades. The label choice is a heartfelt one: Chiswick’s sister label Ace Records was essential to the band in their early days. Ace’s ‘Golden Age of American Rock ’n’ Roll Vol. 5′ compilation was a major inspiration. You can order the single here.
His Lordship are James Walbourne, Kris Sonne and Dave Page, and their claim on this material is more than scholarly. Walbourne, better known to many as the long-serving guitarist in The Pretenders, saw Berry play the Hammersmith Odeon when he was just six. Last year he was invited to play at the annual celebration of Berry’s music in St. Louis. The album grew out of that pilgrimage. Thirteen songs were cut at London’s Karma Studios early this year, many without rehearsal. ‘Nadine’ carries all the danger that implies: raw, urgent and teetering gloriously on the edge of collapse. It’s the work of a band treating Berry’s songbook as something alive and kicking rather than a museum piece under glass. It’s an act of love played at full volume.
The album has already had a story attached to its cover before release. Photographer Cory Weaver shot the sleeve’s faded Americana near The Ville, the historic African-American neighbourhood of St. Louis where Berry lived and wrote many of his greatest songs. On a visit this month, the band discovered that the building on the cover had been demolished within weeks of the shoot. Their record sleeve has become an accidental memorial to a vanishing America.
‘Promised Land’ is released on 13 November via Psychonaut Sounds/PIAS on vinyl, CD and digital, and is available to pre-order next week.
The band’s two nights of “Maximum Rock ’n’ Roll” at London’s 100 Club have both sold out. With a guest list like this, that’s no surprise:
- 17 November – All Cranked Up: His Lordship and Friends. With Chris Robinson (Black Crowes), Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes (Primal Scream), Nick Lowe, Spider Stacey (The Pogues) and comedian Dave Hill. SOLD OUT
- 18 November – His Lordship play Chuck Berry and Rock ’n’ Roll. With Charles Berry and Charlie Berry III, Chris Robinson and Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go’s). SOLD OUT
Dagger Polyester and guest DJs support on both nights.
For those who missed out, the band have added a special album launch gig at Rough Trade East on release day, 13 November – tickets here.
The centenary celebrations continue into 2027 with concerts and events in the US and UK. There’s also a feature-length documentary in the works, directed by King Hollis in the spirit of ‘Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll’.
