Dirty Honey with support from Naked Gypsy Queens
at Iron City Bham in Birmingham, AL
photos and words by Ashley Stephens

On April, 3, 2022, Dirty Honey took the stage at Iron City Bham in Birmingham, Alabama. Fans were decked out in merch and the room was filled with excitement and anticipation for the show to start. This was one of the most packed shows that I have personally been to at this venue. Dirty Honey had their debut single in 2019, ‘When I’m Gone’, and have since grown an awesome fan base in such a short time. I spoke to one couple at the show who compared them to the infamous rock group, Eagles. After hearing them perform I think I can agree with that comparison.

The show opened up with a Birmingham local, Naked Gypsy Queens. They were the perfect start to an awesome night if I do say so myself. They completely set the tone for the rest of the night with their music and the enticing energy. They really grabbed the crowd’s attention with their energy as they used the entire stage to their advantage.The crowd knew with an opening like that, the main event could only make this night better.

After the opener's set was done, the crowd started screaming and chanting even more while waiting for Dirty Honey. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Dirty Honey took the stage and opened with their hit ‘California Dreamin’’. Standing there and scanning the room to see the energy of the crowd as they sang along with the band was mesmerizing. The band followed with ‘Break You’, ‘Heartbreaker’, ‘The Wire’, a mashup of ‘Fireaway’, ‘Scars’, and ‘Take My Hand’, entertaining us with a few more songs before they performed their rendition of ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ by Prince. Lead singer Marc Labelle, really knows how to engage his crowd. From standing on speakers at the very edge of the stage to holding his mic stand into the audience for them to sing along. I think Prince would be honored and proud of this performance. No one can hit those high notes like Prince, but Labelle is a close second for sure.

One thing Dirty Honey does that I absolutely love is showcase their entire band. After ‘Another Last Time’, John Notto (guitars), Justin Smolian (bass), and Corey Coverstone (drums) each captured our ears and hearts with their amazing solos. I mean honestly we need albums of just their instrumentals. After the solos, we were treated with two more songs and something a little extra special. During their last piece, Labelle jumps off stage and breaks through the crowd. The crowd immediately screamed in excitement. As he made his way through the crowd, I grabbed a snap of Marc throwing up a peace sign at me mid song. At the back of the venue he climbed over the railing and took selfies with fans and continued this amazing performance of ‘Rolling 7s’. These guys really know how to put on a show.

I honestly had no expectations going into the Dirty Honey show. I looked up some of their music before I attended and immediately was intrigued, but knew I wouldn't be able to give an honest opinion until I saw them live. My honest opinion? Go listen to their music NOW! If you love rock music, you will love Dirty Honey. If you want to be transported back into the 1980s and AC/DC, give them a listen.

DIRTY HONEY: BIRMINGHAM, AL - 03.04.22

NAKED GYPSY QUEENS

DIRTY HONEY