Those Damn Crows was formed in 2014 in Bridgend. The band name has quite a funny background and comes from drummer Ronnie Huxford's father. One day, when he discovered that crows were attacking the vegetables in his garden, he exclaimed in frustration: "Those damn crows!" Ronnie thought the phrase was so fitting that he used it as the title of a song idea. Later, when the band was looking for a name, they settled on the same phrase.
Musically, it's about melodic hard rock with heavy guitars, strong choruses, and clear influences from the alternative rock of the 90s. For more than ten years, the band has gone from smaller club scenes to becoming an established name on the British rock scene. Their debut album Murder and the Motive came out in 2016 and was followed by Point of No Return (2020) and Inhale/Exhale (2023), which reached third place on the UK album chart. With the fourth album God Shaped Hole, they took another step and reached first place in the UK in April 2025.
The Swedish audience got their first chance to get to know Those Damn Crows in the spring of 2025, when the band opened for Takida at two shows in Sweden. One of them took place right here at Annexet in Stockholm. Now they are back in the same venue, this time as part of Shinedown's European tour DANCE, KID, DANCE ACT II. Together with American band Mammoth, they again have the opportunity to present their music to the Swedish rock audience.
The lights dim and in the speakers you hear church bells mixed with crows cawing.
Those Damn Crows step onto the stage. Frontman Shane Greenhall shouts: "Stockholm, are you ready!"
They kick off with the songs Who Did It and Man on Fire, two strong cards that fans know well.
Even though Those Damn Crows are the evening's first opening act and the arena is still filling up, the audience response is good right from the start.
Greenhall moves across the entire front of the stage, reaches out to the audience, and takes every opportunity to connect with those at the front. Along the edge of the stage stands a raised platform. Greenhall climbs onto it from time to time to get closer to the audience and also be seen better by those standing further back.
Between songs, Shane mentions that they were here a year ago and that they love playing in Sweden. At the same time, he notes that he would like to talk more with the audience, but they only have 30 minutes.
That's not much time for long speeches and the band continues with No Surrender and Find a Way.
Before Blink of an Eye, Shane sits down at a piano behind a roll-up with the cover of the band's latest album God Shaped Hole. He says they are from Wales, which is met with cheers from the audience. “Liars! You don't know where it is,” he jokes. He then points to the album cover and tells that the record topped the album chart in the UK. “But here in Sweden … nothing!” When the song then starts, the audience is invited to sing along, and it becomes the evening's first real sing-along.
Those Damn Crows are a cohesive band with a tight performance. The songs are delivered just like on the records, with a heavy bass and drums that give the music a solid foundation. At the same time, there's plenty of melody and strong choruses. Shane Greenhall has an impressive voice with both power and range. He moves effortlessly between the lower registers and the really high notes, which he hits without sounding the least bit strained.
Considering how much good material Those Damn Crows have to choose from, 30 minutes is really too short to do them justice. The band leaves the stage wanting more. I hope they get the opportunity to return to Sweden with their own tour and the space to show what they're capable of during a full concert. I look forward to that.
