Lifesigns - Tavistock Review

This November has quite possibly my busiest month ever when it comes to gigging. With nine shows, in various cities, already under my belt during the month there was still time for a tenth! With lots of hard rock and classic heavy metal filling up my November calendar, the tenth gig of the month was something altogether more gentle. The venue for gig number ten was The Wharf in Tavistock, one of my favourite venues, and the band was Lifesigns - a  progressive rock act that has been around for a decade or so now. The band were put together by John Young (vocals/keyboards) as a vehicle for his more progressive pieces, with the band's self-titled seeing the light of day in 2013. A second album Cardington was released last year to rave reviews, and this year the band seem to have been trying to play as many shows as they can to get the word about the band and their two albums out. This tour saw the band's first visit to the South West, and I am glad that the band chose The Wharf as their destination. I have been going to gigs at The Wharf for years now, and nights out there are always great. There are quite a few die-hard music fans in the Devon area who often make the effort to make rock shows that The Wharf puts on. This often means the turnout and atmosphere at The Wharf is better compared to other similar local venues, and I believe that is often why bands choose to keep coming back. This was the case with Lifesign's Devon debut. While the turnout could have certainly been better, there were certainly more in the venue that I had expected there to be! I have seen bands there occasionally play for a handful of people, but Lifesigns managed to attract a strong little crowd. Those who had turned up were all ready to have a good time too, and made quite a lot of noise throughout the show - which seemed to spur the band on to greater heights. There was still plenty of room in the venue however, and I took my place down at the front ready for the evening's entertainment.

With the scheduled support act having to cancel at the last minute due to illness, Lifesigns were the only band of the night and took to the stage at 8:30pm, and played throughout until around 10:30pm with a bar break around half way through. Despite having heard Lifesigns a few times when it came out around five years ago, I have not really kept up with the band since. I had not heard Cardington before the show, so was unfamiliar with most of the material played. This did not affect my enjoyment of the night however, as the band's pastoral progressive rock music is very melodically-focused. Shorter songs made up much of the first half, with Young's vocal melodies standing out as the washes of keyboards and the soaring leads of ex-Iona man Dave Bainbridge (guitar/keyboards/vocals) added colour here and there. Songs like the catchy Chasing Rainbows and Impossible stood out early on, with the band often striking up a strong rock groove. Young and Jon Poole (bass guitar/vocals) often sang in harmony for a bit sound, and the set flowed really nicely. The first half closed with the lengthy, chaotic N which proved to be the most progressive and technical piece of the night. Bainbridge juggled guitar and keyboards, often playing a lead on one and immediately switching to the other, while the rest of the band handled the frantic nature of the song with ease. It unsurprisingly brought a big cheer, and ended the show's first half on a high. The second half featured more longer songs, with Cardington's title track starting things off. This song is very representative of the band's core sound so was unsurprisingly lapped up by the faithful. It ended with an explosive drum solo from Frosty Beedle which led nicely into the next song. The highlight of the second half of the show for me was the powerful Touch, which had some big duelling synths from the band's two keyboardists, as well as a powerful bassline from Poole. While most of the band were quite static throughout the set, Poole was a ball of energy throughout. He spent most of the show jumping around and throwing rockstar shapes, which certainly helped to liven up the visual aspect of the concert. Carousel brought the show a close, but the crowd's reaction encouraged a couple more. A frantic instrumental piece was up first, before the evening came to an end proper with the old Qango piece The Last One Home which was dedicated to the late John Wetton.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show and it was great to see something a bit different after a month or so of more full on hard rock and metal shows. I am now the proud owner of Cardington, and will enjoy playing it over the next few months.

Northward's 'Northward' - Album Review

I like pleasant surprises, and thankfully there have been quite a few musical-related ones throughout the year. One such was the announcement of Northward, a collaboration between vocalist Floor Jansen (After Forever; ReVamp; Nightwish) and guitarist Jørn Viggo Lofstad (Pagan's Mind; Jorn). According to press releases, the project's genesis came back in 2007, when the two jammed on stage as part of the ProgPower USA festival held that year. It clear that the two had chemistry, and they decided to work together, but their schedules and personal circumstances - including the breakup of After Forever - put things on hold. The two had been trying to reconvene over the years, but struggled to make things work. Jansen's association with Nightwish began in 2012 and that has largely been her full-time job ever since. It was clear however that the two still wanted to write and record together - something which finally happened last year while Nightwish was having some time off. The band, and album, entitled Northward was officially announced earlier this year and fans of both musicians welcomed the news with glee. Both have a strong track record of delivering the goods, and I for one was really interested to see what they would come up with. Those expecting some epic progressive/power/symphonic metal from the duo however, or in all honesty anything resembling the work they have become famous for, will be disappointed however as that is not at all what Northward is about. In a big departure from their comfort zones, Jansen ad Lofstad have created something of a back-to-basic hard rock record which relies heavily on Jansen's powerful vocals and strident, bluesy riffs from Lofstad. While this is what was promised in the press releases etc., it was still a bit of a shock to hear the finished product! That is not a bad thing however, as Northward is a really strong release that shows both Jansen and Lofstad in new lights, and trying musical styles. It is clear that both enjoy classic rock, but Northward is not a throwback. It sounds really modern, with some nods to the past, and is likely to appeal to fans of bands like Halestorm as much as those who like Led Zeppelin. It is a refreshingly no-frills album, packed with strong gritty melodies and the occasional lighter moment to help provide changes in pace. Jansen and Lofstad have created the songs, but they have been joined by a host of capable musicians to fill out the sound. Morty Black (TNT; Vagabond; Jorn) handles the bass, while Jango Nilsen and Stian Kristoffersen (Pagan's Mind; Firewind; Jorn; Chastain) share the drumming duties. Ronny Tegner (Pagan's Mind) provides some occasional keyboards, and Jansen's sister Irene duets with her on one of the songs. The result is a really strong collection of hard rock songs, and one that is likely to bring the pair to a new audience.

Lead single and opening track While Love Died is very representative of the album as whole, and is brimming with a strong rock energy due to a frantic riff from Lofstad and some excellent vocals from Jansen. Not all of the songs here are fast, but most have a strong energy about them and this is one that is packed full of it! While parts of the song, particularly the chorus, remind me of Foo Fighters' The Pretender this is still a piece that manages to create Northward's identity from the off. Black's rumbling bass really drives the piece forward, and Jansen - freed from the operatic delivery that she has often become known for - showcases some real grit and energy with her raw rock vocals. The chorus, which mixes more anthemic slower sections with powerful upbeat hard rock, is extremely catchy, and Lofstad's first of many guitar solos showcases some tasteful classic rock phrasing - which is different to his usual style. Get What You Give is more of a mid-paced piece, with another powerful bass performance from Black and some aching guitar leads during the intro. This slightly mournful sound soon gives away to a tough verse, with some power chord riffing and Jansen's raw vocals, before a smoother chorus showcases some vocal styles more akin to what Jansen has become famous for. A flashy acoustic breakdown offers a further change of pace and is a showcase for Lofstad who really lets rip with his acoustic, laying down some pseudo-flamenco lead lines before the song builds back up to a final chorus. Storm in a Glass is a punchy, upbeat number with a playful verse, held together by some booming bass playing, and a smooth chorus that seems to borrow a little from the world of AOR with poppy melodies and some clean guitar arpeggios helping to fill out the sound. Lofstad's guitar playing through the song is very simple, with some stabs making up most of his verse contributions, but he is always serving the needs of the song. As a result, the vocal melodies are really pushed to the fore which makes it an instantly catchy piece. Many of the songs here are extremely easy on the ear, but this is probably one of the most instantly-memorable. Drifting Islands, which features Irene Jansen duetting with her sister, opens fairly slowly with a very sparse verse that builds up slowly around a pulsing bassline as the two sisters trade vocal lines. The two ladies have quite similar voices so it is sometimes hard to tell which is singing, but when they join forces for the slightly heavier choruses their true power is felt. Again, this slightly shriller vocal delivery is more akin to the symphonic metal stylings that Jansen has become known for, but it works well in this more stripped back hard rock context. A bluesy guitar solo from Lofstad is the icing on the cake, but it is over far too soon!

Paragon opens with acoustic and gentle clean guitars, with a great swing beat behind it and some softly melodic vocals. After four fairly full on hard rock songs, this provides a bit of a change of pace without ever being a ballad. The verses, which have a hypnotic clean guitar arpeggio that just goes round and round your head after listening, are extremely memorable with some lovely vocal lines before the song explodes into a somewhat discordant chorus that has some strange distorted heavy chords that contrasts well with the gentler parts of the piece. This is a real stand out song for me, simply because the verses are so melodic. I have loved Jansen's vocals for years, and it is great hearing her something very different from her usual style, and still sounding just as fantastic. A spacey guitar solo section, which features some pretty mean shredding, takes on a bit of an old-school progressive rock vibe which further adds to the diverse character of the piece. Let Me Out picks up the pace again and is based a simple, in-your-face guitar riff that sounds more than a little influenced by punk. This is not really a punk song however, as there are still a few different moods going on, but the main riff certainly demands attention from the off. The verses are more haunting, with ringing clean guitars and a strong bass groove, while the choruses explode with similar energy to the song's main riff. The shredding solo is possibly the best part of the song however, and shows why Lofstad has become one of the most respected progressive metal guitarists over the past couple of decades. Big Boy sounds quite different to the rest of the album with a strong groove throughout that actually sounds quite dancey. The beat is not unlike clubland music, but with grinding guitar and bass riffs atop it to make it sound much tougher. While the mix of sounds just about works, this is the song on the album that probably does the least for me. I do not think that the melodies are particularly strong, which makes it less catchy than many of the others songs despite the strong groove. Jansen's vocals are a little strange too, sounding somewhat to 'street' for my taste. Time Bomb, which features Tegner's piano playing, opens with gentle acoustic guitars and the piano which allows Jansen to croon over the top. After the vocal experimentation of the last song, this one is much more typical of her style. The verses feature a softer delivery, before the choruses come in and up the pace to allow her to showcase some of her semi-operatic vocals which work well in the context of the song. The addition of the piano here is welcome, and adds an extra dimension to the song. It would have been nice to have more keyboard textures used throughout the album, but most of the songs work fine as they are with the simple guitar, bass, and drums combo.

Bridle Passion is the album's ballad, and it is a short acoustic song with some gorgeous acoustic guitar playing and Jansen's shimmering vocal display. Despite some quieter moments throughout, this is an album that is characterised by fast-paced rock songs. This is the only true slower number here, and it works well to showcase the duo's chemistry in such a raw and exposed way. It is only a short piece, but it adds a lot to the album in my opinion and shows that the two can operate in a stripped back acoustic environment as well as an explosive rock one. Speaking of explosive rock, that is exactly what I Need is! It builds up from the fuzzy bass riff, and soon explodes into a fast-paced hard rock riff. Lofstad, despite being all over this album, is relatively restrained throughout. He always plays for the song, but this tune allows him a little more freedom with a few little Led Zeppelin-esque riff flourishes during the verses, and a few shredded leads here and there in between. He is an excellent guitarist and songwriter, and it is great to see him playing this kind of music here. The chorus is one of the album's best too, and features some instantly memorable vocal melodies that showcase Jansen at her raw best. The album's final song is also the title track, and it is the longest piece here at over seven minutes in length. It starts off slowly with some pulsing guitar notes which morphs into a slow verse featuring lots of ringing bass and atmospheric guitar chords which allows Jansen to lay down a haunting vocal performance. Her vocals throughout this song are much more akin to her day job, with a more symphonic sheen that really brings out the best in what at times is quite a murky song. I know that Northward is Jansen and Lofstad's project, but I also think that Black really adds a lot to the album. Some of his bass playing really dominates the songs, and it is great that he has been given such a free reign to add his stamp. As the song moves towards the close, it ramps up the power with screeching bluesy guitar leads adding an edge and a general increase in pace. It is never a particularly fast song however, but one that has more of an epic and progressive feel than the rest of the album due to the changes in pace and style - as well as the amount of excellent guitar work that is found throughout. It ends the album on a high, and showcases the pair's most diverse writing. Overall, Northward is a really strong collaboration between to heavyweights of the metal world. As a fan of both, it was fun to see them attempting a more basic and high-energy musical style and pulling it off. There is a lot to like about this album, and those who appreciate good rock music should check it out. Whether Northward remains a one-off project remains to be seen, but if Lofstad could now please get back to finishing that long-await sixth Pagan's Mind album, then that would be great!

The album was released on 19th October 2018 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for While Love Died.

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons - Plymouth Review

It is not too often that Plymouth gets rock royalty visiting to play a show, but it does happen occasionally. I had not been up to The Junction for a good few months, but made the short walk up there last night to catch former Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell and his backing band The Bastard Sons perform a high-energy and sweaty set to a packed out crowd. The Junction is only a small place, nothing more than a pub which has been converted to host concerts, so it always produces an intimate feeling. Most of the times I had been there previously however it has been fairly empty. Purson managed to pull a decent-sized crowd there a couple years ago, but my other visits have only really seen tens of people in attendance. This was certainly not the case last night, as Campbell and co. managed to pretty much (if not totally) sell the place out! There was barely room to move all night, and the heat that was generated inside made the conditions a little testing at times! It was great to see such a big crowd however, and that made for an excellent atmosphere throughout the evening. I was not surprised to see such a big crowd though as Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons have been making a bit of a name for themselves over the past couple of years. This was my third time seeing the band, but my first opportunity to see them headline. I saw them at Bloodstock Open Air a couple of years ago, and then again at Steelhouse Festival earlier in the year, and since then I have bought and enjoyed their debut album The Age of Absurdity. It seems the album has been pretty successful for the band, and it is one that I am sure I will continue to listen to fairly often going forward. With the doors opening at 7:30pm, I left my house just before to get there just in time to be let in. With a big crowd expected I wanted to get a good vantage point, so I chose to stand beside the big pillar in the middle of the room, at the top of a few steps, which gave me a good vantage point over the stage to watch the action.

There was one support act and that was Leader of Down, a band formed by another ex-Motörhead guitarist Würzel who sadly died back in 2011. It seems that over the intervening years the band have finished off the songs that he started to write for the band and put out an album of them earlier this year. The four-piece played a high-energy brand of hard rock/traditional heavy metal which came across really well. There were some moments that reminded me a little of Motörhead certainly, but a lot of the songs were more overtly melodic, featuring big classic rock choruses which frontman Matt Baker handled really well. Baker was a great presence on stage and worked tirelessly to get the crowd involved. Alex Ward (guitar/vocals), filling in for the late Würzel, did a fantastic job with the riffs and solos, and bassist Tim Atkinson who now leads the band kept everything together with some booming basslines. I enjoyed most of the songs played, but standouts have to be the excellent Children of Disease, which had the best chorus of the evening, and The Killing Rain which is apparently the last song Würzel ever recorded. By the end of the set the band seemed to have won a lot of the crowd around, and ending on a heavy take on Hawkwind's Master of the Universe certainly brought a big cheer.

After a changeover which seemed to take longer than necessary, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons took to the stage and launched into Big Mouth from their self-titled EP. The song was sadly brought to an abrupt end because the fire alarm went off, meaning that the band had to briefly leave the stage! Luckily no evacuation was necessary and the band were soon back and continued with the rest of their set unhindered. What followed was a good mix of original material and Motörhead songs, mostly from Campbell's time with the band. Step into the Fire was well-received by the crowd, but it was the Motörhead deep cut Rock Out that certainly saw the most movement early on. Frontman Neil Starr encouraged the crowd to help him with the shout along chorus, which of course they did, and this energy was carried forward into Freak Show. It is one of the best songs on the band's album in my opinion and features a great riff. Todd Campbell (guitar/vocals) played a great solo during the song too, showing his Dad that he is also a mean player! Another early highlight was the anthemic Motörhead tune Born to Raise Hell which also saw a lot of singing, but it was also around this time that the band had to tell the crowd to calm it down somewhat. Sadly there were a few in attendance who seemed to not know how to behave at a rock show and were making things quite unpleasant for those down at the front. This, coupled with people constantly pushing back and forward to the bar when there was very little room to move, certainly made for some extremely annoying moments but thankfully it did not dampen my enjoyment of the gig. Get On Your Knees prompted a bit of a crowd sing along, before the short punky R.A.M.O.N.E.S. actually managed to create a bit of a mosh pit down at the front. This energy was kept throughout the second half of the show, which created lots of its own highlights. The doomier Dark Days provided a rare change of pace, before the double whammy of Hawkwind's Silver Machine and Motörhead's Ace of Spades unsurprisingly whipped up a lot of energy in the crowd. The main set ended with one final original, High Rule, before the band left the stage to huge cheers and calls for more. The band of course obliged and came back to perform a four-song encore of Motörhead songs, starting with the evergreen Bomber. It may seem strange that Campbell chose to perform a couple of Motörhead songs that were written before he joined, but they are fan favourites so of course they went down a storm! The energy reached its peak during the closing two songs however, Going to Brazil and Rock 'n' Roll, both of which are short and fast. It provided the crowd one last chance to rock out with the band before the band took their leave to huge cheers. The setlist was:

Big Mouth
Step into the Fire
Rock Out [Motörhead cover]
Freak Show
Welcome to Hell
Born to Raise Hell [Motörhead cover]
Get On Your Knees
R.A.M.O.N.E.S. [Motörhead cover]
Ringleader
The Game [Motörhead cover]
Dark Days
Silver Machine [Hawkwind cover]
Ace of Spades [Motörhead cover]
High Rule
-
Bomber [Motörhead cover]
Just 'Cos You Got the Power [Motörhead cover]
Going to Brazil [Motörhead cover]
Rock 'n' Roll [Motörhead cover]

Despite feeling a little uncomfortable at times due to the heat and the amount of people that were crammed into a small space, I had a great time with Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons in Plymouth. It is great that they chose to come down this far as part of their tour, and maybe next time they should book a slightly bigger venue like The Hub!

The Quireboys - Exeter Review

Going to see a band two nights on the trot is always a bit of a strange, but good, experience. It is not something that I have done very often, or something that I wish to do too often, but sometimes when the opportunity presents itself then it has to be done. Such was the case this week when The Quireboys, one of my favourite bands, played two shows in the South West - both easily accessible from my home in Plymouth. The first was in my home town of Saltash, at the excellent Livewire Youth Project, and the second was in Exeter - about an hour's drive away. The night in Saltash was truly special (and you can read my review here), but this was helped by the emotional connections that I have with Livewire. Seeing The Quireboys in my hometown was very special indeed, so I felt that the Exeter show would probably always suffer a little as a result. However, despite having just see the band, it was in great spirits that I set out to Exeter yesterday evening (in some pretty driving rain at times!) to see them again. The venue in Exeter was The Lemon Grove, which is up at the city's University. I have always assumed that it is part of the Student's Union there, and it does host regular gigs, but I had only been there once previously. That was to see The Answer a few years ago, but sadly Exeter in general seems to have really dropped off the gigging radar recently. I used to travel up to both The Cavern and The Pheonix on a semi-regular basis, but it seems that bands are currently avoiding the city for whatever reason! The Lemon Grove was different to how I remembered it, with the gig happening in a different room to the last time. The stage this time was extremely small and barely raised off the ground, which meant that the band were fairly cramped on it throughout the night. One thing that was clear too early one was that the turnout was not going to be great. Being a Friday night in a fairly major city I had expected more people to make the effort, but for whatever reason there was not very many people there at all. I would be surprised if more than 100 people had made the effort, which is a real shame for a band as good as The Quireboys. Luckily this did not seem to deter them at all, and those who turned up were all there for a good time, but I would have liked to see a few more people there.

There was only one support act this time and the task fell to The Echo Hotel, a three-piece indie rock act who might win the award for the most out-of-place support band I have ever seen! There was nothing objectively wrong with the band, but their somewhat quirky music really did not suit the dirty rock 'n' roll of The Quireboys. Strange high-pitched vocals, fuzzy guitars, and a frantic rhythm section certainly made for an interesting listen - but that does not change the fact that those who had turned up early were at a rock show, not an indie show. I felt a bit sorry for the band actually as they were playing to people who, probably, had absolutely no interest in what they were doing or music even remotely close. They really failed to elicit any sort of reaction at all from the crowd, and I imagine most where happy when they finished their set. I am sure the band have their fans, but sadly for them they were not to be found at a Quireboys show!

The Quireboys took to the stage about 30 minutes later, and when they did the small crowd - who by this point had mostly been sat around the seats at the side of the venue - all congregated down by the front of the stage. Unsurprisingly, the set was the same as at Livewire the night before - but the sound was much better this time around as frontman Spike's vocals were much more audible this time. As with the night before, I Love This Dirty Town was a great opener. Misled hit with more power this time around as Keith Weir's (keyboards/vocals) keyboards were much higher in the mix which meant his piano break in the song was much more audible. Despite the small crowd, there was still a decent atmosphere generated as those who had turned up were clearly big fans of the band. They sang in all the right places, and even some of the deeper cuts chosen were greeted warmly. Blackwater was once again a highlight and I would not be surprised if this song remains in the setlist for a while to come. With the vocals much clearer this time, the song sounded really powerful. Spike sang the chorus with such a raw power that I thought his voice might give out, but that shows just what a great singer he still is. Another great moment was the foot-stomping This is Rock 'n' Roll, with the band's two guitarists mixing slide leads together at first before it explodes into a true rocker. Paul Guerin (guitar/vocals) played a great solo during the piece, and this soon segued into the more laid back Hello which was an opportunity for everyone to help Spike out with the chorus. Another song which really stood out this time around was Take a Look at Yourself which has never been my favourite Quireboys song. As Homewreckers & Heartbreakers is ten years old this year the band are playing a few of those songs live, and I thought that Take a Look at Yourself was a strange one to keep in the set but it came across really well in Exeter. Spike sung it beautifully, and the whole band seemed to have a great time playing it. As with the previous night, the set moved up into a higher gear towards the end when some of the more famous songs where wheeled out. I do not think I will ever get bored of hearing songs like Tramps and Thieves live as the band's English take on the popular 1980s hard rock really excites. I really wish the band would play more songs from their second album, Bitter Sweet & Twisted, but it always fun to hear Tramps and Thieves. Hey You and 7 O'Clock of course some of the biggest reactions of the night, and the latter closed out a powerful set perfectly. I had thought that because of the small crowd the band might skip the encore, but they trooped back to the stage after a minute or so for a couple more. I Don't Love You Anymore always gets the crowd going, and the second chorus see Spike hold out the microphone for the crowd before Guy Griffin (guitar/vocals) closed it out with a big solo. Sex Party was one last chance to boogie, and the band then left the stage to big cheers - one that made it seem like there were more people in attendance! The setlist was:

I Love This Dirty Town
Misled
There She Goes Again
Blackwater
Leaving Trunk [Taj Mahal cover]
Mona Lisa Smiled
This is Rock 'n' Roll
Hello
Whippin' Boy
Take a Look at Yourself
One for the Road
Tramps and Thieves
Hey You
Sweet Mary Ann
7 O'Clock
-
I Don't Love You Anymore
Sex Party

As I said earlier, seeing a band two nights in a row can be a bit strange - but both the Saltash and Exeter shows were great in their own right. The crowd and atmosphere was better in Saltash, and the sound clarity was better in Exeter. I will keep both shows in my memory for a while, and incidentally this show in Exeter was my fifteenth Quireboys show. I will not have to wait long until number sixteen, as I am off to see an acoustic set by them in Bristol just before Christmas - something which I am already looking forward to.

The Quireboys - Saltash Review

After having not been down to Livewire in Saltash for a number of years, I found myself visiting the youth club-come-venue twice within the space of a week! Bad Touch had brought their Shake a Leg tour to the venue last week, and this past Thursday saw true rock royalty in the shape of The Quireboys visiting Saltash for the first time in their thirty year-plus career! Regular readers of this blog will know just how much I have come to love The Quireboys over the past few years, so getting an opportunity to see the band in my home town, and playing on a stage which I played on a few times many years ago! I believe the genesis of this concert was the cancelled Looe Festival this September past, when Livewire reached out to the band to see if they wanted to play a replacement show at the venue. They did not play a replacement show that weekend, but when a run of November shows was announced shortly later, a Saltash show was included in the list of dates! It was safe to say that I was extremely excited, and bought tickets immediately. Saltash is not exactly a rock haven, so I had slight worries regarding the turnout, but these fears were not founded as clearly the word had got around! I imagine the novelty factor helped to shift some of the tickets, but when I got down to the venue at around 7pm, the place was already filling up nicely. It was clear that the show was going to be close to a sellout, so the atmosphere was already building up in the venue. Despite this being my third Quireboys show of the year, and the first only a couple of months on from an excellent show in London in September celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Homewreckers & Heartbreakers album, I was getting really excited. The Quireboys are one of the most dependable bands on the touring circuit at the moment, with hundreds and hundreds of gigs under their belt. I had loved each of the times that I had seen the band previously, and I was certain that this time would be no different.

Before The Quireboys took to the stage however, the growing crowd were treated to a couple of support acts. Stranger were up first and the local act put on a competent if not exactly exciting set of music. The band are clearly a work in progress, with many of their songs not even having names, but there is certainly some potential there. The band's riff were pretty solid, and the singer had a pretty strong voice, but the band really lack an image and any sort of stage presence. This is definitely something that should come over time, but it certainly meant that their set was lacking in a certain spark. A couple of fairly average covers did not really help the set to sparkle, and the band received a fairly muted reception throughout their set. As I said though, there is certainly some potential thought and I hope the band are able to hone their craft as they move forward.

Fresh from their support slot with Bad Touch last week, Newton Abbot's Ethyrfield were back and this time with a longer slot. The grunge/metal crossover act are certainly making a bit of a name for themselves locally, so it was good to get another opportunity to see the band. Their set was largely the same as the one from last week, but I feel that the sound mix was a little clearer this time, which allowed the Alice in Chains-esque vocal harmonies to shine through. There were a couple of different tunes showcased too, including a murky slower one which I do not remember hearing previously. As with last time though, the thing that stood out the most was the guitar work - which was varied and powerful. There were plenty of shredded solos for the crowd to enjoy, and I would imagine that many in attendance were impressed - even if the band were on the heavier side of what many in attendance would probably usually listen to.

By the time the stage was cleared for The Quireboys, the venue was full and everyone was ready for what was to come. At just after 9:30pm, the band were introduced and took to the stage to launch into I Love This Dirty Time, a sleazy piece of blues that got the set off to a great start. The band really seemed up for playing a new venue, and managed to really whip up a storm during their 90 minutes on stage. Having rehearsed the Homewreckers & Heartbreakers material for the anniversary show, some of that material was retained in the set along with some classics. The first couple of numbers got people excited, but it was There She Goes Again that saw the first big sing along of the evening with frontman Spike often holding the microphone out for the crowd. Speaking of Spike, he was on good form as usual, telling his stories in his usual cheeky way. Sadly though he seemed to be having trouble with his microphone at times, meaning that he was quite low in the mix at times. It was also causing feedback issues with his monitors, which was clearly annoying the band at times, but they soldiered on through and delivered a powerful set for the Saltash crowd. It was great to hear the blues shuffle of Blackwater again, with Spike delivering some harmonica bursts, and the gorgeous Mona Lisa Smiled was a highlight as always with Paul Guerin's (guitar/vocals) melodic solo. While there were many Quireboys fans in attendance, it was also clear that there were a few who had taken a chance on the evening for the novelty value. It was great to see these people slowly being won around as the evening went on, especially with some of the deeper cuts played. Hello encouraged the crowd to sing, as did the intro to Whippin' Boy which was led by drummer Dave McCluskey's powerful beat and Keith Weir's (keyboards/vocals) ringing piano chords. The last of the deeper cuts played was Spike's drinking song One for the Road, before the home straight of the set got underway. This was packed full of classics, starting off with Guy Griffin's (guitar/vocals) big slide riff intro to Tramps and Thieves before the band's big hit Hey You had everyone singing along. Griffin looked really happy when he launched into his slide solo, and it was clear at this point that the evening had been a big success. The country-esque Sweet Mary Ann went down a storm, with some more gorgeous piano, before the main set came to an end with a barnstorming version of 7 O'Clock. No sooner had the band left the stage, the crowd were already baying for more and they were brought back out after a couple of minutes to play a couple more. The big power ballad I Don't Love You Anymore was another highlight, with both of the band's guitarists getting a chance to solo, before a loose rendition of the sleazy Sex Party brought the evening to a rocking close. The setlist was:

I Love This Dirty Town
Misled
There She Goes Again
Blackwater
Leaving Trunk [Taj Mahal cover]
Mona Lisa Smiled
This is Rock 'n' Roll
Hello
Whippin' Boy
Take a Look at Yourself
One for the Road
Tramps and Thieves
Hey You
Sweet Mary Ann
7 O'Clock
-
I Don't Love You Anymore
Sex Party

Despite a few sound issues which did not ruin my enjoyment of the night, The Quireboys' show in Saltash was a real success. The venue was almost sold out, and the band seemed to have a great time playing somewhere new. It is very rare that bands come down this far south, so these opportunities should always be taken. It would be great to see more bands on the Livewire stage at some point in the future!

Seventh Wonder's 'Tiara' - Album Review

Being a fan of the Swedish progressive metal band Seventh Wonder can be a frustrating business! After a fairly prolific period between 2005 and 2010, which saw the band write and record four studio albums, activity has largely stalled. I started listening to Seventh Wonder in 2011, around the time that frontman Tommy Karevik was touring as an additional singer for Kamelot while the American power metal giants were on the look for a new singer. As we all now know, the following year Karevik took up the position permanently and has been fronting Kamelot ever since. Three albums and countless shows have followed, with the band's most recent album The Shadow Theory (which I reviewed here) being released back in April of this year. All of this activity has been great for Kamelot fans such as myself, and has done wonders for Karevik's exposure and career, but for those of us who also love Seventh Wonder it has been a long wait for something new! The band's last album, 2010's The Great Escape, was released over eight years ago now - and news on any follow up was slow coming. With Karevik's role in Kamelot taking up the vast majority of his time, it is unsurprising that Seventh Wonder have been somewhat dormant however. Along with bassist and songwriter Andreas Blomqvist, Karevik makes up half of the band's main songwriting and concept team. The two always write the lyrics together and come up with the vast majority of the sprawling stories and themes that fill the band's albums, with the rest of the band also chipping in when it comes to the music and the arrangements. A couple of new songs were released by the band a couple of years ago as part of a live DVD/CD package that featured the band playing 2008's Mercy Falls in full, but fans had to wait another two years for a full new album! Mercy Falls is easily my favourite Seventh Wonder album, and in fact is one of my favourite albums of all time, so when it was announced that the band's fifth album, entitled Tiara, would be another concept album I was immediately interested. If the band could pull of something even half as good with Tiara in comparison to Mercy Falls then I would be extremely happy, so when the album dropped through my letterbox last month I was extremely excited. I have now lived with the album for a month or so and, while not quite as good as Mercy Falls, Tiara is an extremely good album which is packed with lots of the band's signature melodic progressive metal sound, soaring vocals from Karevik, and tricky instrumental sections that still brim with memorable motifs. Making progressive metal truly accessible is a hard task, but Seventh Wonder are extremely on the ear - largely due to the slightly poppy vocal melodies. This makes them an excellent entry-level band for the genre, and Tiara would be a fantastic place to start a new love affair!

As with nearly all progressive metal albums, Tiara opens with a symphonic orchestral instrumental piece. It is fairly typical of the genre, although does seem to recall the Star Wars theme music at times! This soon gives way to the big guitar riff of The Everones, the album's first proper song. As you might expect, this a bombastic piece that showcases the whole band's talents early on, with Johan Liefvendahl's juddering guitar riff really hitting home and drummer Stefan Norgren, performing on his first Seventh Wonder album, laying down some excellent double bass drum patterns. The thing about this song that immediately jumped out at me however were the strangely autotuned vocal sections during the verses. Usually I do not like this kind of thing, but I think it works really well and helps to give those portions of the song a 1980s sci-fi feel. Elsewhere, Karevik obviously sounds fantastic. His vocal style with Seventh Wonder is much freer than with Kamelot, so it is great to hear him really spreading his wings once again. This is none more evident than during the choruses, with Andreas Söderin's huge keyboard backing really filling out the sound. In fact it is Söderin that takes the first true solo on the album, with a flurry of synth-heavy notes before Liefvendahl takes over with his more deliberate phrasing. Dream Machines feels a little heavier, but still retains the band's trademark sheen. The mid-paced guitar riff is tougher, and the drumming is altogether more busy with plenty of little flourishes to accent certain parts of the song. That being said, the melodies are still really pushed the fore, with the verses taking things down a notch and really allowing the vocals to shine. The guitars still crunch away behind Karevik, but they are much more muted than the opening workout. The chorus is another winner, with some almost dancey beats that fit in well with Karevik's playful melodies. Many of the songs here have excellent choruses, and this one is no exception. A stand out part of the song for me however is a section part way through that sees Söderin's piano dominate, before Liefvendahl launches into a lengthy guitar solo. Against the Grain opens with a gorgeous classical guitar section, before Liefvendahl once again contributes some soaring guitar leads to a bombastic intro. Being progressive metal there is a lot going on here, with simple piano-led verses and emotionally charged melodic metal choruses. While the whole of Seventh Wonder really pull their weight throughout this album, I feel that special mention should go to Söderin who's soundscapes, orchestrations, and poppy synth leads really help to give this album it's sheen. There is a lot of diverse keyboard work throughout this song, and that is what helps it to stand out. Victorious was the first song to be released from the album, so unsurprisingly it is one of the simpler pieces here. It is very melodically focused, with a pomp-filled chorus and riffs that are somewhat less abrasive than usual. The song still has a bite to it however, with Norgren's drums often punching through the mix to enhance the mood and Söderin lengthy keyboard solo should keep the prog fans happy!

Up next is the three-part Farewell suite, which starts off with Tiara's Song. The song opens up with a big synth riff, which soon gives way to a mid-paced crunching verse which sees both the guitar and bass locking in together for a pulsing rhythm. This somewhat heavier verse is a contrast with the soaring chorus, which contains some of the most overt melodies on the album. Karevik's vocals here are excellent, with the verses sounding more like his moodier Kamelot delivery and the choruses showing his more sing-song soaring style that his fans have been missing over the past few years! I really like how this song mixes heavier and lighter moments together so well. Seventh Wonder are certainly not the heaviest of progressive metal bands, but they can still churn out pretty potent riffs. There are few throughout this song, and they often booked floatier moments which makes them seem much tougher than they actually are! Goodnight is much calmer, although not a true ballad. There is certainly a lot more acoustic instruments here, with acoustic guitars and pianos dominating certain sections of the song - only for Liefvendahl to come in with another big strident riff to keep the energy up. That being said, I feel it is actually the quieter moments of the song that work best. Söderin contributes some excellent piano playing to the song, so it is great getting to hear that relatively unhindered - although a heavier symphonic instrumental section also shines, which soon leads into another lengthy and technical guitar solo. The real highlight of the suite however is Beyond Today, a true ballad that really is packed full of emotional moments. The song is based around some lovely piano playing, but the real star of the show is Karevik who delivers one of the vocal performances of his life in my opinion. The lyrics are really lovely, and the way Karevik sings them ensures that they really stick in my head. In true Seventh Wonder tradition, Karevik's sister Jenny provides some harmony vocals. The two siblings always sing so well together, and this might be their best collaboration yet. I defy anyone to honestly claim that they are not moved by this piece, and in my opinion this is one of the best songs the band have ever written. Staying with the more gentle theme, The Truth has a percussive feel with some strong tom work from Norgren and plenty more piano. The part of the song that stands out the most to me however is a section that sees a choir take over the vocals which sounds very different from anything the band have done before. There is something of a Christmas Carol concert about the delivery, and this works really well before the song builds up a little more towards the end with some slightly heavier riffing and more dramatic strings.

Those now needing a little more of a metal fix will enjoy the short and punchy By the Light of the Funeral Pyres which is probably the fastest song here, so has a bit of an old school power metal feel at times. Norgren's drumming is fairly relentless, and Liefvendahl's guitar riffing bites with real metal power. The chorus sounds a bit like something from an old Sonata Arctica or HammerFall album, and some excellent neo-classical soloing from both Liefvendahl and Söderin really cement that power metal vibe further. Seventh Wonder are not a band to speed up too often, with their music mostly falling into the mid-paced category, so it is fun to see the band letting their hair down a bit here. Damnation Below returns to the band's more traditional sound, with an excellent melodic intro and choppy verses that still manage to sound polished and smooth despite some staccato drumming and off-kilter riffing. This is a song that has a really nice flow to it, with lots of catchy instrumental sections for prog fans to sink their teeth into. Despite often playing second fiddle to the rest of the band, Blomqvist's bass playing stands out here. There are lots of excellent fluid basslines from him here, and he often teams up with the guitar to make a really powerful sound. The short and murky Procession gives way to the epic and lengthy Exhale - the album's last song. Everything that makes Seventh Wonder great is contains within, with plenty of keyboard and guitar leads, pounding fast drumming, and of course Karevik's stunning vocals. Unsurprisingly given the song's length, this is probably the most diverse song here with a good mix of upbeat power metal and dense prog with lots of instrumental breaks and twists and turns. There is also some of Karevik's best vocal work on the album, with one bit in particular where he unleashes the highest note I think I have ever heard on record from him. He is not particularly known for his power metal screams, but he does a pretty good job at attempting one and it certainly made me sit up and take notice the first time I heard it! Despite the song's technical moments, there is still a hell of a lot of melody to enjoy - with a big powerful chorus that is repeated quite a few times throughout the song. As the song moves towards the end, the arrangements just get bigger and bigger, eventually hitting a dramatic and symphonic crescendo which ends the album on a real high. Overall, Tiara has been worth the wait and Seventh Wonder fans all over the world and no doubt listening to this album a lot at the moment. I still think that there is a lot here for me to uncover, as the album's story is still mostly eluding me. I will definitely try and piece this together over time, and I would not be surprised if this album ended up in my Albums of the Year list come January!

The album was released on 12th October 2018 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Tiara's Song.

Dan Reed Network - Bristol Review

November has been an extremely busy month for me so far, with five gigs already under belt! It seems though that you just cannot go to too many gigs, so only a day after the fifth show of the month I was on my way up to Bristol for the sixth! The reason for the journey was the Dan Reed Network, an American five-piece funk rock band that I have really grown to love over the past year or. I originally started listening to the band in anticipation of their support slot at last year's Extreme show in Birmingham, but seeing the band live took my appreciation to a whole new level. I had been a casual fan up to that point, but following the gig I was a fully-fledged fan! Since then, the band's four studio albums have been on extremely regular rotation on my iPod and turntable ever since. They were a big factor in my decision to go to Steelhouse Festival earlier in the year, but as soon as I saw that the band were also scheduling in a decent-sized UK tour for the end of the year I knew that I had to make a show. Luckily, the Bristol show on the tour fell on a Sunday, which made it fit in nicely with work and other plans, so I booked my ticket and upped my listening to the band even more. This current tour is promote the band's new album Origins, a collection of new material and a few old favourites - all recorded around the world with live studio audiences participating. This is an interesting concept, and will certainly keep the fans happy until the band's next full length album of new material - whenever that may come. It seems that here in the UK the Dan Reed Network are fairly popular, with photos from the other recent shows showing good turnouts. The Bristol show, held at the Fleece (a venue I had not been to for many years), was no different and was pretty packed throughout the night. My memories of The Fleece were fairly hazy, but it is a very good venue. Despite having small pillars littered throughout the venue which can make some views a little strange, the place has a good vibe about it and the sound was excellent throughout the night.

Before the main event however, the growing crowd was treated to sets from two up-and-coming British rock bands. Opening the evening were Hollowstar, a four-piece murky rock band mixed somewhat heavy riffing with strong vocal melodies from Joe Bonson (vocals/bass guitar). The band's sound was fairly modern, but still contained enough classic rock strut to give the band a strong identity. Bonson himself was a very engaging frontman, often taking the time to address the crowd. I sometimes find support bands a bit lacking in this respect, but Bonson is clearly a verbose chap, but that certainly helped to endear Hollowstar to me. His lengthy speech about mental health before the song Feel the Burn was pretty powerful, and the ballad became the highlight of their set. The closing number had some opportunities for crowd interaction too, and a large amount actually sung along with the band which ensured the set ended on a high.

The second support act was Mason Hill, who made less of an impression. While certainly extremely competent, the Glasgow-based five-piece just did not really excite. In fairness to them, their post-grunge influenced sound did little for me, and sadly they seem to be one of the many up-and-coming hard rock bands that grew up on American radio rock. This type of music does very little for me, but it seems to ubiquitous now. That is not to say that Mason Hill are a bad band at all, because they clearly are not and some of their songs were fairly strong, but the fairly generic radio rock sound just held the band back for me. This type of music is popular though, and judging from the crowd's reaction throughout their set they made a few new fans, which is always good to see.

The evening was all about the Dan Reed Network however and the band hit the stage at approximately 9:20pm with the upbeat Rock You All Night Long from their 1988 debut album. I had seen the band play two almost-identical sets previously, so it was great that this headline show contained a lot of songs I had not heard the band do before. The opener was one, and the second number Divided was another. Dan Reed himself is an excellent frontman, and it was clear from the off that he was up for the show. The same could not be said for some of their gear however, and annoyingly the first part of their show was derailed a little by technical issues. The fourth number Under My Skin had to be re-started due to Melvin Brannon II's (bass guitar/vocals) bass not working, and guitarist Brion James had issues with his guitar a few songs later! The experienced band took it all in their stride however, and joked around with the audience while everything was being fixed. It did mean the set seemed to take a bit of time to get going, with the first portion feeling very stop-start, but this changed as the evening moved on. Early highlights were the funky Doin' the Love Thing, with an excellent vocal intro from the whole band, and a barnstorming version of Baby Now I which contained a little medley in the middle with a few snippets of other chart hits. It was great to hear some lesser-played tracks included in the set too, with the oldie Resurrect impressing thanks to keyboardist Rob Daiker's soundscapes and the big chorus which saw lots of vocal harmonies from everyone on stage. Daiker got to take centre stage for a while to sing one of his own tracks, All for a Kiss, which provided a gentle respite from the upbeat rock of the main band's work, and the new album Origins was represented with the smooth single Fade to Light. Despite a the set being very strong up to this point, the last third upped the gears further and really took off! The somewhat sleazy Tiger in a Dress got everyone in the crowd moving, and featured lots of excellent guitar work from James, as did the soaring ballad Stronger Than Steel which featured a stunning outro solo from him. While Reed is clearly the band's focus, everyone else really pulls their weight. James is a fantastic playing and he showed a diverse range of styles throughout. It was the solo at the end of Stronger Than Steel that really showcased his best playing of the evening though for me, and he rightly received a big cheer at the end. He also took the vocals on the reggae-tinged Save the World, but not before the cinematic ballad Champion wowed the crowd. It is one of my favourite songs from the band's last album Fight Another Day, and it really shines live with Reed pouring lots of emotion into the lyrics. By this point the band were already passed the curfew, but carried on regardless with a roof-raising rendition of their early single Ritual, with lots of silky bass playing from Brannon and synth work from Daiker. This was the end, but after taking their bows Reed launched into an a capella rendition of Long Way to Go which the rest of the band joined in. It was a calming end to such a high-energy set, and the crowd really showed their appreciation. The setlist was:

Rock You All Night Long
Divided
Forgot to Make Her Mine
Under My Skin
Doin' the Love Thing
Baby Now I
Resurrect
Rainbow Child
All for a Kiss [Rob Daiker solo material]
Fade to Light
Get to You
Tiger in a Dress
Stronger Than Steel
Champion
Save the World
Ritual
Long Way to Go

After the show had finished, the band all came out to the merchandise to sign autographs and pose for photographs. I had purchased Origins and Reed's latest solo album Confessions before the show, so it was great to get them signed by all concerned. I even took a selfie with Reed, something I rarely do these days, but he seemed so approachable that I took the opportunity. I shall enjoy listening to those two albums over the next few weeks, and I am already looking forward to the next time the band visit the UK.

Bad Touch - Saltash Review

Despite growing up in Saltash, which is just over the river Tamar from Plymouth, had only been to one gig there previously before up-and-coming hard rock heroes Bad Touch decided to bring their Shake a Leg tour down to the South West. I had seen Jethro Tull's Martin Barre play a low-key warm up show a few years ago, before his first proper solo tour, but the the town has not seen a whole lot of action since. The venue then, as it was for Bad Touch's visit, was Livewire - a musically-focused youth club situated on the banks of the Tamar. Despite Bad Touch's visit being only my second trip t the building as a gig-goer, Livewire was a regular haunt in my youth. Friends and I would regularly go down there for the evening, and it was great to return again in a different context. I have always said that I feel that Livewire's venue is extremely underused, but persuading bands to come down to Cornwall is not easy! Livewire has hosted a few good-sized names over the years, but is mostly used for the local bands who make use of the other facilities that the club offers. I myself played on that stage quite a few times, so it always fun to return! Speaking of returning, I almost did not get the chance to. A few weeks ago I received an email saying that this show had been cancelled, with the show's original promoter pulling the plug - presumably due to low ticket sales. Thankfully however, Bad Touch and Livewire pulled together to save the show, dropped the ticket price, and did the best they could to ensure that the show was a success. When I got down to the venue on the night, there were not many others waiting to go in. I was concerned that the turnout was going to be extremely poor, and that Bad Touch and their touring party had made the big drive in vain, but luckily people kept trickling through the doors. While there was certainly room for more people in the venue, I really was pleasantly surprised by the turn out. I think that all the bands felt the same too, and this really helped to create a good atmosphere throughout the evening.

Bad Touch's tour was a three-band package, but an additional band was added to the Livewire show with local metal upstarts Ethyrfield opening the show. The three-piece band are making a bit of a name for themselves locally, and even played at Bloodstock Open Air earlier in the year - although I did not catch their set. Despite only having half an hour on stage, the band really gave it their all and treated the growing crowd to a set to technical, yet melodic, metal. There was clearly a big grunge influence, particularly from Alice in Chains, on the guys, but their music was much more metallic than anything that ever came out of the grunge era. All three of the band members impressed, but it was Ben Cornish (guitar/vocals) who really stole the show with some really varied guitar playing that included crunching riffs and plenty of shredded solos. Clearly Ethyrfield are a band that are still learning their craft, but they have a huge amount of talent and I think could do very well for themselves in the future.

The first band of the main tour package were the London-based Swiss four-piece Daxx & Roxane, a back-to-basics hard rock band that I had seen earlier in the year at Stone Free Festival. The band did little to impress me then, and this set did little to change my mind. As much as the band certainly has all the components to make a competent band, but do not seem to be able to craft a catchy tune. Most of their songs are what can be described as 'meat and potatoes rock', with little flair and any standout melodies. This is a shame, as with some work the band could probably be enjoyable. The last song in their set was actually very good, featured a really strong chorus, and generally had a bit of what the rest of their songs did not have. A rather ropey cover Queen's One Vision did not help their set either, and I have to say that I was quite glad when it all came to an end. The band clearly have their fans, and that is great, but I think it is fair to say that they are just not for me.

Up next was Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics, the band which I went to the show mostly to see. I was a huge Heaven's Basement fan back in the day, and have followed Buchanan's career since with interest. His new bad The Cult Classics, and his new album The Man With Stars on his Knees are both excellent - and they have been busy this year promoting it. So busy in fact that, without even really trying, this was my fourth Cult Classics show of the year. Despite knowing exactly what to expect, Buchanan and co. did not disappoint and ran through a 40-odd minute set packed with new favourites from their album and some Heaven's Basement classics. Left Me for Dead got the set off a mid-paced, groovy start before Tom McCarthy (guitar/vocals) launched into the riff of Fire, Fire and the energy level definitely rose. There were clearly a few old Heaven's Basement fans in, as they helped Buchanan to sing the chorus. People had politely engaged with the first two bands, but it was with The Cult Classics that everyone really got involved. Suddenly the whole crowd was congregated down near the front, and enjoyed Buchanan running through high-energy tracks like Fire in the Fields of Mayhem and the Heaven's Basement oldie I Am Electric. The punky single Dancin' Down Below was now enhanced with a strange medley of tiny snippets of other songs, before Heartbreaking Son of a Bitch saw Buchanan attempting his now-trademark handstand in the crowd. Despite not having the size of crowd that he is used to, he still managed to pull it off at the second attempt. The guy certainly knows how to put on a show, and I think it is fair to say that the crowd loved it! By this point though it was time to finish and a quick run through of the more theatrical Morals? brought the set to a close. 2018 has seen The Cult Classics supporting a myriad of acts, and I hope that 2019 brings some headline shows from the band! The setlist was:

Left Me for Dead
Fire, Fire [Heaven's Basement material]
The Devil That Needs You
Fire in the Fields of Mayhem
I Am Electric [Heaven's Basement material]
Dancin' Down Below
Heartbreaking Son of a Bitch [Heaven's Basement material]
Morals?

Despite Buchanan and co. being the main draw for me, I was still looking forward to seeing Bad Touch. I had seen the band a few times previously as a support act, and they had never truly grabbed me, but I was interested to see how they would fare as a headliner. The answer, it turns out, is extremely well and I ended up really enjoying the band's 75 minutes or so on stage. It is clear that the band has come on a long way since I first saw them supporting The Quireboys a few years ago. The band are currently promoting their new album Shake a Leg, and I believe that most of the songs played came from it. Lots of the early songs really rocked, with Seeks (guitar/vocals) laying down some great groovy riffs which frontman Stevie Westwood enjoyed singing over. Good On Me is a song that I remember hearing before however, and the boogie rocker this time was merged with a snippet of ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man. I am not familiar with most of the band's songs, but there were a few that made an instant impression. The new number Skyman really impressed me, and the fact that it was also merged with a cover - this time Whitesnake's Still of the Night - made for a fun few minutes of music. The soul-drenched My Mother Told Me, from one of their earlier albums, also was a lot of fun and generated quite a lot of audience participation. Another highlight for me was Outlaw, a groovy piece of blues rock that featured some excellent guitar playing - particularly Rob Glendinning's (guitar) solo. The set came to a close of the oldie Down, a more murky piece, and the band received a huge cheer as they left the stage. Bad Touch came back for a couple more, and seemed genuinely touched by the reaction and the fact that the good-sized crowd had turned up - especially as the show almost did not happen! Dressed to Kill and the sing-a-long 99% made up the encore section, before the band took their bows to more cheers.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable trip over the river to Saltash to see some great new rock bands. I am glad that the show was somewhat of a success in the end, and it was really great to see Buchanan again. Bad Touch really won me over too, and I already have a copy of Shake a Leg in my possession so I am looking forward to listening to that soon. The Quireboys are playing at Livewire later on this week, so it will not be long before my next trip back to Saltash!

Coheed and Cambria's 'The Unheavenly Creatures' - Album Review

The American alternative/progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria are pretty much royalty in the rock world these days. From their mid-1990s beginnings, the band have really grown in stature and have a large global fanbase. In an era when concept albums and being 'prog' were fairly uncool, Coheed and Cambria managed to find a way to modernise these things, and take them to a wider and younger audience. In some respect, the band have really embraced this element of their sound and have often really doubled down on the 'geekier' side of their image. Most of the band's albums to date have been concept albums that tell the story of The Amory Wars, a science fiction story created by frontman and main songwriter Claudio Sanchez. While I have often tried and failed to understand the stories that these albums tell, I still really appreciate all the effort that goes into creating worlds such as this. The fact that Sanchez has written comics and novels to tell the same stories shows just how involved the albums' concepts are, and it is unsurprising that many of the bands fans have really embraced the worlds and stories that he tells through his lyrics. For me however, it is the band's music that is the thing that I most appreciate, and it is what has always drawn me into the world of Coheed and Cambria. The band's last album, 2015's The Color Before the Sun (which I reviewed here), was a bit of departure for the band. While it sounded quite similar to what had come before, it was the band's first album to not to feature The Amory Wars' story line and is therefore the band's only non-concept album. The band's poppy take on alternative/progressive rock was still very much intact, but the more grounded subject matter certainly took some the band's edge away. I really liked The Color Before the Sun on release, and I still like it a lot now, but I feel that it definitely is missing something. While I have never really embraced the epic concept story lines of the band's older albums, I think their presence and the strange science fiction lyrics add to the overall 'epic' feeling of the band's older work. So, while I think The Color Before the Sun was a great experiment, the choice to return to The Amory Wars story line on the new album The Unheavenly Creatures was a good idea. Released last month, the band's ninth album is clearly an attempt from the band to re-capture some of their early sound. The Color Before the Sun had a poppier, more whimsical feel at times, but The Unheavenly Creatures feels somewhat heavier, and a lot more progressive. It is also the band's longest album to date, at just under 80 minutes in length, which means there is a lot of music to digest here. The more overtly poppy elements of The Color Before the Sun remain here too, making this new album a bit of a hybrid of different eras of the band's sound.

The album starts out with a Prologue, and like many of Coheed and Cambria's old albums this opens with a melancholic piano melody. This soon dies away however, to replaced by spacey sound effects and a melodramatic spoken word section which no doubt sets the scene for the album's story. This segues nicely into the first proper song, The Dark Sentencer, which has a great classic Coheed and Cambria feel with tricky interlocking guitar leads, driving rhythms, and Sanchez's high vocals. The main riff is quite muscular, but is accentuated with soaring progressive rock leads, and as soon as Sanchez's dramatic lyrics kick in the piece really takes off. Soundwise, the song reminds me of the style the band followed on the two The Afterman albums - which are some of my favourite works by Coheed and Cambria. Unsurprisingly then, this song really resonates with me. The heavier riffing and the poppy vocal melodies fit perfectly together, and the tricky riffing keeps the song feeling interesting throughout its seven minute-plus run time. The chorus is extremely catchy, and provides the first true hook of the album. The album's title track is up next, and this pulls back on the more expansive prog rock feeling of the opening song and goes for a more straight ahead vibe. The song opens with a playful synth melody, before powerful guitar chords join the party to add depth. This is a simple, catchy piece with a really strong chorus which definitely harks back to the band's early singles. Despite the overt melodies, there is still quite a lot going on musically. I feel that drummer Josh Eppard's contributions to the band's sound over the years has always been understated. His groove-based playing always really helps to accentuate the riffs and melodies in a way that a more 'traditional' drumming style might not. When he joins in for the second verse the song takes on a huge new groove which elevates it to new heights, and his driving chorus beats are powerful in their simplicity. Toys opens with some gentle vocal harmonies, offset with some overly-distorted guitar chords, but soon transitions into a muscular guitar riff that is the heaviest thing on the album so far. From there, the song is mostly a mid-paced rocker that is based around this riff which forms the basis of the verses. The chorus is pretty strong too, but very simplistic when compared to the previous two. This is not necessarily a bad thing however, as the melodies are still easily conveyed and I can imagine a crowd singing along to it live. A stand out moment however is a tortured guitar solo, presumably from Travis Stever, that helps to enhance the heavier mood of the piece. Black Sunday is another fairly mid-paced piece, but this one really relies on the band's rhythm section to drive it forward. The aforementioned Eppard and bassist Zach Cooper are the stars of the verses, as their intricate groove-based playing provides the main point of reference. The guitars mostly add colour, and during the strange choruses mainly add a discordant backing. That being said however, as the song moves forward the melodies are pushed more to the fore. The ending section is extremely memorable, and is a departure from the gritter early portions.

Queen of the Dark is overall a lot slower, and opens with a chiming melody which is soon replaced by a lumbering percussive drum beat and droning guitar backing. It is a very strange song that sounds different to most of the band's back catalogue, and actually manages to create a heavy overall feel throughout. Those who enjoy doom metal should find a lot to enjoy here, although Sanchez's signature high vocals provide a bit of a contrast with the heavier backing. That being said however, there is still a certain melancholy about the piece which adds some emotional weight. This stops the song from simply becoming a lumbering piece of doom metal, and instead makes it a surprising highlight that is different from most of the rest of the album. True Ugly picks up the pace again, but retains the heaviness of the previous song. The song's main guitar riff has a classic 1980s heavy metal feel about it, with Sanchez and Stever locking together to nail some melodic lead harmonies which are mixed in nicely with the tougher riffing. Of all the songs so far, this is probably the most similar to the band's first few albums. The punky pace from those albums is back, and occasional bursts of rasping harsh vocals really add to that feeling. The fact that the song also transitions into lighter, poppier sections also recalls the band's early works - all of which helps to ensure this song is another stand out moment. Love Protocol is lighter overall, but still maintains a good pace which helps to bring the best out the simple melodies. The ringing guitar lines really stick in the brain, and the overwrought epic chorus may feel a little melodramatic at times but it is packed full of strong melodies so it remains memorable. The band's more progressive elements are somewhat absent here however, which maybe makes the song less interesting than some of the others here - but the melodies ensure that it remains enjoyable. The Pavilion (A Long Way Back) opens with an almost-indie rock chiming guitar melody, but this is soon joined by an anthemic drum pattern which grounds the song more in the traditional hard rock setting. The progressive elements are back here, with lots of different moods going on. The verses are quite sparse and simplistic, while still remaining an anthemic quality thanks to the drums, but the chorus really explodes in a flurry of power chords and spacey synths. The chorus melodies are catchy, and is is easily the best one since the album's opening trio of songs. Night-Time Walkers is the only song on the album that was not written solely by Sanchez, with Stever also earning a writing credit. The song opens with a frantic synth melody, which is paired with some simple effects-heavy vocals and this sets the tone for what is to come. This is not a heavy or a fast song, but instead keeps a relatively slow pace throughout and relies on the power of Sanchez's vocals to make it stand out. This is a song which has really grown on me over repeated listens, and I now think that it is a really strong moments. The use of synths throughout the piece make it stand out, and is one of the closest things to a true ballad found on the album.

The Gutter initially sticks with the slow feeling of the previous song with some distant piano notes, but soon the explodes in a fury of punky harsh vocals and some of the most aggressive drumming Eppard does on the album. Overall however the song is not all that heavy, but it is spiked with the occasional bursts of energy which really give it a kick up the behind! For the most part however the song is a solid mid-paced rocker, with some tricky guitar riffing and a few stand out melodies. It is the heavier sections that really make it what it is though, and it stands out as a bit of curiosity as a result. As with many of Coheed and Cambria's albums, there are often little transitions between songs, and this latter part of the album seems to rely on piano melodies for this. This is how All on Fire starts, but the piano soon gives way to a frantic guitar riff and a strong fluid bassline from Cooper. Sanchez is obviously, and rightly, the main focus of the band, but the other three members really help to bring his visions to life. Cooper has been in the band for six years now, and he has really integrated himself into the band's sound well. His playing style is much more fluid and melodic than the band's previous players, which has probably helped to inform the band's more recent directions, and this song is a great example of his talents. It Walks Among Us feels a little heavier than the previous couple of songs, with a stronger distorted guitar presence throughout, but the vocal melodies are the real focus which ensures the song is a catchy little number. Again, I feel that The Afterman albums are being referenced quite strongly here, and that melody-focused sound shines through. The song's chorus is a real selling point, and it also features some great bass drum work from Eppard. As a result, this song has become another personal favourite as the melodies of the chorus like to continually run around my head. The piano melodies are back for the intro to Old Flames, and again they soon fade away to be replaced by a smooth melodic piece that is probably the song on the album most resembles the style explored on The Color Before the Sun. There is little of the band's punky side here, with the rock mostly feeling smoother with subtle, lush keyboards and Sanchez's less-powerful vocal performances helping to contribute to this lighter feel. Much of the album has felt relatively heavy, so it is nice to have this lighter, airier piece near the album's end to provide a little respite. The album's closing number Lucky Stars opens with a gentle acoustic guitar and vocal combination, which is soon joined by some simple strings to fill the piece out. Ending a fairly tough album on a song that is this light might seem like a strange choice, but I think it works well. There has been only one other ballad-like piece on the album, and this song goes a long way to helping to even out the tone. There is also an excellent guitar solo here, which is packed full emotion and sounds like something taken straight from an old 1970s progressive rock album. Overall, The Unheavenly Creatures is a really strong album from Coheed and Cambria and one that sees them returning to their old sound somewhat. It is an album that really benefits from repeated listens, as at first I was not at all taken with it, but now I can find something to like in most of the songs here. Long time fans of the band will love it!

The album was released on 5th October 2018 via Roadrunner Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Unheavenly Creatures.

Blackberry Smoke - Bristol Review

Country music is not something that I have ever really gotten into but occasionally, especially when it is mixed with rock, I find a band that does it for me. The Eagles are probably the best example of this, but a few years I started to listen to Atlanta's Blackberry Smoke - who immediately clicked with me. For a band who's first two albums are still unreleased here in the UK (I believe), Blackberry Smoke have built up a large and loyal fanbase over here. It was in 2014 when I discovered the band, as their third album, 2012's The Whippoorwill, was finally released here. The band's mix of southern rock, blues, and country immediately grabbed me and I have been a fan of the band since. I saw the band on their Winter 2014 tour, but sadly have not been able to make any of the band's shows since. Three albums have followed on since The Whippoorwill which have gradually moved away from the heavier rock of their early work and towards a more country-dominated sound. While this means that my love for the band's studio output has diminished somewhat over time, I still enjoy listening to their albums occasionally. Despite all of this, when the band announced a good amount of UK shows for the 2018, I knew that I had to go. Despite a lot of the band's newer material not doing so much for me, the band's live shows are always great. The songs are always much tougher live, and the band always manages to whip up a great energy during their shows. The fact that they change their setlists pretty heavily each night means that you are never quite sure which songs are going to be played, and it seems that there are very few songs from their catalogue which are off limits. This is great for the fans, and it makes each show unique. I opted for the Bristol show as it was the most convenient, and the fact that the O2 Academy there is usually a very good place for concerts. Much like The Temperance Movement's show there earlier in the year, the turnout was very good. While I am not sure if the show was sold out or not, there were a lot of people packed into the venue. It is always a good sign when the balcony is opened there, and it is good to see bands like Blackberry Smoke attracting good-sized crowds.

Before the headline act however, the growing crowd were treated to two very different support acts. The first up were more appropriate for the bill, with their laid back country rock sound complimenting Blackberry Smoke's nicely. Texas' Quaker City Night Hawks only had around half an hour to play with, but they made it count with some tight, well-written songs that included lots of lovely vocal harmonies and tasteful guitar leads. While a couple of their songs were a bit rocker, with meatier riffs, most of their songs were on the mellow side with lots of big guitar chords and fluid basslines. Guitarists Sam Anderson and David Matsler shared the lead vocals, with each taking the lead on roughly the equivalent amount of tunes - but they often harmonised together to create a big sound for a four-piece. While I would have liked to hear a few more rockier moments, especially ones that would have allowed Matsler to unleash some more excellent guitar solos, the songs that were played largely impressed. They are certainly a band which I will probably check out further in the future.

The second support act Junkyard were the most in-your-face band of the night, and stuck out somewhat on a bill that was made up of country rock acts! The 1980s biker rock band played fast and furious rock songs that hit the crowd like a steamroller and certainly blew away any remaining cobwebs that might have been lingering around! Having done some research since coming home from the gig, it turns out that Junkyard were on Geffen Records during the late 1980s, but never really broke through the way that some of their peers did. The songs I have heard online since bear little resemblance to what I heard at the concert, but that may have been because the soundman's definition of a good sound mix was just to turn everything up really loud! As a result, frontman David Roach's vocals were pretty much inaudible, and Patrick Muzingo's drums basically dominated everything! Interestingly though, The Quireboys' guitarist Guy Griffin joined the band towards the end of their set for a couple of numbers. I am not quite sure why, but he added some nice bluesy solos to a couple of tracks, which made a change from the relentless energy that had come previously! Junkyard are not a band that really impressed live, but the songs I have heard online have grabbed me somewhat. There seems to be more of a punk energy about the band now compared to their early days, and that is certainly how their set came across! I will definitely explore the band further however, as their early stuff seems to be the sort of thing that I would enjoy!

It was Blackberry Smoke that everyone was here to see however, and when the lights went down at 9pm the place erupted and the band took to the stage and immediately launched into Nobody Gives a Damn from their most recent album Find a Light. As mentioned earlier, the setlist at the Bristol gig was different from those of the other shows on the UK tour and contained a good mix of material from most of their albums. As a fan of their more rockier stuff, the setlist was a good one for me, with the feel good Good One Comin' On and the tough blues rock of Waiting for the Thunder impressing early on. Considering how poor Junkyard's sound mix had been, Blackberry Smoke sounded fantastic. The guitars were nice and loud, but did not mask Charlie Starr's (vocals/guitar/percussion) voice at all. Starr is a real star of the show, and sung his heart out all night. He also handled most of the lead guitar parts in the band's songs, and really did a great job interacting with the crowd throughout the show. Another standout performer for me was keyboardist Brandon Still who filled many of the songs in the set with washings of warm Hammond organ. He is always mixed into the background on the band's albums, but live he really comes through and fills out the sound. There were a few great Hammond solos from him throughout the evening, and an extended version of Sleeping Dogs saw some of his best works. The psychedelic intro featured some strong piano work from him, and when the band segued into a snippet of The Beatles' Come Together he provided a strong atmospheric backing for Starr's vocals. The second half of the show also featured lots of highlights, and unsurprisingly it was the rockier moments that stood out for me. Shakin' Hands With the Holy Ghost got those of us down the front moving, and when Richard Turner (bass guitar/vocals) launched into the intro bass riff for Up in Smoke the crowd went wild. That is not to say that some of the slower songs did not stand out however, with the acoustic blues of Ain't Got the Blues prompting large portions of the crowd to sing along. Starr even stopped singing at one point to allow the crowd to take over, and they did so loudly. Another late highlight was a stunning rendition of One Horse Town, which is one of my favourite Blackberry Smoke ballads. Starr sung the song perfectly, while Paul Jackson (guitar/vocals) strummed out the main melodies on his acoustic guitar. Despite this slightly calm near the end, the main set ended with a bang as the raucous rock of Shake Your Magnolia proved to be a perfect closing number. There was time for a couple more of course, and the band soon came back to the stage to lay down the lumbering groove of Flesh and Bone, also from the new album, and an extended version of the upbeat Ain't Much Left of Me - which included snippets of a Quireboys song and a Lynyrd Skynyrd song for good measure! This little medley rounded out a great evening, and the crowd showed their appreciation as the band left the stage. The setlist was:

Nobody Gives a Damn
Good One Comin' On
Like I Am
Waiting for the Thunder
Crimson Moon
Rock and Roll Again
Living in the Song
Let It Burn
Sleeping Dogs/Come Together [The Beatles cover]
Shakin' Hands With the Holy Ghost
The Good Life
Up in Smoke
Run Away From It All
Ain't Got the Blues
Payback's a Bitch
One Horse Town
Shake Your Magnolia
-
Flesh and Bone
Ain't Much Left of Me/7 O'Clock [The Quireboys cover]/Mississippi Kid [Lynyrd Skynyrd cover]

Overall this was a really great show from one of the big hitters in the southern rock world at the moment. Even the songs which I have never been too keen on in their recorded format impressed, and the energy throughout the evening was very good. Blackberry Smoke are a band I will always try and see if I get the chance to.

Saxon - Nottingham Review

After not being able to make a Saxon show since 2013, 2018 has proved to be very fruitful when it comes to opportunities to see the legendary NWOBHM live! It was only back in February that I last saw the band, when they launched their Thunderbolt tour in Cardiff. The Thunderbolt album was very new at the time, and all these months on it has become one of my very favourite releases of the year. I think seeing so many of the album's songs performed live just after its release really helped to cement Thunderbolt as a real favourite album of 2018 - so when a few more UK shows were announced for the end of 2018 I knew that I had to try and make one of them. Luckily the Nottingham show fitted into my busy November schedule perfectly, sandwiching itself between two other concerts that  I already had tickets for which made for an epic three-gig weekend! Weekends of this nature can often be quite full on, but it often makes financial sense to try and daisy chain gigs together in this way as it cuts down on travel costs - especially the pricey CrossCountry line that runs north out of Plymouth. I always enjoy a trip to Nottingham in any case, as it reminds me of when I was at University in Leicester and regularly travelling to Nottingham to see shows. Most of my Nottingham gigs have been at Rock City, but such is Saxon's growing stature at the moment they had booked the larger and more grand Royal Concert Hall. I had only been to the venue once previously, which was to see a rather disappointing Foreigner show a few years ago, but had enjoyed the venue. With the fixed seats however I did wonder how a more full-on heavy metal show would fare, as the seats can often stunt any natural atmosphere being created. There were certainly more people packed into the Royal Concert Hall than would have fitted into Rock City however, so this seemed to justify the band's choice of venue. It is great to see Saxon back playing these kind of venues, as it was not all that long ago that they would have struggled to pull a crowd of a couple of hundred. The popularity of metal music in general has been on the rise again over the past ten years or so, plus the band's recent run of new material must have also contributed to their gradual rise over the past few years. I am not sure or not of the gig was sold out, but there was certainly a big crowd in and - despite the seats - a good atmosphere was created throughout.

Before Saxon took to the stage however, the crowd were treated to a couple of support acts. New up-and-coming hard rockers Wayward Sons were up first first and impressed during their half an hour on stage. Fronted by former Little Angels frontman Toby Jepson (vocals/guitar), Wayward Sons play a fairly basic brand of hard rock, but one that is powerful and catchy. The band's recorded work has never really made an impression on me, but seeing the band live seemed to make everything fall into place. Jepson is a great singer, and the whole set was based around his powerful voice - although Sam Wood (guitar/vocals) did impress with some strong soloing throughout also. Being the first band of a three band bill, naturally the band's live sound mix was not perfect, with everything sounding a little muddy but it was enough to get a good idea of what the band was doing. Dave Kemp's keyboards were often totally lost in the mix however, and it would have been good to hear more of what he was doing as I often find that keyboards can add so much to rock music. Given their limited time the band barely paused for breath, and managed to steam through quite a few songs during their allotted time. I certainly enjoyed the band's set, and will finally now need to pick up a copy of the band's debut album to properly immerse myself in their music.

The main support came from former Warlock frontwoman Doro Pesch and her band, who had slightly longer on stage and put on a performance worthy of all of her experience. Her eight song set was dominated by old Warlock material, but there were a few newer solo cuts thrown in too. Earthshaker Rock and I Rule the Ruins got the show off to a powerful start , but it was Burning the Witches that really impressed me early on. The song was a proper 1980s heavy metal anthem, with a powerful riff and a shout along chorus that some in the crowd helped Pesch out with. Considering the big crowd, and Pesch's status in the metal world, I was a little disappointed with how many in attendance chose to respond to her set however. I thought that the atmosphere throughout her time on stage was a little lacking, and there seemed to be quite a few in the crowd who were not keen on getting involved. Pesch really tried her hardest to get everyone involved, and at times she succeeded, but at others it all felt a little flat - which was a shame. Her and her band were excellent however, and really put on a powerful display. Newer number Blood, Sweat and Rock 'n' Roll was exactly as you would expect it to be, before the old power ballad Für Immer provided a nice change of pace as some of the band members stepped behind keyboards to help create a big soundscape. Pesch still has a great voice, which has barely seemed to age since the 1980s. She sounds the same now as she did on those old Warlock records, and that is no mean feat. Her relatively short set came to an end with a powerful version of her new single All for Metal, and she left the stage to a fairly muted reception. Her performance deserved a better reaction from the crowd, but I certainly enjoyed my time will her and will be revisiting those old Warlock albums again soon! The setlist was:

Earthshaker Rock [Warlock material]
I Rule the Ruins [Warlock material]
Burning the Witches [Warlock material]
Raise Your Fist in the Air
Blood, Sweat and Rock 'n' Roll
Für Immer [Warlock material]
All We Are [Warlock material]
All for Metal

Luckily Saxon fared better atmosphere-wise, and from the moment the band hit the stage at 9pm there was a good energy throughout the Royal Concert Hall. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the setlist here was similar to the one that was played in Cardiff earlier in the year, but there were a couple of changes to make things interesting. Three newer songs got things off to a strong start, with the anthemic title track from the new album standing out the most. The song has a big chorus, and most of those in attendance helped frontman Biff Byford sing the lyrics. As is often the case with Saxon, lots of the band's new material was featured throughout the set with six songs from Thunderbolt making the cut as well as a handful from other more recent albums. While these songs were well received, it was the older material that really got everyone going. Motorcycle Man did this early on, and when Nibbs Carter (bass guitar/vocals) started to play the iconic bassline for Strong Arm of the Law the place erupted. What was clearly throughout the show was how happy the band were to be headlining a venue of this size again. Byford spoke to the crowd quite a lot throughout the show and regularly made reference to how he felt like he was back in the 1980s. Saxon were a big band once upon a time, and it is great seeing them on this second wind that is taking them somewhere back to those heights once again. Another crowd favourite was the fast-paced Power and the Glory, which saw guitarists Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt nailing the harmony guitar riff and drummer Nigel Glockler (despite recently having his nose bitten by a dog) laying into his double bass drums. It has never been a particular favourite of mine, but this time the song really came alive for me. Another strong moment was Solid Ball of Rock, a song and album which I am not too familiar with, but it proved to be another Saxon classic with a big chorus. As the set moved towards the end more and more classics where wheeled out. I feel that They Played Rock and Roll will be a future classic, and this was followed by And the Bands Played On which has always been a favourite of mine. Another real favourite 747 (Strangers in the Night) was up next and by this point the band were really cruising. The crowd had opened up as well, and the atmosphere was excellent. This was clear during the epic Crusader and the closing stomper Princess of the Night which were both met with huge cheers. There was time for not one but two encores which raised the energy to an even higher level. While I have never been a huge fan of the song on record, The Eagle Has Landed is an epic live song. The crushing riff filled the hall, and Byford sung the haunting vocals with the right level of eeriness. The three songs left were all ever-present classics, with Wheels of Steel inciting a large crowd sing along before the metal anthem Demin and Leather brought the show to a close. The setlist was:

Olympus Rising
Thunderbolt
Sacrifice
Nosferatu (The Vampire's Waltz)
Motorcycle Man
Predator
Strong Arm of the Law
Battering Ram
Power and the Glory
Solid Ball of Rock
The Secret of Flight
Dallas 1pm
They Played Rock and Roll
And the Bands Played On
747 (Strangers in the Night)
Sons of Odin
Crusader
Princess of the Night
-
The Eagle Has Landed
Heavy Metal Thunder
-
Wheels of Steel
Denim and Leather

Saxon never disappoint live and this show in Nottingham was no exception. As said previously it was fantastic to see the band filling such a large venue, and hopefully this trend continues. It is the band's fortieth anniversary next year, and it seems that something special is in the works for 2019 - so I am looking forward to seeing what that is.