Given the amount of music to get through, the venue opened at 5pm and Diamond Head kicked things off at 6pm. Both Diamond Head and Girlschool only had 30 minutes on stage each - so both only had time for a handful of songs. It was not that long ago that I saw Diamond Head come roaring out of lockdown with a stunning set at Plymouth's Junction in August last year, so I was looking forward to seeing them again. Despite a slightly muddy sound mix, which actually affected all of the evening's acts apart from Saxon, Diamond Head impressed - with the current line-up once again doing justice to the band's classic material, as well as showcasing their own efforts. It was two of the newer songs that opened up the set too, with the old-school mid-paced rumble of Bones and the dynamic The Messenger impressing the gathering crowd. It was clear that there were quite a few Diamond Head fans in attendance, but even those around me who did not seem to be familiar with much of the band's work seemed to be impressed. Rasmus Bom Andersen is a great frontman, who covered every inch of the stage, while guitarist Brian Tatler is a true NWOBHM legend. He has lost none of his guitar potency over the years, and it was great seeing him peel off a number of great solos. Despite the newer songs impressing, I think that it is fair to say that it was the classic material that really got the crowd going. The fast-paced pseudo-thrash of Lightning to the Nations and Helpless certainly upped the energy around the Odeon - and there was a fair bit of audible singing during the later. The snappy Sweet and Innocent sat between the two, showing off the band's more commercial side, but it was a set-closing rendition of the mammoth Am I Evil? that proved to be the highlight of the set. It was the evening's first big sing-a-long of the night, and Andersen certainly put the crowd through their paces - who dutifully obliged. Tatler soloed like a demon too, and the classic song was a great was to raise the bar and challenge those who followed to up their game. The setlist was:
Bones
The Messenger
Lightning to the Nations
Sweet and Innocent
Helpless
Am I Evil?
Sadly, Girlschool were not able to raise the bar further - although this was certainly not their fault. Of the four bands on the bill, they were the one that I was the least familiar with - and the only band that I had not seen live previously. I was looking forward to finally catching the legendary NWOBHM stalwarts, but I think that it is fair to say that their performance was not a vintage one. This was largely down to the poor sound that they suffered from (their sound was easily the worst of the night), which was probably due to the fact that they had had to set their gear up very quickly. Why them and Diamond Head did not share gear I do not know, but it took three or four songs for the band to get going - largely because they could not really hear each other. When you only have 30 minutes to play with, three or four songs is a good chunk of the set however - and much of the set sounded quite loose and raw. There was still fun to be had, however. The opening cut, Demolition Boys was packed full of energy - and it is clear that Kim McAuliffe (vocals/guitar) still has a great, raspy voice. She may be the band's only lead singer these days, but she fronts the band well. Another song that impressed me was Guilty of Sin, from the band's latest album of the same name. It had something of a punk vibe, as much of Girlschool's material does, but the chorus was very memorable - and it showed that the band have kept the faith over the years. As the set rolled on, however, it became clear that Girlschool's songwriting has little variety in it. This is not necessarily a band thing, but when you are largely unfamiliar with what you are hearing this can mean that everything blends into one - especially with poor sound. That being said, though, the band did elicit a reaction throughout. Their rendition of Motörhead's Bomber certainly went down well, and there was quite a lot of singing going on around me, and a set-closing version of Emergency, arguably their signature tune, ended things on a high. It was not a set to judge Girlschool by, but I am glad that I have finally seen the band live. They are a band that I need to explore further, however, and hopefully one day I can catch them again under more favourable circumstances.
Being the evening's special guests, the legendary Uriah Heep were afforded 50 minutes on stage. The band certainly deserve an opportunity to headline the Odeon again too, but they still seemed happy to be helping out their friends in Saxon and being further down the bill. Their set was one packed full of powerful moments, but it was certainly one for the initiated. The setlist was essentially a condensed version of the set that the band have been playing since 2018 - with the tough Grazed by Heaven kicking things off. Uriah Heep generally showcase a lot of new material in their sets these days, but this time they largely focused on the classics. As such, Grazed by Heaven, with its barrelling Mick Box (guitar/vocals) riff, was the only new number played. The band then turned the clock back to 1982 for the AOR-tinged Too Scared to Run, with the rest of the set coming from their early 1970s heyday. Grazed by Heaven and Too Scared to Run proved to be a great opening one-two punch. Frontman Bernie Shaw was on fine vocal form throughout, despite being quite low in the mix at times, and drummer Russell Gilbrook put in a performance that showed why the band has become more powerful since he joined in 2007. A floor-shaking rendition of Gypsy soon followed, as Phil Lanzon's (keyboards/vocals) Hammond rumbled through the venue. Hearing a Hammond live is always a treat, and Lanzon's busy playing is always a highlight of any Uriah Heep set. His playing drove Gypsy, and the band's multi-part vocal harmonies sounded as tight and as full as always. For me, however, the band took a bit of a misstep after this powerful opening trilogy. Given that the band were playing in a supporting capacity, I am not sure that playing both an elongated version of Look at Yourself; complete with guitar, keyboard, bass, and drum solos; and the epic July Morning was wise. Look at Yourself is a punchy rocker, but in recent years the band have been stretching it out with lots of soloing and jamming. This might work at their own shows, but I do not think that it was a wise inclusion this time. I could sense attention wandering around me, and if I was picking the setlist I would not have played Look at Yourself - and instead included a couple of other punchy rockers before allowing the epic July Morning to truly shine and act as a vehicle for some additional soloing. July Morning was, of course, excellent - but by the time it finished there was only time for a couple more. More rumbling Hammond introduced the soaring Sunrise, a song that always goes down well live. A few of those around me who had been somewhat bored by the longer songs seemed to get back on the wagon with Sunrise, and it was another song that really showcased the band's talent for vocal harmonies. The harmonies are always a big part of any Uriah Heep gig, and even with a slightly muddy sound mix they still shone through. It was left to the fast-paced Easy Livin' to bring the band's 50 minutes on stage to a close - and it certainly helped to whip up some last minute energy before Saxon's headline set. Those of us who were already into Uriah Heep certainly enjoyed their time on stage, but I do feel that it might not have done much for the uninitiated - which is a shame. The setlist was:
Grazed by Heaven
Too Scared to Run
Gypsy
Look at Yourself
July Morning
Sunrise
Easy Livin'
I had seen Saxon a number of times before Saturday but I think that it is fair to say that, as far as spectacle goes at least, this Odeon show was the best. As mentioned before, it is the largest venue that I have seen the band in - and they really went all-out from a stage show perspective. Two lions flanked the stage, with the drum kit in the middle surrounded by big steps and a huge screen. The crowning glory was of course the band's legendary eagle prop - which constantly hung above the band, and moved around as the show progressed. It is also the only Saxon show that I have seen that focused on the band's classic material. Saxon, to their credit, often play a lot of newer material in their sets - but given the 40th anniversary nature of this show it was very much a greatest hits affair, with a few deeper cuts thrown in. It was also packed full of energy. There were no ballads or real slower numbers played, with the setlist instead packed full of fast-paced NWOBHM anthems. It was fitting, then, that Motorcycle Man kicked everything off - and it was clear that the band were really up for show. Byford sounded great despite his relatively recent health scares, and the rest of the band were also on fine form - with Nibbs Carter (bass guitar/vocals) in particular catching the eye with his endless shape-throwing and headbanging. Battering Ram, one of the few newer tracks included, was next, but it was an early rendition of Wheels of Steel that was possibly the evening's first true highlight. The song generally comes the near the end of a Saxon set, so playing it so early was a bit of a risk - but it really got everyone singing along. The crowd were in fine voice throughout, and there was even quite a lot of moshing going on down at the front near where I was stood. This clearly annoyed quite a few people, including me at times, but it was great to see a band like Saxon whipping up such a reaction. The fast-paced They Played Rock and Roll only fuelled the moshers, but the pace did slow down a little after this with the mid-paced anthems Strong Arm of the Law and Denim and Leather. The latter in particular was a real highlight thanks to Carter's strong bass presence and the muscular guitar riffing of both Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt. Byford even donned a denim jacket thrown to him from the crowd, and there was plenty more singing to be heard from everyone. It was also great to hear the band revisit a song from their self-titled debut album, with Backs to the Wall being wheeled out for a rare appearance. The band's debut album is seen as one of the weaker albums in their catalogue, but it has some strong moments - with Backs to the Wall being one of them. It went down well with the crowd, with the fast-paced nature of the track again encouraging the moshers.
The lights went down after Backs to the Wall and some synths filled the speakers - which heralded the arrival of a setlist centrepiece performance of The Eagle Has Landed. The slow riff is one of my favourite Saxon guitar moments, and it was one that saw much headbanging from the sold out crowd. It was also the song which, unsurprisingly, made the most use of the eagle prop. It moved from its position above to band to down in front of Nigel Glocker's drum kit - and it acted as a powerful backdrop as the band played through the brooding number. This was one of the night's only slower moments, but the overall heaviness was not lost - as the doomy riffing proved. Never Surrender upped the pace again, but a mid-set highlight came in the form of a medley of two deeper cuts from the 1990s. A mash-up of Dogs of War and Solid Ball of Rock worked well, with the latter being stretched out somewhat to include soloing and some banter from Byford. Despite the evening mainly being about the band's greatest hits, it was nice to hear a few deeper cuts included. I had not heard Dogs of War played live before, and the mid-paced stomper was a welcome addition to the set - as was Dallas 1pm which had not been played the night previously in Manchester. The band added it in at the last minute after fielding questions as to why it had been left out the night before, but the real highlight for me came next with And the Bands Played On. The band's ode to the old Monsters of Rock festivals has always been one of my favourite Saxon songs, and it is one that always goes down well live. It was no different at the Odeon, with its soaring guitar leads and relatively simple arrangement whipping up the crowd. By this point the end of the main set was approaching, and it was left to three fast songs to finish things up. Power and the Glory has never been one of my favourite Saxon songs, but the version played at the Odeon was extremely powerful. The twin guitar harmonies were tight as anything, and Glocker's fast-paced double bass drumming pushed everything along. Heavy Metal Thunder then brought the main set to a powerful close, and the moshers really enjoyed it. It has always been a great live song for Saxon, and it has become one of their main anthems over the years. Everyone was again singing along during the choruses, and the band received a huge cheer as they left the stage. It was not long before they came back, however, and they treated the crowd to a three-song encore filled with more favourites. The majestic Crusader kicked off this encore section, but it was 747 (Strangers in the Night) which I enjoyed the most. The song has always been a favourite Saxon cut of mine, and the version played at the Odeon was especially powerful - with the eagle prog 'flying' in a similar manner to the plane described in the song's lyrics. Quinn's fast-paced guitar intro then introduced the evening's final song, Princess of the Night, which was the perfect song to round out an evening of Saxon's greatest hits. It gave the capacity crowd one last chance to sing along with the band - and Byford and co. looked really happy as they took their bows. It was a triumphant celebration of the band's recent anniversary, and a show that all will remember for a long time. The setlist was:
Motorcycle Man
Battering Ram
Wheels of Steel
They Played Rock and Roll
Strong Arm of the Law
Denim and Leather
Thunderbolt
Backs to the Wall
The Eagles Has Landed
Never Surrender
Dogs of War/Solid Ball of Rock
Dallas 1pm
And the Bands Played On
To Hell and Back Again
Power and the Glory
Heavy Metal Thunder
-
Crusader
747 (Strangers in the Night)
Princess of the Night
Saxon always put on a great show, but this was something special from the 'show' side of things. I think that I have enjoyed the band's actual performance more at other shows, but as far as stagecraft and putting on a show goes, Saturday night at the Odeon wins hands down. Byford also announced on stage that the show was being recorded for a live album, so hopefully the recording is of a good enough quality to one day release - as it will certainly be a good 40th anniversary souvenir. Saxon are certainly not resting on their laurels, however, and have a new album, Carpe Diem, being released at the end of this week. They also recently released the dates for a November UK tour too, so all being well it will not be long before I see Saxon live again.
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