Tyketto/FM/Dare - Wolverhampton Review

Towards the end of 2019 I made my first trip to Wolverhampton for a few years, and made my first visit to the excellent KK's Steel Mill - a newish venue towards the south of the city centre which has become a regular stop for many mid-sized rock and metal bands. With the extended closure of the Civic and Wulfrun Halls due to refurbishment, Wolverhampton had become a bit of a gigging wasteland. The Civic Hall complex is scheduled to re-open shortly, many years later than expected and following a ballooning budget, but they (particularly the smaller Wulfrun Hall) will now have to compete with the Steel Mill - and I would not be surprised if the latter reigned supreme. Wolverhampton has become a semi-regular destination for me again, then, and I was in the Black Country city as recently as a couple of months ago when I caught W.A.S.P. on their recent European tour. That show was sold out and the atmosphere was excellent - but I was also inside the cavernous former industrial building this past Friday night. The 2019 show which I mentioned was a triple-bill, featuring Gun, FM, and the Dan Reed Network - all celebrating the 30th anniversaries of albums they released in 1989. It was an excellent night, with all three bands impressing a large crowd. Whilst each band only played for just over an hour, there was so little waiting around and the quality of the three bands made the evening feel like a mini-festival. In some ways, I am surprised that not more tours like that happen - especially with bands of the size of those referenced. It gets the bands into bigger halls than they would likely play on their own and gives the fans real value for money - especially if the bill is well put together so that there is likely to be quite a bit of fan crossover. I was pleased, then, when it was announced late last year that another such tour, also involving FM, was going to take place. Joining the UK-based AOR band this time, though, were the American melodic rockers Tyketto and the UK's own Dare. Whilst there was no 'occasion' to celebrate this time, the tour promised to be an exciting one - with a healthy number of UK dates announced. After deciding on the Wolverhampton show, although there were a few potential options, I snapped up a ticket as soon as they went on sale. Despite seeing Dare three times last year and the fact that FM are one of my most-seen acts, my overall enthusiasm for the tour was not at all dampened. FM are a band that I will take any opportunity to see, as I have not seen them put on a bad show, and Dare have become real favourites of late. I am also a big Tyketto fan, but I have not had anywhere near as many opportunities to see them live - having last seen them in early 2019. With three great bands on the bill, then, it was with excitement that I headed up to Wolverhampton this past Friday. After a quick bite to eat at Wetherspoons and a brief rest in the Premier Inn, I headed down to the venue for the 6:30pm doors. Given how well-attended the similar 2019 show had been, I expected another good turnout. At first the crowd looked a little thin on the ground - but by the time the first band hit the stage at 7:00pm the venue looked busy.

As is common on these sorts of tours, the bands swapped places each night - and played for an hour each. Dare had the honour of opening the Wolverhampton show, and played an 11-song set which was essentially a condensed version of last year's UK tour setlist. As such, newer material made up the first half of the set, before the band then dipped back into their classic releases towards the end. They took the stage to the sound of thunder and rain, with Vinny Burns (guitar/vocals) soon launching into a soaring guitar lead - which heralded the arrival of Born in the Storm. The track is likely my favourite Dare cut for some time, and it works well as an opener. The sound mix, which was great for all three bands, perfectly balanced the riffing of Burns with the atmospherics provided by Marc Roberts (keyboards/vocals) - whilst frontman Darren Wharton's voice was high in the mix, allowing him to power through the material. Born in the Storm's chorus was the first big hook of the night, and it really set the tone for what was to come. Down the near front everyone sang along, and the atmosphere just grew and grew. The more atmospheric Cradle to the Grave and Home then showcased the beauty of Wharton's more modern songwriting style - before Burns then toughened things up for the slightly crunchier Until. Until still included some of the band's Celtic influences, though, with Burns revelling in the folky guitar leads - whilst Wharton belted out the chorus with all of his sultry power. It was left to the title track of last year's excellent Road to Eden to then close out the modern portion of the set. Written during the pandemic, the song signals the end of lockdown - and the powerful chorus washed over the venue, setting the crowd up for the rocking that was to follow. The remaining six songs all came from the band's first two albums. Two songs from 1991's Blood from Stone kicked this section off, which was made more special owing to the fact that Blood from Stone-era drummer Greg Morgan was playing with the band again for this tour - due to regular drummer Kev Whitehead being on Barclay James Harvest duty. Wings of Fire proved to be a big sing-a-long, with Burns' shredded guitar solo impressing, before Wharton showed that working with Phil Lynott in Thin Lizzy rubbed off on him with the rollocking Celtic metal of We Don't Need a Reason - with the shout-along chorus getting everyone going. Four songs from 1988's Out of the Silence then rounded out an excellent set, with singles Abandon and Into the Fire showcasing both Wharton's hooks and Roberts' driving synths, before a couple more expansive pieces brought the set to a close. King of Spades is always a highlight of any Dare set, especially with Burns' Thin Lizzy tribute which gets thrown in these days, and the joyous Return the Heart brought the curtain down with its uplifting melodies. With two bands to go, the crowd had already gotten their money's worth - but the night was only just getting started. The setlist was:

Born in the Storm

Cradle to the Grave

Home

Until

Road to Eden

Wings of Fire

We Don't Need a Reason

Abandon

Into the Fire

King of Spades/Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend [Thin Lizzy cover]

Return the Heart

FM were up next, and the UK-based melodic rock band did not stand on ceremony. With Dare's set building in intensity as it moved along - FM came roaring out of the blocks from the off, opening with the synth-laden and soaring Synchronized from the 2020 album of the same name. Whilst most of FM's set focused on older favourites, a few newer tracks were thrown in too - as well as one surprising deep cut. FM always shine no matter what they play, and in Steve Overland (vocals/guitar) the band have a frontman who has lost none of his voice. His vocal power always impresses, but the whole band are a well-oiled machine at this point. Jem Davis (keyboards/vocals) powered through the mix, his synths sparkling during the opening cut and drove following oldie I Belong to the Night, whilst long-time guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick often owned the stage with his soloing - evening if he had to go and get his shoe taped up at one point! Given the shorter set, the band largely focused on their hits, but I do not think that anyone was complaining. That said, though, even the newer cuts played were sung loudly by the crowd. Killed by Love has become a real favourite over the past few years, so it was welcomed with open arms, before the stadium rock of Someday pushed Overland's voice to the limit. He often jokes how hard the song is for him to sing, but he always nails it - and despite it never being one of my personal favourites it sounded huge as always. Davis was then showcased again with the snaking keyboard melodies of Let Love Be the Leader, with yet another big chorus for the crowd to shout back at Overland, before the set took a slight detour into slower territory with the ballad Everytime I Think of You. This is not a song which has been played too often by the band in recent years, so it was good to hear it live again, before the set's real surprise package in Tattoo Needle was wheeled out. I had never seen the band play anything from 1995's Dead Man's Shoes before - but Tattoo Needle is one of my favourite cuts on what is otherwise quite a patchy album. The smooth AOR track felt at home in the set, though, and provided a nice treat for long-time fans - before the band returned to hit territory. The next trio of songs hit the crowd with hook after hook, with That Girl, Bad Luck, and Tough It Out all coming thick and fast. The band really felt triumphant by this point, with Bad Luck in particular filling the venue - before Tough It Out's gang vocals roared through the speakers. I am sure that the crowd would have liked to have heard more, as was likely the case relating to all three bands, but by this point time for FM was running out. They had time for one more track, and they left it to one of their newest songs Turn This Car Around to closing things. It is one of the stand-out cuts from last year's strong Thirteen album, and the smoothness of the song feels like a throwback to the band's classic years - making it the perfect closing cut thanks to its big chorus and driving grooves. Like Dare's set before them, FM's Wolverhampton showing was a real success - and it was just the latest in a long line of excellent FM shows that I have seen over the past decade or so. The setlist was:

Synchronized

I Belong to the Night

Killed by Love

Someday

Let Love Be the Leader

Everytime I Think of You [Eric Martin cover]

Tattoo Needle

That Girl

Bad Luck

Tough It Out

Turn This Car Around

Despite having seen Tyketto far fewer times than either Dare or FM, I am no less a fan of the American melodic rockers. I was supposed to see them last year, but the tour ended up being cancelled, so I was pleased to have another opportunity so soon. It was my fourth time seeing Tyketto, and Wolverhampton was actually where I first saw them live back in 2014. Recently the band have undergone quite a significant line-up change, with founding drummer Michael Clayton and their guitarist for the last decade or so Chris Green both leaving. As such, this tour is the first outing for the new-look Tyketto, with frontman Danny Vaughn now the only original member left. Despite this, though, it is clear that the Tyketto legacy is in safe hands - as the new line-up rocked. Vaughn's former Waysted bandmate Johnny Dee (drums/percussion/vocals), who also played in Britny Fox and has been drumming for Doro for around 30 years, and Kane'd guitarist Harry Scott Elliott have already slotted into the band perfectly - and the 11-song set was, again, a real triumph. This was despite a bit of a strange start where Elliott's guitar did not work for the first 30 seconds or so of opening number Reach, but the issue was soon fixed and the band powered through a set which essentially focused on the band's first two albums. Reach was the only newer track played, but it got the set off to a fine start, before Wings allowed Elliott to show off his skills with some knotty leads and solos - before the bombastic and stadium-ready Burning Down Inside showed what long-time keyboardist Ged Rylands brings to the band. His keyboards were high in the mix, and he sang his heart out throughout - perfectly harmonising with Vaughn when needed. Vaughn is another singer, like Overland (and, in truth, Wharton), who has lost none of his power - and he strutted around the stage oozing rock star charisma from the off, strapping on an acoustic guitar when needed. A couple of heavier, bluesier tracks in Strength in Numbers and the cheeky Lay Your Body Down then allowed the band to really rock out, with the latter being stretched out to include lengthy solos from both Elliott and Thunder's Chris Childs (bass guitar/vocals) - who has returned to the band after a few years away for this tour. The set's surprise factor was the inclusion of the old Waysted hit Heaven Tonight, played due to Vaughn and Dee reuniting, which fit seamlessly into the set, but everything that followed was very much expected. The acrobatic Rescue Me saw Vaughn getting his chops effortlessly around the slightly off-kilter, but huge, chorus - before the band's big ballad Standing Alone washed a wave emotion over the crowd, and Elliott really nailed the soaring solo. It was the first of a few more organic-sounding pieces, with the acoustic-led Sail Away then impressing. Dee then stepped out from behind his drums for the short, country-esque The Last Sunset, which Vaughn led with his acoustic guitar, and the song acted as a bit of a campfire sing-a-long before the band rocked things up one last time with a barnstorming closing rendition of Forever Young. The band's hit brought the set, and indeed the whole evening, to a powerful close - with everyone around me singing along and cheering loudly as the lights came up and the band took their bows. The setlist was:

Reach

Wings

Burning Down Inside

Strength in Numbers

Lay Your Body Down

Heaven Tonight [Waysted cover]

Rescue Me

Standing Alone

Sail Away

The Last Sunset

Forever Young

I have been to many gigs already this year, all of which have been great, but there was something special about this past Friday night. It is easy to be biased when you have seen two of the three bands many times, and the other one is also a big favourite, but they still have to deliver - and all three bands really knocked it out of the park. These are the sort of tours where all the bands push each other and the performances really shine as a result, and the big Wolverhampton crowd certainly had a great time during the evening. I am sure that I will be seeing all of the bands again over the coming years, and I look forward to when those opportunities arise. I came away from the show with a shiny new Tyketto shirt too, to replace an old one I recently retired - a great memento of an excellent night.