After a delay getting in due to a late soundcheck, sheltering from a storm in the car, it was time to head into the venue. A decent crowd gathered, but most people immediately headed for the seats, leaving only a handful on the floor. This would have created a strange atmosphere, but thankfully the latecomers tended to stand on the floor - so throughout the sole support act's set the floor did fill up somewhat. There was probably a couple of hundred in attendance at the crowd's peak, which is not bad really, but Bonnet's status should have really filled the room. Opening the night, then, and touring with Bonnet's band throughout the UK, were Scottish hard rockers Victory or Die - a band that have only been around for a couple of years. I was not expecting much really, but I ended up enjoying the band a bit more than I expected to - despite them being far from essential. They reminded me a bit of a cross between The Almighty and The Wildhearts if both Ricky Warwick and Ginger Wildheart were far less interesting songwriters - but there was a decent energy to the band's 45 minute set, alongside some strong choruses. They very much played pretty basic hard rock, which bordered on heavy metal at times, but there was a rollocking, good-time feel to much of it - and the band looked like they were having a lot of fun. Some decent riffs kept the set ticking along, whilst in the lead guitar department they were also pretty well stocked - with some fluid and fast-paced solos included, too. Despite this, though, there is not much to say about Victory or Die. They are still a new band finding their feet, but I would not say that anything they did really stood out. A handful of the songs felt pretty well-crafted, with good riffs and choruses, whilst others felt like songs I had heard hundreds of times before. I have seen so many bands like Victory or Die over the years opening for other bands - and none of them ever really stick in the brain. Not everyone can be a top-class act - but for the period of time the band were on stage I found myself enjoying myself, even if thinking back now I cannot really remember any of the hooks. They did not outstay their welcome, though, and the crowd certainly felt a bit more warmed up following the band's 45 minutes on stage.
Half an hour or so later the lights went down again and the five people that currently make up the Graham Bonnet Band took to the stage. Bonnet himself, due to an ankle which required surgery, was walking rather gingerly - but the opening riff to Assault Attack was soon reeled off by Conrado Pesinato (guitar/vocals) and the 90 minute set was underway. To get the elephant in the room out of the way first, Bonnet's voice really is gone at this point. At 77 this is no real surprise, particularly given his very unsubtle delivery, and I largely expected it. There were moments where the old power and tone shone through, but it is clear that he struggles quite a lot now - particularly with the older material. Given that I expected this to be the case, my expectations had been appropriately set, and I did not let it affect my enjoyment of what was still a fun night. Bonnet still clearly loves to perform and the musicians in his band are strong - even if at times the band seemed a little loose. The set opened with five of the songs from Assault Attack, with the title track and the poppy Dancer getting things underway. Pesinato and Beth-Ami Heavenstone (bass guitar/vocals) helped Bonnet out during the chorus, which did soar somewhat, and the crowd in general seemed to be having a good time. Perhaps the highlights of this initial MSG suite, though, were the epic Desert Song, which is one of MSG's finest hours despite some ropey lyrics, and the rarely-played Searching for a Reason. The latter in particular was a treat to hear live - with Pesinato's bouncy guitar lead driving everything and Bonnet giving it his all. Despite the set being a 90 minute affair - Bonnet was absent for a couple of chunks of it. Needing to rest his ankle, and likely his voice, too, a lengthy keyboard solo from Allessandro Bertoni followed the MSG suite. Like all stand-alone solos it started to outstay its welcome after a while - but Bertoni did keep things interesting by throwing in some piano parts from Pink Floyd's The Great Gig in the Sky and it all ended with the rest of the band joining in for a snippet of Deep Purple's Lazy. There was more MSG to come later on, but when Bonnet returned to the stage it was time for a change - with his solo hit single Night Games getting an airing, before two big Rainbow anthems in All Night Long and Since You Been Gone had everyone singing along. Bonnet sounded a bit better during the Rainbow material I think, as Down to Earth is a less heavy album compared to Assault Attack - and it also helped that the crowd sang along. Another rest followed, which this time was filled by a lengthy drum solo from Francis Cassol. As with the keyboard solo, it did go on a bit - but snippets of Alcatrazz's Jet to Jet and Rainbow's Stargazer helped to keep the crowd on side. The final three songs of the main set followed, with the only relatively newer number played being the powerful Into the Night from the first Graham Bonnet Band album, before the epic Samurai was the final MSG number played. Pesinato nailed all of the tricky guitar leads during the piece - and he was easily the star of the show, although Bertoni is also an excellent musician. Alcatrazz's Too Young to Die, Too Drunk to Live ended the main set on a relative high, too, but there was time for a couple more. Due to Bonnet's ankle the band barely left the stage - but Pesinato got the crowd going one last time, and two more Rainbow anthems rounded out the evening. The epic Eyes of the World saw Bonnet sounding quite powerful at times - whilst the fast-paced Lost in Hollywood was a pleasing closing number, with Cassol's pummelling drumming propelling the underrated anthem. The setlist was:
Assault Attack [Michael Schenker Group material]
Dancer [Michael Schenker Group material]
Rock You to the Ground [Michael Schenker Group material]
Desert Song [Michael Schenker Group material]
Searching for a Reason [Michael Schenker Group material]
Keyboard Solo
Night Games
All Night Long [Rainbow material]
Since You Been Gone [Russ Ballard cover]
Drum Solo
Into the Night
Samurai [Michael Schenker Group material]
Too Young to Die, Too Drunk to Live [Alcatrazz material]
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Eyes of the World [Rainbow material]
Lost in Hollywood [Rainbow material]
Bonnet's voice and some sloppy moments aside (the second verse of Rock You to the Ground was especially interesting) I had a good time with Bonnet and his band on Friday night. It was nice to go to a local rock show and hearing so many classic tracks in one set was a treat. The overall performance was fun and spirited rather than top-notch - but the crowd certainly seemed to enjoy themselves, and it is good to see Bonnet out there still doing it at 77.
