Squeeze - Plymouth Review

The great thing about having gig venues close to home, within walking distance even, is that it is possible to check out bands that you otherwise would not choose to go and see live. Travelling to concerts can be expensive if you do not keep an eye out for cheap hotels and transport options - plus the prices of tickets to the shows themselves are only going one way. I am lucky that I am able to travel to so many shows a year, but I am only able to do so due to various lifestyle decisions and being organised when it comes to booking hotel and train tickets. Despite the size of Plymouth as a city, it has never been a hotbed of live music - particularly during my lifetime. I can only imagine just how many gigs I would have got to had I lived in Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, or London for example - because Plymouth gigs are a rarity. The city's large venue, the Pavilions, has never had a particularly great reputation sound-wise. This has definitely improved over the years, but reputations tend to stick - plus it is a strange size which makes it too big for most bands and too small for the really big acts. The bands that it does tend to attract, too, rarely appeal to me. I did not go to the venue at all last year, with my last visit coming back in May 2022 when I saw Gary Numan put on an excellent display at the venue. That show was actually the third in a bit of a row at the time - as I went there twice towards the back end of 2021, too, to see Steve Hackett and Roger Taylor. Before that, though, it had likely been a few years since my last visit - and I do not think that there has been a genuine metal show at the Pavilions since Slayer back in 2015. Those last few shows prove my original point, though. At the time, I would not have travelled to see Hackett, Taylor, or Numan - but as I could walk to all three I took the risk. All three shows turned out to be great for different reasons - but I only took the risk as I did not have to pay for a hotel and train tickets. I can understand why bands do not tend to come down to Plymouth, but I certainly wish that more made the effort. If the city's main venue was better then I think that more would come down - but, as mentioned, the Pavilions has never been held in high regard in the industry. I walked down to the venue for the first time in over two years last night, though, as the British pop rock sensations Squeeze were in town as part of their lengthy 50th anniversary tour. Squeeze, again, are not a band that I would travel to see - but I was certainly up for a walk into town to catch them for the first time. I first started to pay attention to them after seeing Glenn Tilbrook (vocals/guitar) open for King King last year in Exeter - and I have since picked up a few of the band's albums. I am certainly no expert, but I am familiar with most of the band's hits. The ticket was pretty reasonably priced, too, I thought, particularly for a long-standing and well-liked band such as Squeeze - and given that most of the shows on this large tour seem to have sold out the pricing seems to have worked.

As the venue filled up, and it was pretty full by the time Squeeze hit the stage, the crowd were treated to a downbeat set from Manchester-based singer-songwriter Badly Drawn Boy. I knew nothing at all about him prior to last night, although I was familiar with the name, so I did not really know what to expect. Unfortunately, though, the set ended up being one of my least favourite types of support act in principle: a man with an acoustic guitar. In fairness he played electric guitar and piano at various points during his set, but the overall theme was the same. I tend to struggle with these sorts of artists as I just generally am not a fan of earnest songwriters with something to say - but I found Badly Drawn Boy's set a bit more engaging than it could have been. It helped that his songs were all so short, so that the vibe changed quite regularly, and it also helped that his between song banter was quite funny. That classic self-deprecating Northern humour was on full display throughout his time on stage and it did endear him to me somewhat - even if a lot of his songs were just not really for me. He did receive a pretty warm reception from the crowd, though, and his humour certainly hit home for a lot of people - so I did not find that the set dragged despite it not being my thing. It was nice to put a face to the Badly Drawn Boy name, too. I remember him getting quite a bit of press at one point, although that was quite a while ago now, so perhaps his star has somewhat fallen since then.

Squeeze were very different - with eight musicians on stage making a racket from the off. In the best part of an hour and 45 minutes the band rattled through a 23-song set with ease - which covered a good chunk of their 50 year career. Much of the set focused on their late 1970s/early 1980s classic period - but there were a few later tracks included, too, alongside some brand new material from an upcoming pair of albums. It was very much a greatest hits affair in principle, though, with rollocking anthems like Black Coffee in Bed and Footprints showcasing early on why the band troubled the charts so often in the past. Tilbrook was in fine voice, with his songwriting partner Chris Difford (vocals/guitar) also at his caustic best - whilst backing singer Danica Dora provided plenty of harmonies throughout which helped boost the band's overall vocal power. Tracks like Is That Love bordered on hard rock, but of course it was smoother classics like Up the Junction and In Quintessence which the crowd really lapped up. It was not all hits, though, as rawer new cut One Beautiful Summer proved - plus a fairly early rendition of the atmospheric Departure Lounge from 2017's The Knowledge showed a different side of the band, with lots of spacey playing from Stephen Large (keyboard/accordion/vocals) and a touch of finesse from Melvin Duffy (guitar/mandolin/lap steel/pedal steel/vocals). Whilst both Tilbrook and Difford took time to chat to the crowd, they largely kept it to a minimum and let the music do the talking. A few choice song introductions gave context, but the band have been at it long enough to know to keep the music flowing - with a one-two punch of the AOR-tinged Pulling Mussels (from the Shell) and the smooth Another Nail in My Heart getting the whole crowd on their feet for a brief period. Given that Squeeze's older albums do not always possess a lot of punch, I was surprised how hard they could rock at times. This was likely down the hard-hitting style of Simon Hanson (drums/vocals), but Tilbrook himself can riff away when he wants to - and the band mixed a number of different vibes all night. Squeeze have always been impossible to categorise and the song selection showed this - with the pop hooks of Annie Get Your Gun sitting side by side with 'new' cut Trixie's Hell on Earth, an unreleased early Squeeze effort which has been finished off for one of the upcoming new albums. As the set progressed, though, the surprises became fewer - and it was hit after hit. There was not a lot of audible singing from the crowd during the show, but the old single Tempted certainly prompted some - as did the Madness-esque Cool for Cats which Difford sung in his typical drawling manner. The atmosphere was still good throughout the show, though, and it was clear that everyone in attendance was having a good time. Being a rock and metal fan, though, I am always amused by crowds at shows by bands like Squeeze. They tend to look like they are dressed up to go to the theatre and never really seem to get into the show - but it was nice to a see a few people dancing and having a good time towards the end. It was hard not to with songs like Hourglass and a lengthy show-closing rendition of Take Me I'm Yours, though, the latter of which included various solos as Tilbrook went around and introduced everyone. Dispensing with the encore tradition, Take Me I'm Yours brought the curtain down on 50 years of music nicely - and the band took their bows to huge applause. The setlist was:

Black Coffee in Bed

Footprints

Is That Love

Up the Junction

One Beautiful Summer

Someone Else's Heart

In Quintessence

Departure Lounge

Some Fantastic Place

If I Didn't Love You

Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)

Another Nail in My Heart

Annie Get Your Gun

You Get the Feeling

Trixie's Hell on Earth

Goodbye Girl

Cradle to the Grave

Slap & Tickle

Tempted

Cool for Cats

Labelled with Love

Hourglass

Take Me I'm Yours/After Hours [The Velvet Underground cover]

Given that I am no Squeeze expert, I enjoyed my time with the band in Plymouth last night. I cannot imagine that I will ever be a die-hard fan, but they have a lot of classic tracks for a reason - and I will certainly look to pick up some more of their classic albums in due course. It is always good to see something a bit different, too, and they acted as a bit of a pallet cleanser following a number of hard rock and metal shows which I have taken in of late.

Kamelot - Wolverhampton Review

As is often the case around this time of year, I am currently in the midst of an extremely busy period of gig-going. Late autumn/early winter is generally jam-packed with tours and 2024 is no different - with October having been very busy and November is also rammed. It is going to be a very tiring few weeks for me, but travelling around the country and going to concerts is always worth it. This is especially the case when a real favourite band makes a relatively rare UK appearance - something which generally requires dropping all other plans and focusing on the latest tour announcement. The relevant band in this case is the American-based power metal act Kamelot - a band I still consider to be a true favourite. I might not listen to them as much as I once did, but they remain an important band overall for me - and they always deliver live. Sadly, though, a UK show is not always guaranteed when they tour in Europe. They have plenty of fans in Europe, but they do not always include a UK show whenever they tour. I can only imagine that fewer promoters are willing to take the risk than I would have thought or that the right venues are not always available - but it cannot be down to fan demand. Prior to last night's show, I had seen Kamelot live five times - and each show was packed out. They even played to a big crowd as the Friday night special guests at the 2018 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air - so there remains a lot of love for Kamelot here in the UK. Since I have followed the band, though, the UK has been missed off a few of their tours. The Haven touring cycle never came to the UK, sadly, and the original European run for last year's The Awakening also missed the UK. In contrast, though, the touring cycle for The Shadow Theory visited the UK on three separate occasions, including the aforementioned Bloodstock appearance, which meant that I managed to see the band three times between August 2018 and March 2019. Prior to last night, though, that March 2019 show in Birmingham was the last time I saw Kamelot live - as it was the last time that they came to the UK. Clearly the pandemic put a hold on touring activities for a while - and afterwards the band were focusing instead on their latest album. I was disappointed when last year's European tour did not include any UK shows, but I have learnt to be patient as they tend to do multiple legs for each album tour - so I was rewarded earlier in the year when they announced their latest European tour which included three UK shows. Whilst the band did play outside of London and festivals back in the day, in recent years they have tended to focus on London. This changed in 2019 with shows in Birmingham and Manchester - and they continued to experiment this year, too, with Wolverhampton and Manchester shows booked alongside London. The Wolverhampton show made the most sense when considering other plans - and I always enjoy a trip to the West Midlands and KK's Steel Mill. It was a long journey up from Devon, though, due to needing to catch an early train due to cancellations and then having to stand the whole way between Exeter and Wolverhampton. A lie down in the hotel was welcome, then, before I headed across town for the night.

It was a long night, too, as there were three support bands on the bill. The doors opened at 6pm, though, and the first band hit the stage at 6:30pm - with the changeovers between each act generally being quick. As such, there was not too much hanging around - and the three support bands were different enough to keep things interesting. Opening the night and on stage for around 30 minutes were the Italian power metal six-piece Frozen Crown - who were playing their first ever show in the UK. I had listened to a couple of their albums prior to the show, but I would certainly not consider myself as being familiar with their work. Despite this, though, their time on stage flew by - with the band putting on a great performance. Their take on power metal is of the very high-octane kind - so is defined by fast tempos, soaring vocals, and plentiful shredded guitar solos. I might not listen to this kind of power metal as much as I used to, but for 30 minutes it was great to be caught up in that sound. Frontwoman Giada Etro has a great voice, and she was generally well-heard above the rest of the band, whilst the three-guitar attack of bandleader Federico Mondelli, Fabiola Bellomo, and Alessia Lanzone proved to be a powerful force. Mondelli was generally leading the charge riff-wise, and did solo on occasion, but most of the solos were handled by Bellomo who incorporated a lot of tapping into her playing. The soloing throughout the band's set was intense, then, with Lanzone stepping away from her typical rhythm duties to double up some of the solos and leads at times. As such, there were notes flying left, right, and centre - all whilst the rhythm section galloped along and Etro delivered plenty of soaring vocal hooks. As is often the case with this type of power metal, though, after a while the songs did all roll into one - although the closing number did feel a bit crunchier with more of a mid-paced feel and some harsh vocals from Mondelli. I still think that I should check out some more of the band's work, though, and I would see them again if they came around. It seems that they are planning their own tour for next year, too, so I will have to keep an eye out for any UK dates.

Up next, and afforded slightly longer, were the Swiss four-piece Ad Infinitum. I was slightly more familiar with them, as I did spend some time with Chapter III - Downfall last year - but most of the band's set came from their newly-released album Abyss, which I am yet to hear, so I was not familiar with essentially the whole set. This did not matter, though, as the band put on an excellent performance - and were easily the best of the three support acts. Fronted by Melissa Bonny, who later pulled double duty with Kamelot, the band's mix of subtle symphonic metal with pop hooks and tech metal riffing helped to set them apart from the very traditional sounds of the other bands on the bill - and Ad Infinitum felt like a band trying to do something different. Bonny is a great singer, who can easily switch back and forth between clean and harsh vocals without breaking a sweat - and she was very much the band's focal point. She commanded the stage and sang really well - soaring above the band despite the overall heaviness of the songs. There were some very poppy moments in the set, with big synth arrangements, but these were relatively few - with much of the set driven by the dry riffing of guitarist Adrian Thessenvitz. His riffing style is very modern and his tech metal, angular patterns are very different from those generally heard in the symphonic and power metal genres. Despite this, though, all of the disparate sounds came together easily - and there were a number of strong choruses to latch onto, as well as a handful of big guitar solos. Ad Infinitum are not really a flashy band in that sense, so the occasional solo was welcome and impactful - with the grooves and the vocal hooks generally being what drove the songs. Bonny did not rely too much on her harsh vocals to create unnecessary heaviness, either. Like with the guitar solos, their sparse inclusion made them all the more powerful - and her clean vocals are so easy on the ear it would be unwise to limit them just to include more screams. There was enough heaviness created by the riffing in any case - and the contrast between the pop hooks and the grinding riffs were generally what made the band interesting. Given how much I enjoyed the band's set, I will need to pick up Abyss soon - and Ad Infinitum are certainly another band I would check out if they came around on their own in the near future.

Sadly, the evening's third and final support act never really got out of the starting gate. Before the Dutch gothic metal six-piece Blackbriar took to the stage, drummer René Boxem came out and announced to the crowd that the whole band were ill - and that frontwoman Zora Cock was suffering particularly badly. Boxem said that they wanted to try and play their set, but they would be dictated by what Cock could actually handle - so they may not get through the whole thing. As it turned out, they made it through three songs before calling it a day. Cock actually sounded pretty good despite the illness, but her body language conveyed that she was really struggling - and she pulled out of a few notes as she clearly felt that she was not going to hit them. It was a hard watch, but clearly she and the band wanted to try and perform - particularly as, like Frozen Crown, it was their first show in the UK. There were quite a few Blackbriar shirts in the crowd, too, so clearly they already have their fans here - but I was not familiar with them prior to the show. From the three songs I heard, though, they seem like a band worth exploring. Their sound is very rooted in that late 1990s/early 2000s Dutch gothic/symphonic rock scene - albeit without the harsh vocals which tended to be prevalent at the time. The songs were mid-paced and doomy with a lot of keyboards and mournful guitar leads - with Cock's voice being of that siren-like quality which was big at the time. The first Within Temptation and After Forever albums are certainly easy comparisons to make - but I likely did not hear enough of their stuff to fully judge. I will need to give their albums a listen at some point, even if out of solidarity, as it is never nice to see a band struggle and have to admit defeat. It was clear after the third song, though, that Cock could not go on - so the band bowed out gracefully to a warm reception.

As Blackbriar had finished earlier than planned, there was a bit of a wait before Kamelot took to the stage. They did end up coming on about 15 minutes earlier than they were originally going to - but there was still around 45 minutes to wait which was a bit tedious. By the time the lights went down, then, the good-sized crowd was more than up for the show - and the atmosphere was pretty electric from the off. Kicking off with the up-tempo Veil of Elysium worked well in this regard, too. The melodic power metal track certainly got the crowd on-side right away - and the big chorus was the first of many sung back at frontman Tommy Karevik throughout the night. Four songs from the latest album were included in the set - with nine of the songs overall coming from the Karevik era and six coming from the Roy Khan era. My only criticism of Kamelot live in recent years has been their reliance on the same handful of tracks from the Khan era - and, true to form, Rule the World came next. I like the song, but I feel it is due a rest. I understand why Forever and March of Mephisto continue to be played at every show - but the other old regulars could all be rested in my opinion in place of deeper cuts from that era, or even more newer tunes. There are so many older tracks I would love to hear Karevik tackle but instead the band continue to roll When the Lights Are Down out night after night. This is not a huge issue, but it is something I have highlighted before so it only seemed fair to highlight it again - but when the epic Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem) rolled around I was happy. The track is one of my favourite cuts from the latest album and it came alive on stage - with Bonny coming out to deliver some of the operatic backing vocals. She joined the band on a number of songs to fill the shoes of various guest singers over the years - and she worked well with Karevik whenever they were singing together. Early on in the set there was a fast-paced feel, with anthems coming thick and fast. Insomnia is a real Kamelot classic now and it always goes down well live, but a real treat was a rendition of the waltzing Vespertine (My Crimson Bride) - which I had only seen the band do live once previously. Karevik was in great voice, on his birthday no less, and the rest of the band sounded great, too. Thomas Youngblood (guitar/vocals) delivered a number of shredded solos throughout the night - and his riffing in the anthemic new cut New Babylon and the old favourite Karma showed what sets Kamelot apart from the rest of the power metal pack. Another overall highlight for me was a barnstorming rendition of Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife) - with Bonny delivering the harsh vocal-led mid-section with ease. The latest album was revisited again for the gorgeous ballad Willow, a song which has slowly climbed up in my estimations in recent times, before there was a treat for old-school fans in The Human Stain which I had not seen the band do for about ten years. The set was really racing by at this point, too, and there was not much of it left. A drum solo from Alex Landenburg led into a barnstorming March of Mephisto - after which Oliver Palotai (keyboards) stole the spotlight for a classical piano solo which led into a set-closing rendition of Forever, which was dragged out with lots of crowd interaction and a birthday cake being brought out for Karevik. It brought the main set to a bombastic close - but after some cheering the band came back out for more. One last new track in One More Flag in the Ground acted as a big sing-a-long, before the heavier Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy) brought just over 90 minutes of music to a powerful close - with Bonny once again singing alongside Karevik. The setlist was:

Veil of Elysium

Rule the World

Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)

Insomnia

When the Lights Are Down

Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)

New Babylon

Karma

Manus Dei

Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)

Willow

The Human Stain

Drum solo

March of Mephisto

Keyboard solo

Forever/We Will Rock You [Queen cover]

-

One More Flag in the Ground

Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)

Continuum

Overall, and despite my qualms with the setlist (I also have a similar issue with Arch Enemy - so this is not a Kamelot-exclusive issue), I had an excellent time with Kamelot in Wolverhampton last night. They always deliver a high-energy set and it is also great that they tend to be forward-looking and focus on playing songs released more recently. All three of the support bands were enjoyable, too, and it was great to see the show pull a pretty healthy crowd outside of London. KK's Steel Mill can hold more, but it can curtain bits of the space off when it needs to - and there were a good few hundred in attendance who made plenty of noise throughout. I will always go and see Kamelot so long as they keep coming back - and they remain a real favourite and an important band in my musical history.