Despite Bilston, which is a relatively anonymous West Midlands town on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, being somewhat of a Mecca for the grassroots rock and prog scenes in the UK it has never been a regular gigging haunt of mine. For a non-driver it is not the easiest of places to access (it requires a slow tram ride from either Birmingham or Wolverhampton) and usually there is an easier option when it comes to choosing which show of a tour to attend. Every so often however, a trip to the excellent Robin 2 venue in Bilston is required - and what a better reason to do so than to spend another evening in the excellent company of Mostly Autumn. The Bilston date was announced before the rest of their UK shows, and I knew many of the shows would be scheduled in earlier due to frontwoman Olivia Sparnenn-Josh's pregnancy. May was already shaping up to be a busy month, so I booked to see the band in Bilston in case their yearly trip down to the Tavistock clashed with other plans. As it turns out, the dates worked out perfectly but I will never turn down a chance to see York's finest! The venue also runs a B 'n' B in part of the building too, so it made the trip easier with literally a 30 second walk from the venue to my bedroom after the music finished. While Bilston will never be a regular gig destination for me, it is always nice to go back there every so often. The venue has a loyal following, and the turnouts for shows there are always strong. While not as full as I have seen it in the past there for Mostly Autumn, there was still a strong crowd on a Sunday night which was full of many of the Mostly Autumn regulars - which always makes for a relaxed atmosphere.
Unusually for a Mostly Autumn show there was a support act, and this came in the form of fellow York resident Marc Atkinson. Mostly Autumn and Atkinson have a long history together, and Atkinson has contributed backing vocals to many of the band's album over the years. Atkinson was even in bands with many of the Mostly Autumn alumni long before Mostly Autumn was established in the late 1990s. His performance was just him with his acoustic guitar, and he sang half an hour's worth of pleasant acoustic numbers. Most of the songs came from his most recent solo album, but a couple of numbers from his Riversea project were thrown in. He has a lovely voice, and seeing him live after hearing his name many times over the years made me realise I need to pay more attention to what he is up to. Acoustic acts are not really my thing, but the Riversea album is one I have been meaning to get for a long time and hearing a couple of the songs in this stripped-back form reminded me that it is something I need to investigate. He ended his set with a nice cover of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb which went down well and he received a healthy round of applause as he walked off the stage.
Having only seen Mostly Autumn live less than a month ago, there were no setlist surprises, but with a new set introduced this year to support the new album Sight of Day this was not a problem. The show in Bilston was slightly shorter than the one in Tavistock (although still long by most band's standards at two and a quarter hours) and the band played straight through without the mid-set break. Regular drummer Alex Cromarty was also back in the line-up this time around, having sat out the three Southern shows in May due to prior commitments. As always with Mostly Autumn shows, this was a powerful musical experience full of light and shade - and one I will never tire of. As has become customary over the past couple of years, Angela Gordon (flute/keyboards/vocals) and Chris Johnson (vocals/guitar) get things underway with the instrumental piece Out of the Inn, which builds from a jaunty flute-based piece into a full-on hard rock workout led by founder Bryan Josh's (vocals/guitar) guitar solo as the rest of the band take the stage. This was followed by the gothic rock of In for the Bite from Josh's recent solo album and, as always, provides Sparnenn-Josh wish a dramatic entrance with a soaring vocal display. The set was rejigged somewhat, presumably to ensure the now-heavily pregnant Sparnenn-Josh plenty of chances to rest throughout the night, but the flow was still good. The classic Evergreen came early in the set, which was followed by the dynamic Wild Eyed Skies. Led by Iain Jennings' (keyboards) piano melodies, this song has really re-established itself as a live favourite over the past year or so and shows off the band's heavier side in places. The bluesy prog of The Last Climb gave Sparnenn-Josh a rest, with Gordon singing the harmony vocals at the front of the stage and really wowing the crowd with a lengthy and gorgeous flute solo, before Josh did his best David Gilmour impersonation during his excellent guitar solo. Newer songs came in the second half of the show, with Tomorrow Dies really getting kicking things into high gear again with one of Sparnenn-Josh's best ever vocal displays and the ending guitar harmonies from Josh and Johnson. This song is destined to become a live favourite for a while I think, and the slightly dancy vibe sets it apart from the rest of the band's songs.
Only the Brave is the new Deep in Borrowdale I think, and it really came alive on stage. Gordon's flute was often buried in the mix at the Tavistock show, but it was more prominent here which made the folky instrumental section enjoyable. A highlight of any Mostly Autumn gig however is Mother Nature, which has really established itself again in the set over the past year or so, and this was no different. It really is the ultimate Mostly Autumn song and contains everything that makes the band so great. The gorgeous opening third with Josh and Sparnenn-Josh's vocal harmonies is always spine-tingling, the atmospheric mid-section led by Jennings' keyboard solo always puts the crowd in a dreamlike state, and that piece is shattered by the hard rocking ending led by Josh's guitar work and Cromarty's frantic drumming. The current live version includes a bass solo from Andy Smith at the end which is excellent, and came after some technical issues he was having early in the set which caused a few songs to be rearranged to allow him chance to fix them! Johnson had a chance to shine towards the end, with two of his songs played back to back. Silver Glass is a favourite of many of the band's fans, and his new classic Changing Lives really becoming a true favourite of mine. His singing and songwriting adds so much to Mostly Autumn so I am really pleased he has become part of the band again in recent years. Changing Lives was probably the highlight of the whole show for me, and the cleaner sound mix in Bilston really allowed all the subtleties to shine through. Skin on Skin, not played in Tavistock due to Cromarty's absence, was re-introduced with his customary explosive drum solo; before Sparnenn-Josh's signature song Questioning Eyes and the gorgeous power ballad Tonight rounded off the set perfectly. An encore of course followed, and another new one Raindown really impressed this time with gorgeous harmony vocals from the two ladies in the band, and plenty of flutework from Gordon, including a lengthy intro. Heroes Never Die brought the evening to a powerful and emotional end as it always does, and the band took their bows to big cheers from the good-sized Bilston crowd. The setlist was:
Out of the Inn
In for the Bite [Bryan Josh solo material]
Drops of the Sun
Evergreen
Wild Eyed Skies
The Last Climb
Tomorrow Dies
Only the Brave
The Man Without a Name
Mother Nature
Silhouettes of Stolen Ghosts
Silver Glass
Changing Lives
Skin on Skin
Questioning Eyes [Breathing Space cover]
Tonight
-
Raindown
Heroes Never Die
Overall this was another fantastic show from Mostly Autumn. The band never disappoint live, and this show in Bilston was no different. The new material in the set is already starting to become welcomed like old friends, which is always a good sign of the quality of a band's new album. I still hope to the Sight of Day title track live one day, but the band really are on top form at the moment so get to a show if you can!
Tuesday, 6 June 2017
Monday, 5 June 2017
Elton John - Twickenham Review
Despite the fact that hard rock and heavy metal are my main musical loves, I am also a big fan of the legendary singer-songwriter Sir Elton John. While it could be argued that he was a part of the glam rock movement of the early 1970s, John has always been more associated with the pop world throughout his career. That being said however, he (along with long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin) has written some of the most well-known and best songs of all time. I had always been interested to see him live, but had never really made the commitment to do so. I am not sure what made me decide to finally take the plunge this time, but an outdoor show in Twickenham on a Saturday just seemed an opportunity that was too good to miss. The venue was to be Twickenham Stoop Stadium, the home of Harlequins RFC, which sits in the shadow of the much larger Twickenham Stadium which is the home of English Rugby. Twickenham Stoop was the perfect sized venue for a show from someone of John's stature however, and there were certainly a lot of people filling the stands and the pitch. I am not very good at judging numbers, but there were easily between 15,000 and 20,000 people there and the event was totally sold out. It is good to sometimes go to something that is outside of your comfort zone, and it is safe to say I was definitely the odd one out in the stadium with my Eden's Curse t-shirt and cuban heels! Most of the crowd were dressed as if they were going to an evening at the theatre, which was certainly different to what I am used to! Being an outdoor event, it was important that the weather was good. Luckily, apart from a shower during one song of John's set, the sun shone and was the perfect conditions for a stadium show. I was in one of the stands however so thankfully was not effected by the short rain shower!
Before John's set, the gathering crowd were treated to a short set by pop/soul artist Jake Isaac who started slowly but seemed to gather momentum as he went along. The support act at an Elton John concert is unlikely to be to my taste, and I cannot say that I really took to Isaac at all. This is not meant as a slight, as I am really not his audience, and there were large portions of the crowd that seemed to enjoy what he was doing - especially those down the front. A muddy sound did not really help, and I felt that some of the songs relied too heavily on backing tapes for piano parts. A lady in his band played piano on some of the songs, and played some rather unnecessary rhythm guitar on others which was the reason for the backing tapes. Some of the vocal melodies were quite strong, but I felt Isaac's overall sound was hollow with a very minimalist band. In fairness, I cannot really judge his music objectively as it just is not my thing so I will leave it at that.
At the early time of 7pm, John's band trouped onto the stage with little fanfare and immediately roared into a hard-rocking rendition of The Bitch is Back as the man himself took to the stage in a bright white suit and red shirt combo. While the sound was quite muddy for the first couple of numbers, this was soon straightened out and what followed was just over two hours of hits, newer songs, and a few deep cuts from his expansive back catalogue. Despite recently fighting off a debilitating illness, John was the perfect showman and regularly left his piano to greet the fans at the front of the stage, take bows, and talk to the crowd between numbers. Bennie and the Jets and I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues followed which made for a perfect trio of classics to open the show with. Many of John's band have been with him for a long time, and both Davey Johnstone (guitar/vocals) and Nigel Olsson (drums/vocals) played on many of the original versions of the songs featured in the set. A high-energy take on Take Me to the Pilot was the first of the lesser-known songs played; and a couple of newer numbers from his most recent album Wonderful Crazy Night were played soon after. The highlight here was the beautiful ballad A Good Heart which really suits John's slightly lower voice these days. The overall highlights of the early part of the show however were a couple of numbers from the Madman Across the Water album. The all-time classic Tiny Dancer, which saw a lot of singing from the crowd, was followed by an extended version of Levon which the band really ran with and rocked out on. John had an extended piano solo, and Johnstone let rip with a flurry of rock riffs and flowing leads. It was a shame to note however that the crowd seemed really disinterested in any of the songs played that were not the 'big hits'. You could see streams of people heading to the bars/toilets during Levon and it does make you realise why so many superstars are so conservative with their setlist choices. It also makes me wonder why some people bother going to concerts, as with all those trips to the bar you will probably miss a good chunk of the set! Rocket Man (I Think it's Going to be a Long, Long Time) unsurprisingly got everyone back on side before a beautiful rendition of I Want Love, that was dedicated to the victims of the Manchester bombing, also saw a big crowd reaction. A couple of rockier pieces, although the rather twee Your Song was sandwiched in between, followed. The bluesy Have Mercy on the Criminal was great to hear, as this was a song I was not familiar with; before Burn Down the Mission really cranked up the heat on stage. It was classics from then on and they kept coming! Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me was dedicated to the late George Michael, before four upbeat numbers brought the set to a close. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, with Johnstone's powerful opening riff, was the best of the bunch and again it was extended to feature lots of action from the band. While Johnstone and Olsson have been playing with John for years, newer faces Kim Bullard (keyboards), Matt Bissonette (bass guitar/vocals), and John Mahon (percussion/vocals) played excellently too and the six men on stage really whipped up a storm during the performance. There was time for one more however and John came back out to his piano and played a beautiful version of one of my all-time favourite songs Candle in the Wind. I thought he was going to do a solo version of it at first, but the band joined in towards the end and brought a fine two hours of live music to a classy close. The setlist was:
The Bitch is Back
Bennie and the Jets
I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
Take Me to the Pilot
Daniel
Looking Up
A Good Heart
Philadelphia Freedom
Tiny Dancer
Levon
Rocket Man (I Think it's Going to be a Long, Long Time)
I Want Love
Have Mercy on the Criminal
Your Song
Burn Down the Mission
Sad Songs (Say So Much)
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
I'm Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
Your Sister Can't Twist (But She can Rock 'n Roll)
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
-
Candle in the Wind
Overall this was a fantastic evening of live music from one of the greatest songwriters of all time. It was all over by 9pm, which was very strange for a concert, but the crowd were still treated to over two hours of hits from Sir Elton John who most certainly can still deliver in spades when it comes to playing live.
Before John's set, the gathering crowd were treated to a short set by pop/soul artist Jake Isaac who started slowly but seemed to gather momentum as he went along. The support act at an Elton John concert is unlikely to be to my taste, and I cannot say that I really took to Isaac at all. This is not meant as a slight, as I am really not his audience, and there were large portions of the crowd that seemed to enjoy what he was doing - especially those down the front. A muddy sound did not really help, and I felt that some of the songs relied too heavily on backing tapes for piano parts. A lady in his band played piano on some of the songs, and played some rather unnecessary rhythm guitar on others which was the reason for the backing tapes. Some of the vocal melodies were quite strong, but I felt Isaac's overall sound was hollow with a very minimalist band. In fairness, I cannot really judge his music objectively as it just is not my thing so I will leave it at that.
At the early time of 7pm, John's band trouped onto the stage with little fanfare and immediately roared into a hard-rocking rendition of The Bitch is Back as the man himself took to the stage in a bright white suit and red shirt combo. While the sound was quite muddy for the first couple of numbers, this was soon straightened out and what followed was just over two hours of hits, newer songs, and a few deep cuts from his expansive back catalogue. Despite recently fighting off a debilitating illness, John was the perfect showman and regularly left his piano to greet the fans at the front of the stage, take bows, and talk to the crowd between numbers. Bennie and the Jets and I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues followed which made for a perfect trio of classics to open the show with. Many of John's band have been with him for a long time, and both Davey Johnstone (guitar/vocals) and Nigel Olsson (drums/vocals) played on many of the original versions of the songs featured in the set. A high-energy take on Take Me to the Pilot was the first of the lesser-known songs played; and a couple of newer numbers from his most recent album Wonderful Crazy Night were played soon after. The highlight here was the beautiful ballad A Good Heart which really suits John's slightly lower voice these days. The overall highlights of the early part of the show however were a couple of numbers from the Madman Across the Water album. The all-time classic Tiny Dancer, which saw a lot of singing from the crowd, was followed by an extended version of Levon which the band really ran with and rocked out on. John had an extended piano solo, and Johnstone let rip with a flurry of rock riffs and flowing leads. It was a shame to note however that the crowd seemed really disinterested in any of the songs played that were not the 'big hits'. You could see streams of people heading to the bars/toilets during Levon and it does make you realise why so many superstars are so conservative with their setlist choices. It also makes me wonder why some people bother going to concerts, as with all those trips to the bar you will probably miss a good chunk of the set! Rocket Man (I Think it's Going to be a Long, Long Time) unsurprisingly got everyone back on side before a beautiful rendition of I Want Love, that was dedicated to the victims of the Manchester bombing, also saw a big crowd reaction. A couple of rockier pieces, although the rather twee Your Song was sandwiched in between, followed. The bluesy Have Mercy on the Criminal was great to hear, as this was a song I was not familiar with; before Burn Down the Mission really cranked up the heat on stage. It was classics from then on and they kept coming! Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me was dedicated to the late George Michael, before four upbeat numbers brought the set to a close. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, with Johnstone's powerful opening riff, was the best of the bunch and again it was extended to feature lots of action from the band. While Johnstone and Olsson have been playing with John for years, newer faces Kim Bullard (keyboards), Matt Bissonette (bass guitar/vocals), and John Mahon (percussion/vocals) played excellently too and the six men on stage really whipped up a storm during the performance. There was time for one more however and John came back out to his piano and played a beautiful version of one of my all-time favourite songs Candle in the Wind. I thought he was going to do a solo version of it at first, but the band joined in towards the end and brought a fine two hours of live music to a classy close. The setlist was:
The Bitch is Back
Bennie and the Jets
I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
Take Me to the Pilot
Daniel
Looking Up
A Good Heart
Philadelphia Freedom
Tiny Dancer
Levon
Rocket Man (I Think it's Going to be a Long, Long Time)
I Want Love
Have Mercy on the Criminal
Your Song
Burn Down the Mission
Sad Songs (Say So Much)
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
I'm Still Standing
Crocodile Rock
Your Sister Can't Twist (But She can Rock 'n Roll)
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
-
Candle in the Wind
Overall this was a fantastic evening of live music from one of the greatest songwriters of all time. It was all over by 9pm, which was very strange for a concert, but the crowd were still treated to over two hours of hits from Sir Elton John who most certainly can still deliver in spades when it comes to playing live.
Thursday, 1 June 2017
Inglorious' 'Inglorious II' - Album Review
Inglorious burst onto the scene last year with their self-titled debut album (which I reviewed here), and have been making a name for themselves ever since. After a spate of young new British hard rock and metal bands bursting onto the scene towards the end of the 2000s (Heaven's Basement, Glamour of the Kill, Voodoo Six etc.) the British rock scene experienced somewhat of a dearth, and it did not seem like British musicians were keen on the idea of making good old-fashioned hard rock. Thankfully, this has started to change again over the past couple of years and Inglorious are one of the new bands out there paying tribute to the golden age of British hard rock and putting their own twist on the much-loved genre. As much as I enjoyed the band's first album I do feel they have been over-hyped somewhat, and this is probably down to the aforementioned lack of new British hard rock bands in recent years. That is not meant to be a slight on the band, as their debut album is a honest and well-written collection of modern hard rock songs, it is more a comment on the state of the young British rock scene at the time and the willingness that journalists and fans have to call everything that they enjoy a 'classic'. If I was to mark Inglorious out of ten (which I do not do during my reviews as a rule as the above willingness to overstate the brilliance of things means that any score of less than eight is usually seen as a disappointment) I would award it somewhere between six and seven - i.e. an enjoyable album which is better than your average release. Since the release of Inglorious, the band have been working tirelessly to promote it and themselves. Countless support slots, festival appearances, and even a respectable amount of headlines shows filled the band's 2016 calendar and it is safe to say that they have the old-school work ethic to match their old-school sound! True to that form, the band's second album was released a mere fifteen months after their debut - a blink of an eye by today's standards. The imaginatively titled Inglorious II features the same line-up of the band that recorded their the debut album, but the contributions of lead guitarist Andreas Eriksson have greatly increased. He joined the band a couple of weeks before the recording of Inglorious commenced so none of his songwriting was featured on the album, but that has changed here and he has contributed to ten of the twelve songs that make up Inglorious II. His contributions have lead to a slightly heavier overall sound, with the bluesy elements of the first album taking somewhat of a backseat at times. While this may disappoint some fans, the variety this creates makes Inglorious II a more diverse listen than the band's debut. Despite leaving the band last year, rhythm guitarist Wil Taylor still completed the album's recording sessions, but has since been replaced by Drew Lowe who was actually one of the band's founding members back in 2014. Tony Draper, who also engineered and mastered the album, provides all the keyboards and piano on a session basis.
After a subtle, mellow guitar intro, the album gets underway in style with I Don't Need Your Loving, a heavy blues rock track that certainly channels early Whitesnake with a muscular riff and a raw, impassioned vocal performance from frontman Nathan James. He has received a lot of praise over the past year or so for his voice, and this song displays why this is the case, with a display that shows him using both his lower and higher registers. A short, but sweet, solo from Eriksson adds some extra melody towards the song's end, but this is a song more about the riffs and the vocals, both of which marry up perfectly during the Hammond-drenched chorus. Taking the Blame really comes out of the blocks after the more precise mid-pace of the opening number, and is driven by some in-your-face drumming from Phil Beaver. Whitesnake comparisons can also be drawn to bassist Colin Parkinson's playing. He uses the similar kind of melodic bass runs that Neil Murray did during Whitesnake's heyday, and this is obvious here in a song which he co-wrote. Lots of Inglorious' songs are more mid-paced affairs, so it great when they really cut loose and up the tempo as they do here. Tell Me Why brings the bluesy elements back to the album with a lone-guitar and vocal intro which has a great murky fee, before the main riff kicks in and the song takes off with a great heartbeat-esque rhythm that is surprisingly addictive. James' bluesy vocals really fit in with the overall feel of the song, and Eriksson's many little guitar flourishes really help to keep things interesting. The chorus is a strong one, with some gospel-esque backing vocals which really help to add depth. Read All About It has a slightly strange sounding main riff, with an discordant feel and little pseudo prog flourishes which are sure to take the listener by surprise. The main body of the song is another mid-paced rock, albeit with a heavier overall feel, but the main riff (which also forms the main chorus theme) is quite different from what we have come to expect from Inglorious. I like it however as it shows the band are willing to try something new to keep from stagnating. Change is Coming is a proper blues song, and opens with slow drumming and a mournful croon from James. That is not to say that the song does not rock, as it does with lashings of Hammond organ and a groovy blues riff that kicks in when the intro is done. This bluesy feel really suits the band perfectly, and I feel that this is one of the better songs on the album due to that fact. Unsurprisingly, Eriksson really gets a chance to cut loose here with a lengthier guitar solo than usual, which has the same tortured bluesy feel as James' excellent vocal performance. Making Me Pay is a sparser song, built around a slightly clunky riff that is not the best the band have come up with, but James' vocal performance is enough to keep the song interesting. He is clearly a student of the blues, and that shows here with a diverse and emotional performance that really benefits from the strong keyboards employed here.
Hell or High Water has quite an epic intro, with an almost film score-esque motif to start off, but it is not long before the song becomes another foot-to-the-floor hard rock piece with frantic riffing from Eriksson and Taylor which sit nicely atop a driving drum beat. Like Taking the Blame, this is an exciting song that manages to easily ramp up the energy of the album with a real classic rock workout. After a few bluesy tracks, this song really comes along and gives the album the kick it needs to stop it from become too bogged down with similar types of songs. No Good for You is another Whitesnake-esque piece, but this time more reminiscent of the modern songs that David Coverdale wrote with Doug Aldrich for the most recent two Whitesnake albums of original material. The main riff is excellent, and is really in Aldrich's signature style, and James really lets rip throughout with some higher notes. Everything just fits together perfectly during this song, be it the melodies or the excellent bursts of lead guitar. It is one of album's best songs for these reasons and shows Inglorious really firing on all cylinders. I Got a Feeling is a bluesy piece but one that has real grit behind it's main riff and growling Hammond organ chords. It maintains the slightly faster pace of the previous couple of numbers, and even the sparser verses which are dominated by drums and bass have a tangible energy. With a title like Black Magic, it is unsurprising that the song really embodies the classic rock spirit of the early 1970s with a good chunk of the blues for good measure. The main riff is a strong one, and James' vocals are excellent once again. He is definitely the piece that completes the puzzle for for Inglorious, and I think that he elevates the band to a higher stature than the would otherwise occupy. That is not meant as a slight on the rest of the band, but I do feel that Inglorious' songwriting is less interesting than many of the other young rock bands of the past ten or so years, but James is certainly a fantastic singer and his efforts certainly help to move the band up a couple of pegs. Faraway, the album's penultimate song, is a short acoustic-led number with simple acoustic guitar chords and a mournful vocal performance. Drums and bass are added as the songs move along, but it's basis as an acoustic piece is mostly preserved. That is until the last portion of the song when it ramps up and turns into a rocker until the end. The acoustic section of the song is particularly welcome, as the album does not really posses a proper ballad and this acts as a bit of a chance of pace to add some variety. Despite opening with a deep, booming piano chord, High Class Woman is a real rocker and a great song to close out the album with. The main riff is based around a melodic guitar lead, and the slightly grungy vocal sections help the song to stand out. At it's heart however, the song is a proper rocker with a good energy and one of the album's best choruses. There is a slightly sleazy feel at the centre of the song, something which is not usually present in the band's songs, and that also helps it create it's own identity. Overall, Inglorious II is a strong follow up to the band's debut album and one that definitely ups the quality somewhat. I still feel that Inglorious are slightly overrated, but there is no denying that this is an enjoyable rock album with some genuinely excellent songs.
The album was released on 12th May 2017 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for I Don't Need Your Loving.
After a subtle, mellow guitar intro, the album gets underway in style with I Don't Need Your Loving, a heavy blues rock track that certainly channels early Whitesnake with a muscular riff and a raw, impassioned vocal performance from frontman Nathan James. He has received a lot of praise over the past year or so for his voice, and this song displays why this is the case, with a display that shows him using both his lower and higher registers. A short, but sweet, solo from Eriksson adds some extra melody towards the song's end, but this is a song more about the riffs and the vocals, both of which marry up perfectly during the Hammond-drenched chorus. Taking the Blame really comes out of the blocks after the more precise mid-pace of the opening number, and is driven by some in-your-face drumming from Phil Beaver. Whitesnake comparisons can also be drawn to bassist Colin Parkinson's playing. He uses the similar kind of melodic bass runs that Neil Murray did during Whitesnake's heyday, and this is obvious here in a song which he co-wrote. Lots of Inglorious' songs are more mid-paced affairs, so it great when they really cut loose and up the tempo as they do here. Tell Me Why brings the bluesy elements back to the album with a lone-guitar and vocal intro which has a great murky fee, before the main riff kicks in and the song takes off with a great heartbeat-esque rhythm that is surprisingly addictive. James' bluesy vocals really fit in with the overall feel of the song, and Eriksson's many little guitar flourishes really help to keep things interesting. The chorus is a strong one, with some gospel-esque backing vocals which really help to add depth. Read All About It has a slightly strange sounding main riff, with an discordant feel and little pseudo prog flourishes which are sure to take the listener by surprise. The main body of the song is another mid-paced rock, albeit with a heavier overall feel, but the main riff (which also forms the main chorus theme) is quite different from what we have come to expect from Inglorious. I like it however as it shows the band are willing to try something new to keep from stagnating. Change is Coming is a proper blues song, and opens with slow drumming and a mournful croon from James. That is not to say that the song does not rock, as it does with lashings of Hammond organ and a groovy blues riff that kicks in when the intro is done. This bluesy feel really suits the band perfectly, and I feel that this is one of the better songs on the album due to that fact. Unsurprisingly, Eriksson really gets a chance to cut loose here with a lengthier guitar solo than usual, which has the same tortured bluesy feel as James' excellent vocal performance. Making Me Pay is a sparser song, built around a slightly clunky riff that is not the best the band have come up with, but James' vocal performance is enough to keep the song interesting. He is clearly a student of the blues, and that shows here with a diverse and emotional performance that really benefits from the strong keyboards employed here.
Hell or High Water has quite an epic intro, with an almost film score-esque motif to start off, but it is not long before the song becomes another foot-to-the-floor hard rock piece with frantic riffing from Eriksson and Taylor which sit nicely atop a driving drum beat. Like Taking the Blame, this is an exciting song that manages to easily ramp up the energy of the album with a real classic rock workout. After a few bluesy tracks, this song really comes along and gives the album the kick it needs to stop it from become too bogged down with similar types of songs. No Good for You is another Whitesnake-esque piece, but this time more reminiscent of the modern songs that David Coverdale wrote with Doug Aldrich for the most recent two Whitesnake albums of original material. The main riff is excellent, and is really in Aldrich's signature style, and James really lets rip throughout with some higher notes. Everything just fits together perfectly during this song, be it the melodies or the excellent bursts of lead guitar. It is one of album's best songs for these reasons and shows Inglorious really firing on all cylinders. I Got a Feeling is a bluesy piece but one that has real grit behind it's main riff and growling Hammond organ chords. It maintains the slightly faster pace of the previous couple of numbers, and even the sparser verses which are dominated by drums and bass have a tangible energy. With a title like Black Magic, it is unsurprising that the song really embodies the classic rock spirit of the early 1970s with a good chunk of the blues for good measure. The main riff is a strong one, and James' vocals are excellent once again. He is definitely the piece that completes the puzzle for for Inglorious, and I think that he elevates the band to a higher stature than the would otherwise occupy. That is not meant as a slight on the rest of the band, but I do feel that Inglorious' songwriting is less interesting than many of the other young rock bands of the past ten or so years, but James is certainly a fantastic singer and his efforts certainly help to move the band up a couple of pegs. Faraway, the album's penultimate song, is a short acoustic-led number with simple acoustic guitar chords and a mournful vocal performance. Drums and bass are added as the songs move along, but it's basis as an acoustic piece is mostly preserved. That is until the last portion of the song when it ramps up and turns into a rocker until the end. The acoustic section of the song is particularly welcome, as the album does not really posses a proper ballad and this acts as a bit of a chance of pace to add some variety. Despite opening with a deep, booming piano chord, High Class Woman is a real rocker and a great song to close out the album with. The main riff is based around a melodic guitar lead, and the slightly grungy vocal sections help the song to stand out. At it's heart however, the song is a proper rocker with a good energy and one of the album's best choruses. There is a slightly sleazy feel at the centre of the song, something which is not usually present in the band's songs, and that also helps it create it's own identity. Overall, Inglorious II is a strong follow up to the band's debut album and one that definitely ups the quality somewhat. I still feel that Inglorious are slightly overrated, but there is no denying that this is an enjoyable rock album with some genuinely excellent songs.
The album was released on 12th May 2017 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for I Don't Need Your Loving.
Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Kiss - Birmingham Review
As with Iron Maiden the previous week, a Kiss concert is something I have been waiting for for some time! If my memory serves me well, a Kiss compilation was the first CD that I bought with my own money back in the day, and the American party rock band became a very important band for me in my musical development. Similarities can also be drawn with Iron Maiden when it comes to UK tours. I believe the last full UK arena tour was way back in 2010, a full seven years ago. A few festival appearances aside, this run of European shows as part of their Kissworld 2017 tour was long overdue! As soon as the shows were announced I knew I had to go and secured a ticket on the day they went on sale. Crossing off both Iron Maiden and Kiss in the space of a week was a very exciting prospect. I believe it is possible for gig fatigue sometimes, where you see so many bands in a short space of time that the novelty begins to wear off, but that would certainly not be the case here! As was the case with the Iron Maiden show, Kiss played at the city centre-based Barclaycard Arena which I now much prefer over the lightly bigger Genting Arena as you do not have to contend with over-crowded trains after the show! With all that had unfolded in Manchester earlier in the week, it was amazing to see how much the security had increased. I practically just walked straight into the venue before Iron Maiden, but the Kiss show saw lengthy queuing with thorough back and body searches. While it was excellent to see the venue so vigilant after all that happened, I do question why do many doors were not opened as this would have definitely reduced the time needed for queuing! I tend to choose seated tickets for arena shows these days, as views from the floor can often be poor if you are anywhere but the front, and although I was seated quite near to the back of the hall I had a great view of the stage and the sound throughout was excellent.
Before Kiss the growing crowd was treated to around half an hour of music from young American power pop band The Dives who really impressed me during their set. When I read the announcement that The Dives were to be Kiss' support band, and also that The Dives' frontman Evan Stanley was the son of Kiss' Paul Stanley, I was a little disappointed as I was hoping for a bigger name and was worried that the band were only there due to the obvious family connections. While the latter is almost certainly true, they were clearly there on their own merits too as their catchy, poppy rock music really seemed to go down a storm with a crowd and the soaring melodies filled the room perfectly. The Dives are certainly nothing original, but their confidence and songwriting skills made them instantly stand out. Upbeat rockers like Anticipation mixed well with more emotionally-charged songs like Man, Oh Mandy, and the set came to and end with the best song of the bunch Make it Like the Movies. Many in the crowd seemed to warm to The Dives and I immediately went to the merch stand after their set to pick up a copy of their debut EP Everybody's Talkin' - although sadly the queue at their signing session barely moved during the interval due to a few selfish fans taking too many selfies so I was unfortunately not able to get my copy signed.
After half an hour or so's change over, the lights went down the famous 'You wanted the best!' introduction heralded Kiss' introduction, as the band were lowered to the stage on a big platform as they played the opening bars to Deuce. What followed was just shy of two hours of pure rock and roll theatre with pyrotechnics, fire breathing, blood spitting, and even flying; all while the band steamed through a career-spanning set packed with classic rock anthems and a few lesser known deeper cuts for the hardcore fans. Led by Paul Stanley (vocals/guitar) and Gene Simmons (vocals/bass guitar), the seasoned four piece impressed throughout with each member getting a chance to shine as the evening moved on. Despite his voice being noticeably weaker these days, Stanley was still often the star of the show - throwing himself around the stage in his platform boots and pulling poses that would put many younger men out of action for weeks! He is the mouthpiece of the band and continually interacted with the audience throughout the show and helped to keep the energy levels high. After Shout it Out Loud, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the Manchester attack, before Stanley turn up the sleaze for a run through of the 1980s classic Lick it Up. A rousing version of the golden oldie Firehouse showed that his voice still sometimes resembles past glories, and saw Simmons rolling out his old fire breathing routine at the end to huge cheers. Tommy Thayer (vocals/guitar) who has been involved in Kiss camp since the late 1980s in various capacities sung the oldie Shock Me, which was probably the only strange setlist choice of the night. It was not a bad performance by any means, but I would have preferred to hear him sing one of his own songs (When Lightning Strikes in particular is a cracker) rather than sing a song made famous by previous guitarist Ace Frehley. His explosive guitar solo (literally) that followed was great however, and showed how invaluable he is to the current incarnation of this legendary band. The lesser-played Flaming Youth was a surprise, but welcome inclusion to the set, before Simmons' bass solo (that included his blood spitting trick) led to him singing God of Thunder from a raised platform as demonic red lighting filled the arena. From then on, the classics really started to flow again and the party atmosphere was turned up to 11 with Crazy Crazy Nights and the groovy War Machine. While the announcement of Say Yeah, the only song in the set from either of the band's latest couple of albums, was met with a rather muted cheer, by the end of the song everyone was into it and helped Stanley to sing the chorus when asked to do so. Stanley then rode his zip wire out to a mini stage by the sound desk and started off a barnstorming version of Psycho Circus which was definitely one of the songs of the evening for me. The slightly heavier feel, combined with a soaring chorus, makes the song a real classic in my eyes and it predictably went down well with the crowd. Black Diamond followed and this allowed Eric Singer (vocals/drums) a chance to shine with a strong, raw vocal performance that shows him to probably be Kiss' best singer now! That guy works so hard all night, and has picked up much of the backing vocal slack now that Stanley's voice is not what it was. Rock and Roll all Nite brought the main set to an end, with Stanley smashing his guitar at the end as Simmons and Thayer flew out over the crowd on moving platforms. There was of course to be more, and a couple more all-time classic tracks followed. The pseudo-disco track I Was Made for Lovin' You took on a heavier feel live with more guitar than synthesiser, before a hard rocking version of Detroit Rock City, sung with passion by Stanley, brought a wonderful evening of music to an end. The setlist was:
Deuce
Shout it Out Loud
Lick it Up
I Love it Loud
Firehouse
Shock Me
Guitar solo
Flaming Youth
Bass solo
God of Thunder
Crazy Crazy Nights
War Machine
Say Yeah
Psycho Circus
Black Diamond
Rock and Roll all Nite
-
I Was Made for Lovin' You
Detroit Rock City
It was a dream come true to finally see Kiss live and the legendary band did not disappoint. The setlist was well-chosen and the stage set-up and theatrical antics made the evening more of a 'show' a times than a rock concert. This is what you expect with Kiss however, and I would not have had it any other way!
Before Kiss the growing crowd was treated to around half an hour of music from young American power pop band The Dives who really impressed me during their set. When I read the announcement that The Dives were to be Kiss' support band, and also that The Dives' frontman Evan Stanley was the son of Kiss' Paul Stanley, I was a little disappointed as I was hoping for a bigger name and was worried that the band were only there due to the obvious family connections. While the latter is almost certainly true, they were clearly there on their own merits too as their catchy, poppy rock music really seemed to go down a storm with a crowd and the soaring melodies filled the room perfectly. The Dives are certainly nothing original, but their confidence and songwriting skills made them instantly stand out. Upbeat rockers like Anticipation mixed well with more emotionally-charged songs like Man, Oh Mandy, and the set came to and end with the best song of the bunch Make it Like the Movies. Many in the crowd seemed to warm to The Dives and I immediately went to the merch stand after their set to pick up a copy of their debut EP Everybody's Talkin' - although sadly the queue at their signing session barely moved during the interval due to a few selfish fans taking too many selfies so I was unfortunately not able to get my copy signed.
After half an hour or so's change over, the lights went down the famous 'You wanted the best!' introduction heralded Kiss' introduction, as the band were lowered to the stage on a big platform as they played the opening bars to Deuce. What followed was just shy of two hours of pure rock and roll theatre with pyrotechnics, fire breathing, blood spitting, and even flying; all while the band steamed through a career-spanning set packed with classic rock anthems and a few lesser known deeper cuts for the hardcore fans. Led by Paul Stanley (vocals/guitar) and Gene Simmons (vocals/bass guitar), the seasoned four piece impressed throughout with each member getting a chance to shine as the evening moved on. Despite his voice being noticeably weaker these days, Stanley was still often the star of the show - throwing himself around the stage in his platform boots and pulling poses that would put many younger men out of action for weeks! He is the mouthpiece of the band and continually interacted with the audience throughout the show and helped to keep the energy levels high. After Shout it Out Loud, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the Manchester attack, before Stanley turn up the sleaze for a run through of the 1980s classic Lick it Up. A rousing version of the golden oldie Firehouse showed that his voice still sometimes resembles past glories, and saw Simmons rolling out his old fire breathing routine at the end to huge cheers. Tommy Thayer (vocals/guitar) who has been involved in Kiss camp since the late 1980s in various capacities sung the oldie Shock Me, which was probably the only strange setlist choice of the night. It was not a bad performance by any means, but I would have preferred to hear him sing one of his own songs (When Lightning Strikes in particular is a cracker) rather than sing a song made famous by previous guitarist Ace Frehley. His explosive guitar solo (literally) that followed was great however, and showed how invaluable he is to the current incarnation of this legendary band. The lesser-played Flaming Youth was a surprise, but welcome inclusion to the set, before Simmons' bass solo (that included his blood spitting trick) led to him singing God of Thunder from a raised platform as demonic red lighting filled the arena. From then on, the classics really started to flow again and the party atmosphere was turned up to 11 with Crazy Crazy Nights and the groovy War Machine. While the announcement of Say Yeah, the only song in the set from either of the band's latest couple of albums, was met with a rather muted cheer, by the end of the song everyone was into it and helped Stanley to sing the chorus when asked to do so. Stanley then rode his zip wire out to a mini stage by the sound desk and started off a barnstorming version of Psycho Circus which was definitely one of the songs of the evening for me. The slightly heavier feel, combined with a soaring chorus, makes the song a real classic in my eyes and it predictably went down well with the crowd. Black Diamond followed and this allowed Eric Singer (vocals/drums) a chance to shine with a strong, raw vocal performance that shows him to probably be Kiss' best singer now! That guy works so hard all night, and has picked up much of the backing vocal slack now that Stanley's voice is not what it was. Rock and Roll all Nite brought the main set to an end, with Stanley smashing his guitar at the end as Simmons and Thayer flew out over the crowd on moving platforms. There was of course to be more, and a couple more all-time classic tracks followed. The pseudo-disco track I Was Made for Lovin' You took on a heavier feel live with more guitar than synthesiser, before a hard rocking version of Detroit Rock City, sung with passion by Stanley, brought a wonderful evening of music to an end. The setlist was:
Deuce
Shout it Out Loud
Lick it Up
I Love it Loud
Firehouse
Shock Me
Guitar solo
Flaming Youth
Bass solo
God of Thunder
Crazy Crazy Nights
War Machine
Say Yeah
Psycho Circus
Black Diamond
Rock and Roll all Nite
-
I Was Made for Lovin' You
Detroit Rock City
It was a dream come true to finally see Kiss live and the legendary band did not disappoint. The setlist was well-chosen and the stage set-up and theatrical antics made the evening more of a 'show' a times than a rock concert. This is what you expect with Kiss however, and I would not have had it any other way!
Monday, 29 May 2017
Trinity Live 2017
Back in 2014 there was an event held at The Assembly in Leamington Spa called Trinity which a day of progressive rock music to raise money for various cancer charities. The event came from a proposed mini tour between Touchstone, The Reasoning, and Magenta of the same name which had to be cancelled when Magenta's frontwoman Christina Booth was diagnosed with cancer. This tour became a day of music for a good cause and over £9000 was raised, which was an excellent achievement for all involved. There were always plans to follow up the event with another, but for various reasons not made public the proposed Trinity II that was to take place in 2015 never happened. As time passed I assumed the event was to be a one-off, but then last year it was announced that the long-awaited follow-up to that 2014 day would take place in 2017, again at The Assembly. The main three bands, Lonely Robot, Touchstone, and Ghost Community were announced right away, and this was enough to get me to commit to going. I had not yet had an opportunity to see the new Touchstone line-up live, and I had wanted to catch both Lonely Robot and Ghost Community live. A further three bands: A Formal Horse, the Dec Burke Band, and the debut solo performance from former Touchstone frontwoman Kim Seviour were announced later on to complete the line-up. As with the previous event, there was a raffle and a charity auction held throughout the day, with goodies to be won/bought that had been donated by Marillion, Steven Wilson, Steve Hackett and many others. The music all kicked off at 1:30pm, so a fairly early start was needed from the South West. Still, I got up to Leamington in time for some lunch at the local Wetherspoons, have a quick wander around the town itself, and head down to The Assembly in time for the first band. The turnout, while certainly not awful, was certainly not great. It was a shame that not more people made the effort to attend this day of music in aid of a good cause, but sadly this seems to be the case for the underground prog scene at the moment with audience numbers dropping off somewhat. Still, there were enough people in attendance to make create a good atmosphere, and numbers did swell somewhat throughout the day.
Up first were the Southampton-based band A Formal Horse who's abrasive complex songs seemed to interest large portions of the crowd, but sadly left me totally cold. As much as I am a fan of progressive rock music, there still has to be a strong melody to keep me interested. A Formal Horse's music was anything but melodic, and rather had a schizophrenic quality with discordant guitar lines and ethereal vocals. In fairness, guitarist Benjamin Short is a very skillful player. His only guitar was a double-neck Gibson SG and much of the heavy riffing used the twelve-string neck to create a beefy sound. There was certainly a lot of Yes' Steve Howe in his jazzy lead playing too, and there was some genuinely impressive passages in the band's songs. Overall though, I found the music too abrasive and without any real coherence or melody.
After a quick changeover, the Dec Burke Band took to the stage for what turned out to be a set of much more traditional progressive rock. Dec Burke seems to be quite well known in the prog scene, having been a member of both Darwin's Radio and Frost*, but this was my first exposure to this music. The first three bands only got half an hour or so on stage which meant the first part of the evening raced by. Sadly, Dec Burke's set was one of those sets I am sure we have all seen before in the way that you really struggle to remember anything about it afterwards. The songs themselves were decent enough but nothing about them, or the performance, really stood out. Dec Burke sang and played the guitar, and it was his solos that stood out the most during the set. He is a good guitar player, but his set left little of an impression on me when it was done.
The highlight of the first half of the day was the debut solo performance from Kim Seviour, in her first high-profile gig since leaving Touchstone for health reasons in 2015. With her solo album Recovery is Learning, which was co-written and produced by John Mitchell, due for release at the end of July this set at Trinity II allowed her to premier some of the new songs live for the first time. While there are some similarities to Touchstone's sound in her new songs, the music was understandably simpler to allow for her vocals to really lead the songs. It is hard to judge a whole set of new songs from a new band on one live appearance, but I certainly liked what I heard. There was a good mix of upbeat rockier songs and slower, more downbeat numbers which should give the album some variety. With a strong reaction from the crowd, it is fair to say that Kim Seviour's first solo outing was a success, and I am certainly looking forward to hearing her new album when it drops in a couple of months time.
After Kim Seviour's set, there was a two-hour break which allowed the punters to go and get some food etc. and allowed me to go and check into the local Travelodge and get a little bit of rest before the main event to come. There seemed to be a few more in attendance after the break, which is probably unsurprising considering the 'bigger name' bands filled the three evening slots, as well as the raffle and charity auction also taking place.
Ghost Community were the first band of the evening session, and they are a band I have been wanting to see live since getting their debut album album Cycle of Life last year. Formed by former members of The Reasoning, Also Eden, and Crimson Sky in 2014, Ghost Community formally burst onto the scene last June with their debut album and have a few shows under their belts already. The set kicked off with the harder rock of Rise Up, gracefully led by the smooth vocals of frontman John Paul Vaughn and Matt Cohen's (bass guitar/percussion) melodic bassline. The band then proceeded to play the vast majority of their debut album, the lengthy title track aside, and the diverse material came across really well on stage. While not a particularly active frontman Vaughn, who looked as if he had raided Spike from The Quireboys' wardrobe, really led the charge with a strong vocal performance throughout. Ghost Community's music if often keyboard driven, with many of the standout melodies coming from Robert Gerrard's keyboards. Aside from Rise Up, another standout number was the vitriolic Blue December Morning, which starts off slowly before building up to a heavier ending with Simon Rogers' (guitar/vocals) riffs. A slightly clunky, but enjoyable, cover of Marillion's The Uninvited Guest brought a powerful live set to a close with some excellent off-kilter drumming from Jake Bradford-Sharp. Based on this performance I am sure that Ghost Community will make a name for themselves in the prog world, and I hope to catch them live again soon. The setlist was:
Rise Up
Mirror Lakes
Anything and Everything
Blue December Morning
Ghost Community
The Uninvited Guest [Marillion cover]
After the raffle and a handful of the auction lots, it was time for Touchstone to hit the stage and they did with aplomb by opening with their traditional set-closer Strange Days. I had not seen this melodic prog band since the last Trinity event, so was really looking forward to see what new members Aggie (vocals) and Liam Holmes (keyboards) would bring to the band's live shows. 'Lots' is the answer to that and this performance was probably the best I had seen the band perform since the shows supporting Wintercoast back in 2009. With all three new songs from last year's EP Lights from the Sky present in the set, this was a forward-looking performance that showcased Touchstone reinvigorated and full of energy. Moo (vocals/bass guitar) has taken over the male lead vocal sections, as displayed during the prog metal epic Wintercoast which is still one the best songs of it's kind ever written, and Adam Hodgson (guitar/vocals) now adds extra backing vocals where required to bulk out the sound. The new songs came across well, especially the heavier Tangled Lines, and Aggie really seemed full of confidence on these songs that she co-wrote. She owned the older material too, and the golden oldie Blacktide sparkled with charm as it did at those shows so long ago. Holmes is a real find too, and his busy keyboard playing really added a lot to the band's sound. The aforementioned Wintercoast really came alive with his additions, including a classically-influenced piano break part-way through that really added to the song and added some virtuosity to proceedings. The set came to and end with one of the new numbers, Lights from the Sky, which is packed full of Eastern melodies and a commanding vocal display from Aggie. I wish they could have played for longer, as they were the band of the day for me, so I look forward to their upcoming new album and hopefully catching them live again sometime soon. The setlist was:
Strange Days
Fear
Wintercoast
Tangled Lines
Blacktide
Contact
Lights from the Sky
The remaining auction lots were sold off as the crew were setting up for Lonely Robot, the headliners and final act of the day. Lonely Robot is essentially the solo project of John Mitchell (vocals/guitar) from Arena and It Bites among others. I had seen Mitchell previously fronting It Bites a handful, but this was the first time I had seen him on his own and presenting his solo material. Backing Mitchell was a band consisting of Steve Vantsis (bass guitar/vocals), who is known for being the long-time bassist for Fish, Touchstone's Holmes on keyboards, and Craig Blundell (drums), who is a long-time member of Frost* and also plays with Steven Wilson. With two albums now under the Lonely Robot moniker, there was a lot of material to showcase, but sadly the band's set had to be truncated somewhat to just over an hour as the auction overran and the time it took to soundcheck and set up all the gear. The band took to the stage and stormed through the blistering instrumental Airlock, which is built around Mitchell's excellent guitar solo, before going straight into God vs Man which has a heavier overall feel. Despite the band's second album The Big Dream only being released recently, most of the set was drawn from the debut album Please Come Home. The melodic rocker The Boy in the Radio was an early highlight, and possesses easily the best chorus Mitchell has written. Kim Seviour took the stage part-way through to duet with Mitchell on Oubliette, as she did on the album, before the heavier prog of Construct/Obstruct wowed the crowd. Throughout the gig, two people dressed in astronauts outfits walked slowly through the crowd, which was quite odd, but did help to add to the overall atmosphere of the night. The short, piano-led The Red Balloon followed before, after being told they had time for one more, a barnstorming version of Sigma from the new album brought Trinity II to a hard rocking end. The setlist was:
Airlock
God vs Man
The Boy in the Radio
In Floral Green
Lonely Robot
Oubliette [w/ Kim Seviour]
Construct/Obstruct
The Red Ballon
Sigma
Overall, it would appear that Trinity II was a success. The final total of monies raised for the cancer charities has yet to have been announced, but I would imagine it will be a healthy amount. Congratulations must go out to Adam Hodgson and Moo from Touchstone, Matt Cohen from Ghost Community, along with Jerry Ewing, who edits Prog Magazine, for compering the day with extreme enthusiasm. There was also a lady who was involved with the organisation of the day, but I cannot recall her name so apologies for not name-checking her here! While it is a shame that there were not a few more people there on the day, it is safe to say that those in attendance had a great day of live music and contributed to raising money for a worthy cause. I hope there is a Trinity III in the future, and I am sure I will be there if there is!
Up first were the Southampton-based band A Formal Horse who's abrasive complex songs seemed to interest large portions of the crowd, but sadly left me totally cold. As much as I am a fan of progressive rock music, there still has to be a strong melody to keep me interested. A Formal Horse's music was anything but melodic, and rather had a schizophrenic quality with discordant guitar lines and ethereal vocals. In fairness, guitarist Benjamin Short is a very skillful player. His only guitar was a double-neck Gibson SG and much of the heavy riffing used the twelve-string neck to create a beefy sound. There was certainly a lot of Yes' Steve Howe in his jazzy lead playing too, and there was some genuinely impressive passages in the band's songs. Overall though, I found the music too abrasive and without any real coherence or melody.
After a quick changeover, the Dec Burke Band took to the stage for what turned out to be a set of much more traditional progressive rock. Dec Burke seems to be quite well known in the prog scene, having been a member of both Darwin's Radio and Frost*, but this was my first exposure to this music. The first three bands only got half an hour or so on stage which meant the first part of the evening raced by. Sadly, Dec Burke's set was one of those sets I am sure we have all seen before in the way that you really struggle to remember anything about it afterwards. The songs themselves were decent enough but nothing about them, or the performance, really stood out. Dec Burke sang and played the guitar, and it was his solos that stood out the most during the set. He is a good guitar player, but his set left little of an impression on me when it was done.
The highlight of the first half of the day was the debut solo performance from Kim Seviour, in her first high-profile gig since leaving Touchstone for health reasons in 2015. With her solo album Recovery is Learning, which was co-written and produced by John Mitchell, due for release at the end of July this set at Trinity II allowed her to premier some of the new songs live for the first time. While there are some similarities to Touchstone's sound in her new songs, the music was understandably simpler to allow for her vocals to really lead the songs. It is hard to judge a whole set of new songs from a new band on one live appearance, but I certainly liked what I heard. There was a good mix of upbeat rockier songs and slower, more downbeat numbers which should give the album some variety. With a strong reaction from the crowd, it is fair to say that Kim Seviour's first solo outing was a success, and I am certainly looking forward to hearing her new album when it drops in a couple of months time.
After Kim Seviour's set, there was a two-hour break which allowed the punters to go and get some food etc. and allowed me to go and check into the local Travelodge and get a little bit of rest before the main event to come. There seemed to be a few more in attendance after the break, which is probably unsurprising considering the 'bigger name' bands filled the three evening slots, as well as the raffle and charity auction also taking place.
Ghost Community were the first band of the evening session, and they are a band I have been wanting to see live since getting their debut album album Cycle of Life last year. Formed by former members of The Reasoning, Also Eden, and Crimson Sky in 2014, Ghost Community formally burst onto the scene last June with their debut album and have a few shows under their belts already. The set kicked off with the harder rock of Rise Up, gracefully led by the smooth vocals of frontman John Paul Vaughn and Matt Cohen's (bass guitar/percussion) melodic bassline. The band then proceeded to play the vast majority of their debut album, the lengthy title track aside, and the diverse material came across really well on stage. While not a particularly active frontman Vaughn, who looked as if he had raided Spike from The Quireboys' wardrobe, really led the charge with a strong vocal performance throughout. Ghost Community's music if often keyboard driven, with many of the standout melodies coming from Robert Gerrard's keyboards. Aside from Rise Up, another standout number was the vitriolic Blue December Morning, which starts off slowly before building up to a heavier ending with Simon Rogers' (guitar/vocals) riffs. A slightly clunky, but enjoyable, cover of Marillion's The Uninvited Guest brought a powerful live set to a close with some excellent off-kilter drumming from Jake Bradford-Sharp. Based on this performance I am sure that Ghost Community will make a name for themselves in the prog world, and I hope to catch them live again soon. The setlist was:
Rise Up
Mirror Lakes
Anything and Everything
Blue December Morning
Ghost Community
The Uninvited Guest [Marillion cover]
After the raffle and a handful of the auction lots, it was time for Touchstone to hit the stage and they did with aplomb by opening with their traditional set-closer Strange Days. I had not seen this melodic prog band since the last Trinity event, so was really looking forward to see what new members Aggie (vocals) and Liam Holmes (keyboards) would bring to the band's live shows. 'Lots' is the answer to that and this performance was probably the best I had seen the band perform since the shows supporting Wintercoast back in 2009. With all three new songs from last year's EP Lights from the Sky present in the set, this was a forward-looking performance that showcased Touchstone reinvigorated and full of energy. Moo (vocals/bass guitar) has taken over the male lead vocal sections, as displayed during the prog metal epic Wintercoast which is still one the best songs of it's kind ever written, and Adam Hodgson (guitar/vocals) now adds extra backing vocals where required to bulk out the sound. The new songs came across well, especially the heavier Tangled Lines, and Aggie really seemed full of confidence on these songs that she co-wrote. She owned the older material too, and the golden oldie Blacktide sparkled with charm as it did at those shows so long ago. Holmes is a real find too, and his busy keyboard playing really added a lot to the band's sound. The aforementioned Wintercoast really came alive with his additions, including a classically-influenced piano break part-way through that really added to the song and added some virtuosity to proceedings. The set came to and end with one of the new numbers, Lights from the Sky, which is packed full of Eastern melodies and a commanding vocal display from Aggie. I wish they could have played for longer, as they were the band of the day for me, so I look forward to their upcoming new album and hopefully catching them live again sometime soon. The setlist was:
Strange Days
Fear
Wintercoast
Tangled Lines
Blacktide
Contact
Lights from the Sky
The remaining auction lots were sold off as the crew were setting up for Lonely Robot, the headliners and final act of the day. Lonely Robot is essentially the solo project of John Mitchell (vocals/guitar) from Arena and It Bites among others. I had seen Mitchell previously fronting It Bites a handful, but this was the first time I had seen him on his own and presenting his solo material. Backing Mitchell was a band consisting of Steve Vantsis (bass guitar/vocals), who is known for being the long-time bassist for Fish, Touchstone's Holmes on keyboards, and Craig Blundell (drums), who is a long-time member of Frost* and also plays with Steven Wilson. With two albums now under the Lonely Robot moniker, there was a lot of material to showcase, but sadly the band's set had to be truncated somewhat to just over an hour as the auction overran and the time it took to soundcheck and set up all the gear. The band took to the stage and stormed through the blistering instrumental Airlock, which is built around Mitchell's excellent guitar solo, before going straight into God vs Man which has a heavier overall feel. Despite the band's second album The Big Dream only being released recently, most of the set was drawn from the debut album Please Come Home. The melodic rocker The Boy in the Radio was an early highlight, and possesses easily the best chorus Mitchell has written. Kim Seviour took the stage part-way through to duet with Mitchell on Oubliette, as she did on the album, before the heavier prog of Construct/Obstruct wowed the crowd. Throughout the gig, two people dressed in astronauts outfits walked slowly through the crowd, which was quite odd, but did help to add to the overall atmosphere of the night. The short, piano-led The Red Balloon followed before, after being told they had time for one more, a barnstorming version of Sigma from the new album brought Trinity II to a hard rocking end. The setlist was:
Airlock
God vs Man
The Boy in the Radio
In Floral Green
Lonely Robot
Oubliette [w/ Kim Seviour]
Construct/Obstruct
The Red Ballon
Sigma
Overall, it would appear that Trinity II was a success. The final total of monies raised for the cancer charities has yet to have been announced, but I would imagine it will be a healthy amount. Congratulations must go out to Adam Hodgson and Moo from Touchstone, Matt Cohen from Ghost Community, along with Jerry Ewing, who edits Prog Magazine, for compering the day with extreme enthusiasm. There was also a lady who was involved with the organisation of the day, but I cannot recall her name so apologies for not name-checking her here! While it is a shame that there were not a few more people there on the day, it is safe to say that those in attendance had a great day of live music and contributed to raising money for a worthy cause. I hope there is a Trinity III in the future, and I am sure I will be there if there is!
Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Snakecharmer's 'Second Skin' - Album Review
The term 'supergroup' is often overused these days, but in the case of Snakecharmer I think it applies. While the members that make up the still-relatively young blues rock band might not all be instant household names, many of the songs they have been a part of over the years are world-famous. Snakecharmer was initially put together in 2011 by two founding members of British rock legends Whitesnake. Guitarist Micky Moody and bassist Neil Murray reunited and assembled a strong ling-up of musicians which initially toured playing sets consisting of many early Whitesnake classics. Joining Moody and Murray in this new venture were frontman Chris Ousey (Heartland), guitarist Laurie Wisefield (Wishbone Ash), keyboardist Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne; Headspace), and drummer Harry James (Terraplane; Thunder; Magnum). While Ousey's bluesy voice is more akin to Paul Rogers' tones than David Coverdale's style, Snakecharmer impressed live and the chemistry between the six band members was clearly there from the off. New material was inevitable, and two years later the band's self-titled debut album (which I reviewed here) was released to strong reviews. While the busy schedules of the individual band members has always limited Snakecharmer's live activities, the band toured as often as they could in support of the album, with a set that contained a healthy amount of new material alongside Whitesnake classics. At the end of the 2015 UK tour, Moody announced that he was leaving the band, and I was probably not the only fan who feared the band would slowly fade away as a result. Thankfully, that has not been the case as the band recruited Northern Irish guitar sensation Simon McBride (Sweet Savage) to fill the void left by Moody. Despite enjoying a short stint with reformed NWOBHM stalwarts Sweet Savage in the mid-1990s, McBride has mostly made a name for himself on the blues circuit as a solo artist and has supported Jeff Beck and Joe Bonamassa among others. This new-look Snakecharmer regrouped last year and began to write the songs that would eventually appear on their second album, which was released earlier this month as Second Skin. While the material on the first album was mostly written by a combination of Ousey, Moody, and Wisefield; Second Skin sees the Ousey/Wisefield writing partnership really coming to the fore. The other four members of the band have also contributed to the album's songwriting, but it is Ousey and Wisefield that dominate which helps to give the album a strong overall identity. While I enjoyed Snakecharmer, I think the material on Second Skin is stronger overall and there are a few songs on here that really jump out as instant personal favourites. While the blues rock sound of the first album is intact, some minor changes have been made to improve the album's overall feel. Wakeman's keyboards are definitely more prominent in the mix than previously, which is a big improvement in my opinion, and overall Second Skin just seems to rock a little harder than Snakecharmer with more energy and attitude.
The album's opener, Sounds Like a Plan, really kicks things off nicely with a heavy, uptempo blues rock feel. The clean guitar chords and keyboard intro soon gives way to a snaking main riff and a driving verse which is lead by Murray's melodic bass playing. Ousey sounds more energetic throughout this album, and this new-found confidence is displayed instantly on this song. He packs the verses with enough grit to match the bluesy rhythms, and explodes in the soaring chorus by belting out the lyrics. Wakeman's keyboards add extra depth to the choruses, with lots of flourishes which are quite reminiscent of those classic 1970s horn sections that many bands utilised around that time. The Kind of Love, the album's lead single, is very reminiscent of the majority of the songs found on Snakecharmer. James' drum beat grounds the song as a simple guitar lead provides early melodies while the keyboards swirl around underneath. Ousey is a little more restrained in the verses, but lets rip more during the choruses when the band ramps up behind him with some ringing power chords and stabs of Hammond organ. Wisefield and McBride display their new-found chemistry throughout, with many subtle twin-guitar harmonies and a great mix of fuzzy chords and bluesy leads. Are You Ready to Fly, the only song on the album co-written by McBride, is a muscular mid-paced slab of blues rock. The main riff is quite slow, but it packs a real punch, and the Hammond organ backing really takes the listener back to the 1970s. It is perhaps unsurprising that Murray's bass playing is prominent in a song like this, and his growling playing really helps to add depth. Murray's playing always added the boogie to those early Whitesnake albums, and he does the same throughout Second Skin. There is a great instrumental section here with some great off-kilter guitar rhythms which explodes into a soaring bluesy solo, before transforming back into the song's Free-like chorus. Up next is Follow Me Under, which is easily my favourite song from the album. It is an uptempo piece of bluesy party rock with a driving power chord riff and some excellent vocals from Ousey. The song is consistently great, but it really comes alive in the chorus with some classy melodies a big keyboard arrangement. The two guitarists impress again with plenty of bluesy melodies throughout. It is songs like this that really set Second Skin apart from Snakecharmer and show that the band have improved as songwriters over the past couple of years. I'll Take You as You Are is another mid-paced rocker, akin to Are You Ready to Fly but with a little lighter feel. Acoustic guitar melodies dominate the verses and Ousey uses a slightly more delicate approach with the vocals. As with many of the songs on the album, the song really ramps up during the choruses with a more expressive vocal performance and lashings of Hammond organ. The guitar solo is excellent too, and packed full of classic bluesy phrasing. Unfortunately the album's booklet does not specify which guitarist plays each of the solo, so I cannot credit the individual player! Hell of a Way to Live carries on the mid-paced feel, but racks up the heaviness with a very catchy verse riff and booming drums. James' meat and potatoes drum style is sometimes a little basic for my taste, but it is songs like this where his simplicity really wins out. Sadly the song is let down a little by an uninteresting chorus, but points are regained during the excellent guitar solo.
Fade Away is the closest thing to a proper ballad on Second Skin, and is the album's slowest moment. The spacey opening guitar lines are unlike anything else on the album and put the listener in a dream-like state. While the guitars and keyboards are mostly used for atmospheric purposes throughout, it is the bass that actually ends up providing the most melody. Murray's bassline is far from simple and dances through the song adding subtle twists and turns to always maintain the listener's interest. Ousey really excels during the song too with a varied and emotionally-charged vocal performance. Ousey was probably the least-known member of the original Snakecharmer line-up, but he has proved himself to be an excellent singer and seems to have really come into his own here. After a few songs that reduced the album's energy somewhat, Dress It Up comes along and kicks things up a gear once. Again, the song is similar to much of the material on the band's first album, but hits the spot with a raw riff and another snaking bassline. The chorus is another winner, with lots of vocal harmonies to create a call-and-response type vocal arrangement which will ensure the song becomes a concert staple in future. This type of uptempo boogie blues rock is what I feel Snakecharmer excel and I would not be surprised to see them include more of songs like this on future albums. I feel songs like this bring the best out of Ousey's vocals and allow for Wakeman to really let up with his Hammond organ. Punching Above my Weight, one of the two songs on the album written by Ousey and James, is an acoustic-led rocker with a light, but upbeat feel with simple melodies that make it an instantly memorable moment on the album. While the band does ramp up somewhat as the song goes on, the acoustic guitar chords still dominate the sound along with the keyboards. The song's emotionally-charged guitar solo is the real highlight however, and it carries on even after Ousey starts to sing again. I like that touch and it really brings the best out of the vocals and the guitars as the two work so nicely together. This song is quite different to the rest of the songs on the album, but it works well and stands out for that reason. Forgive & Forget is another mid-paced piece of blues rock, complete with some excellent barroom piano from Wakeman as well as his usual Hammond organ chords. It is probably the most 'cliché' blues song on the album, with aching guitar leads that make use of lots of note-bends and a plodding bassline. There are lots of soulful backing vocals used throughout too which adds to that old blues feel. The album's final song, Where Do We Go From Here, is the other song co-written by James. It starts off as another slower number, with dark-sounding clean guitar chords and a restrained vocal performance. Approximately half of the song remains in this slower, sparser mode but the keyboards get more dominate as the song crawls along. The rest of the band comes in towards the end with raw power chords and lots of squealing leads too bring the album to an exciting close. Overall, Second Skin is an impressive follow-up album from Snakecharmer and shows the band in a new and improved light. The songwriting is much stronger here I feel, and this is an album I can see myself playing a lot over the coming months.
The album was released on 12th May 2017 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for That Kind of Love.
The album's opener, Sounds Like a Plan, really kicks things off nicely with a heavy, uptempo blues rock feel. The clean guitar chords and keyboard intro soon gives way to a snaking main riff and a driving verse which is lead by Murray's melodic bass playing. Ousey sounds more energetic throughout this album, and this new-found confidence is displayed instantly on this song. He packs the verses with enough grit to match the bluesy rhythms, and explodes in the soaring chorus by belting out the lyrics. Wakeman's keyboards add extra depth to the choruses, with lots of flourishes which are quite reminiscent of those classic 1970s horn sections that many bands utilised around that time. The Kind of Love, the album's lead single, is very reminiscent of the majority of the songs found on Snakecharmer. James' drum beat grounds the song as a simple guitar lead provides early melodies while the keyboards swirl around underneath. Ousey is a little more restrained in the verses, but lets rip more during the choruses when the band ramps up behind him with some ringing power chords and stabs of Hammond organ. Wisefield and McBride display their new-found chemistry throughout, with many subtle twin-guitar harmonies and a great mix of fuzzy chords and bluesy leads. Are You Ready to Fly, the only song on the album co-written by McBride, is a muscular mid-paced slab of blues rock. The main riff is quite slow, but it packs a real punch, and the Hammond organ backing really takes the listener back to the 1970s. It is perhaps unsurprising that Murray's bass playing is prominent in a song like this, and his growling playing really helps to add depth. Murray's playing always added the boogie to those early Whitesnake albums, and he does the same throughout Second Skin. There is a great instrumental section here with some great off-kilter guitar rhythms which explodes into a soaring bluesy solo, before transforming back into the song's Free-like chorus. Up next is Follow Me Under, which is easily my favourite song from the album. It is an uptempo piece of bluesy party rock with a driving power chord riff and some excellent vocals from Ousey. The song is consistently great, but it really comes alive in the chorus with some classy melodies a big keyboard arrangement. The two guitarists impress again with plenty of bluesy melodies throughout. It is songs like this that really set Second Skin apart from Snakecharmer and show that the band have improved as songwriters over the past couple of years. I'll Take You as You Are is another mid-paced rocker, akin to Are You Ready to Fly but with a little lighter feel. Acoustic guitar melodies dominate the verses and Ousey uses a slightly more delicate approach with the vocals. As with many of the songs on the album, the song really ramps up during the choruses with a more expressive vocal performance and lashings of Hammond organ. The guitar solo is excellent too, and packed full of classic bluesy phrasing. Unfortunately the album's booklet does not specify which guitarist plays each of the solo, so I cannot credit the individual player! Hell of a Way to Live carries on the mid-paced feel, but racks up the heaviness with a very catchy verse riff and booming drums. James' meat and potatoes drum style is sometimes a little basic for my taste, but it is songs like this where his simplicity really wins out. Sadly the song is let down a little by an uninteresting chorus, but points are regained during the excellent guitar solo.
Fade Away is the closest thing to a proper ballad on Second Skin, and is the album's slowest moment. The spacey opening guitar lines are unlike anything else on the album and put the listener in a dream-like state. While the guitars and keyboards are mostly used for atmospheric purposes throughout, it is the bass that actually ends up providing the most melody. Murray's bassline is far from simple and dances through the song adding subtle twists and turns to always maintain the listener's interest. Ousey really excels during the song too with a varied and emotionally-charged vocal performance. Ousey was probably the least-known member of the original Snakecharmer line-up, but he has proved himself to be an excellent singer and seems to have really come into his own here. After a few songs that reduced the album's energy somewhat, Dress It Up comes along and kicks things up a gear once. Again, the song is similar to much of the material on the band's first album, but hits the spot with a raw riff and another snaking bassline. The chorus is another winner, with lots of vocal harmonies to create a call-and-response type vocal arrangement which will ensure the song becomes a concert staple in future. This type of uptempo boogie blues rock is what I feel Snakecharmer excel and I would not be surprised to see them include more of songs like this on future albums. I feel songs like this bring the best out of Ousey's vocals and allow for Wakeman to really let up with his Hammond organ. Punching Above my Weight, one of the two songs on the album written by Ousey and James, is an acoustic-led rocker with a light, but upbeat feel with simple melodies that make it an instantly memorable moment on the album. While the band does ramp up somewhat as the song goes on, the acoustic guitar chords still dominate the sound along with the keyboards. The song's emotionally-charged guitar solo is the real highlight however, and it carries on even after Ousey starts to sing again. I like that touch and it really brings the best out of the vocals and the guitars as the two work so nicely together. This song is quite different to the rest of the songs on the album, but it works well and stands out for that reason. Forgive & Forget is another mid-paced piece of blues rock, complete with some excellent barroom piano from Wakeman as well as his usual Hammond organ chords. It is probably the most 'cliché' blues song on the album, with aching guitar leads that make use of lots of note-bends and a plodding bassline. There are lots of soulful backing vocals used throughout too which adds to that old blues feel. The album's final song, Where Do We Go From Here, is the other song co-written by James. It starts off as another slower number, with dark-sounding clean guitar chords and a restrained vocal performance. Approximately half of the song remains in this slower, sparser mode but the keyboards get more dominate as the song crawls along. The rest of the band comes in towards the end with raw power chords and lots of squealing leads too bring the album to an exciting close. Overall, Second Skin is an impressive follow-up album from Snakecharmer and shows the band in a new and improved light. The songwriting is much stronger here I feel, and this is an album I can see myself playing a lot over the coming months.
The album was released on 12th May 2017 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for That Kind of Love.
Monday, 22 May 2017
Iron Maiden - Birmingham Review
It might surprise readers of this blog that, before last night, I had not seen the mighty Iron Maiden live! This is probably hard to believe for some of you, but it is true. In fairness, I was a bit of a latecomer to the band. I always respected their influence and legacy, but I put my efforts into other bands and only really started to properly explore the Iron Maiden discography when I went to University in 2010. Since then I have obviously become well-versed in the band's music and have become a big fan. Being an Iron Maiden fan in their home country of England can be an extremely frustrating experience as live appearances are often few and far between. They are one of those bands who now seem to think that a single appearance at Download Festival constitutes a UK tour, and this is the main reason which is why last night in Birmingham was my first experience of the Irons live. 2015 saw the release of The Book of Souls (which I reviewed here), the band's sixteenth studio album. The predictable headline appearance at Download was used last year to promote the album in the UK, but not long after that weekend a full UK tour, the band's first in six years, was announced. I knew as soon as I saw the announcement that I had to make every effort to go, so a ticket was duly purchased for their stop off in Birmingham at the Barclaycard Arena. Despite being slightly smaller (only very slightly) than the prestigious Genting Arena (which forms part of the out-of-town NEC complex), the Barclaycard Arena is my preference for arena gigs in Birmingham. It is right in the centre of town so is extremely accessible and there is no reliance on packed, late-night trains afterwards. I had only been to the Barclaycard Arena once before, and that was to see Status Quo in December of last year. With all the seats removed, apart from the fixed balcony-type seating where I was, the place suddenly seemed so much bigger than it had previously. Unsurprisingly, for a band of Iron Maiden's stature, the place was full.
Before the Irons took to the stage, the gathering crowd were treated to just under an hour of American rockers Shinedown, a band who are well-known in their own right. I saw the band a few years ago supporting Alter Bridge in Nottingham, but they have become much more popular since them. Despite having a few good songs, I have never really become a big fan of theirs. Their 'generic radio rock for the masses' is pretty bland on their whole, but they still managed to put on a decent show. They opened with Devour, a song I know quite well, and proceeded to play a collection of their well-known material; including many songs that I was familiar with. An early highlight was Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) which saw quite a lot of crowd interaction and there seemed to be quite a few in attendance who were familiar with the band. The thing that has always annoyed me about Shinedown however is frontman Brent Smith's over-earnest and lengthy speaches between songs about how heavy metal is a lifestyle (Shinedown would not know heavy metal if it slapped them in the face) and other needless clichés that might well go down well in American, a country known for being over-sentimental, but just come across as strange over here. Plus, it was clear even from where I was sitting, that Smith had a lot of vocal 'help' throughout the set. I would not necessarily accuse him of miming, but there really were a lot of vocals on the backing track! This is never good to see, and it certainly put a downer on the band's overall performance. That being said, you cannot deny the quality and memorability of many of the band's songs, and they are songs written for arenas. The setlist was:
Devour
Fly from the Inside
Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)
How Did You Love
Unity
Enemies
Second Chance
Cut the Cord
Sound of Madness
After the customary intro consisting of UFO's Doctor Doctor had been played over the PA, the lights went down and a short video was played before frontman Bruce Dickinson took the stage with a smoking cauldron and started singing If Eternity Should Fail from the latest album. When the whole band kicked in, it was clear that the crowd was going to be in for a good night as the sound was extremely clear and all six members of the band really seemed up for it. As this tour is promoting the material on The Book of Souls, a good portion of that album was played throughout the night, with older classics thrown in throughout. Speed of Light, also from the new album, was an early highlight, and saw both Adrian Smith (guitar/vocals) and Dave Murray (guitar) trading leads and solos throughout. The punky Wrathchild from the band's early days went down a storm, before the rarely played Children of the Damned also received a huge cheer. While all six of the guys on stage really gave their all, it was Dickinson that impressed the most. While his voice is not quite what it was, you could tell he was straining to reach some of the higher notes, he still put in a top-notch performance and showed why he is one of the best frontmen in the business. He had numerous hats, costumes, and props throughout the evening to help him and he put on a real show. The new material came across really well in the set and Death or Glory, which is one of the more 'to the point' songs on the new album, was also really well received. The new song that I felt was overlong was The Red and the Black, which has never been a favourite song of mine, but the wordless vocal sections were belted out by the crowd with plenty of enthusiasm. The stone cold classic The Trooper predictably received one of the biggest reactions of the night, and Dickinson rushed around the top of the stage in his red coat and armed with his trusty Union Flag. He even tied up Janick Gers (guitar) with it at one point which was fun to see, and showed the chemistry the two have. Much is made of Smith and Murray in Iron Maiden, but Gers sometimes get forgotten about. This is a shame as he is a real showman and is definitely the second most active on stage after Dickinson (although founding member and bassist Steve Harris runs him close!). Plus, his rawer guitar style is a great contrast to the more precise styles of the band's other two guitarists, and he helps to add some real rock and roll to proceedings. He particularly impressed on The Book of Souls, a song which he co-wrote. From the delicate acoustic guitar intro, to the hard-rocking second half of the song, Gers really showed what an asset he is to the band. Two real classics were wheeled out at the end, and Fear of the Dark probably saw the biggest sing-along of the night before the band's self-titled song brought the main set to a loud and energetic close. There was of course time for some more and The Number of the Beast got the encore section off to a strong start while a big , inflatable devil observed from the rear of the stage. The newer number Blood Brothers also proved to be a big sing-along, before the evening came to and end with Smith's Wasted Years a song which is just packed full of great guitar playing. The setlist was:
If Eternity Should Fail
Speed of Light
Wrathchild
Children of the Damned
Death or Glory
The Red and the Black
The Trooper
Powerslave
The Great Unknown
The Book of Souls
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden
-
The Number of the Beast
Blood Brothers
Wasted Years
Overall, this was a top night of high quality melodic metal from one of the all-time legends of the genre. I had been waiting many years to see Iron Maiden live so I am happy that I have finally had the opportunity to do so and they did not disappoint. I imagine that this will be seen as one of my gigs of the year come December, and it would definitely deserve that accolade.
Before the Irons took to the stage, the gathering crowd were treated to just under an hour of American rockers Shinedown, a band who are well-known in their own right. I saw the band a few years ago supporting Alter Bridge in Nottingham, but they have become much more popular since them. Despite having a few good songs, I have never really become a big fan of theirs. Their 'generic radio rock for the masses' is pretty bland on their whole, but they still managed to put on a decent show. They opened with Devour, a song I know quite well, and proceeded to play a collection of their well-known material; including many songs that I was familiar with. An early highlight was Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) which saw quite a lot of crowd interaction and there seemed to be quite a few in attendance who were familiar with the band. The thing that has always annoyed me about Shinedown however is frontman Brent Smith's over-earnest and lengthy speaches between songs about how heavy metal is a lifestyle (Shinedown would not know heavy metal if it slapped them in the face) and other needless clichés that might well go down well in American, a country known for being over-sentimental, but just come across as strange over here. Plus, it was clear even from where I was sitting, that Smith had a lot of vocal 'help' throughout the set. I would not necessarily accuse him of miming, but there really were a lot of vocals on the backing track! This is never good to see, and it certainly put a downer on the band's overall performance. That being said, you cannot deny the quality and memorability of many of the band's songs, and they are songs written for arenas. The setlist was:
Devour
Fly from the Inside
Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)
How Did You Love
Unity
Enemies
Second Chance
Cut the Cord
Sound of Madness
After the customary intro consisting of UFO's Doctor Doctor had been played over the PA, the lights went down and a short video was played before frontman Bruce Dickinson took the stage with a smoking cauldron and started singing If Eternity Should Fail from the latest album. When the whole band kicked in, it was clear that the crowd was going to be in for a good night as the sound was extremely clear and all six members of the band really seemed up for it. As this tour is promoting the material on The Book of Souls, a good portion of that album was played throughout the night, with older classics thrown in throughout. Speed of Light, also from the new album, was an early highlight, and saw both Adrian Smith (guitar/vocals) and Dave Murray (guitar) trading leads and solos throughout. The punky Wrathchild from the band's early days went down a storm, before the rarely played Children of the Damned also received a huge cheer. While all six of the guys on stage really gave their all, it was Dickinson that impressed the most. While his voice is not quite what it was, you could tell he was straining to reach some of the higher notes, he still put in a top-notch performance and showed why he is one of the best frontmen in the business. He had numerous hats, costumes, and props throughout the evening to help him and he put on a real show. The new material came across really well in the set and Death or Glory, which is one of the more 'to the point' songs on the new album, was also really well received. The new song that I felt was overlong was The Red and the Black, which has never been a favourite song of mine, but the wordless vocal sections were belted out by the crowd with plenty of enthusiasm. The stone cold classic The Trooper predictably received one of the biggest reactions of the night, and Dickinson rushed around the top of the stage in his red coat and armed with his trusty Union Flag. He even tied up Janick Gers (guitar) with it at one point which was fun to see, and showed the chemistry the two have. Much is made of Smith and Murray in Iron Maiden, but Gers sometimes get forgotten about. This is a shame as he is a real showman and is definitely the second most active on stage after Dickinson (although founding member and bassist Steve Harris runs him close!). Plus, his rawer guitar style is a great contrast to the more precise styles of the band's other two guitarists, and he helps to add some real rock and roll to proceedings. He particularly impressed on The Book of Souls, a song which he co-wrote. From the delicate acoustic guitar intro, to the hard-rocking second half of the song, Gers really showed what an asset he is to the band. Two real classics were wheeled out at the end, and Fear of the Dark probably saw the biggest sing-along of the night before the band's self-titled song brought the main set to a loud and energetic close. There was of course time for some more and The Number of the Beast got the encore section off to a strong start while a big , inflatable devil observed from the rear of the stage. The newer number Blood Brothers also proved to be a big sing-along, before the evening came to and end with Smith's Wasted Years a song which is just packed full of great guitar playing. The setlist was:
If Eternity Should Fail
Speed of Light
Wrathchild
Children of the Damned
Death or Glory
The Red and the Black
The Trooper
Powerslave
The Great Unknown
The Book of Souls
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden
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The Number of the Beast
Blood Brothers
Wasted Years
Overall, this was a top night of high quality melodic metal from one of the all-time legends of the genre. I had been waiting many years to see Iron Maiden live so I am happy that I have finally had the opportunity to do so and they did not disappoint. I imagine that this will be seen as one of my gigs of the year come December, and it would definitely deserve that accolade.
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