It's just over a year since last time the Italian goth-metallers pitched up in our fair city, and now they're back again - this time at the o2 Academy across town. Last year was a very low-key date; they brought no real stage show for their gig at the Masque (or Barfly as it was still known then), just themselves and their gear. This time they did bring a stage set and a few of those fancy LED strip lights often used by bands in arenas nowadays. However the downstairs part of the o2 Academy is not an arena, just a small venue and the place was absolutely packed as I got in, moments before the headliners hit the stage. The floor was completely full and there were people straining to see through the gaps in the wall near the bar, and on the steps. The turnout was probably sufficient to justify putting them on the larger upstairs floor; I've seen a few bands play that floor with less people present than the attendance this night so I do wonder why they had to play the lower floor. However in future, I'll get there sooner (!)
(In my defence, sometimes they tend to put the bands on late at the o2)
Although I strained to see and was often making use of the handy TV monitors that were showing the onstage action, the band gave a fine performance, crammed as they were on the tiny stage. Once again it was lead vocalist Cristina Scabbia who was the centre of attention, as she appeared on stage about a hundred digital cameras immediately trained on her. (Not guilty this time, Cristina - too far back!) It seemed to me that co-vocalist Andrea Ferro was more involved this time; he seemed a more peripheral figure last year but here he was right up alongside the Goth Goddess and it definitely came over more like a vocal team rather than him backing her up. Unlike most bands of this type, where the male vocal is mainly a 'death grunt', Ferro's cleaner style sat better with me. The crowd were definitely up for this show, Scabbia had no problems getting hands raised and clapping, and singing along, particularly when they played their cover of Depeche Mode's 'Enjoy The Silence'.
The band's style of alternative Metal is rather groove-orientated, built on the drumbeats of 'Criz' Mozzati and there are only limited use of guitar solos in the material, personally I like a good air guitar solo but shredding isn't really what Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi are about. The emphasis is very much on those heavy, rhythmical guitar riffs laying down the foundation for the two vocalists. As a result, it sometimes felt a bit one-dimensional to me however well they played; the only real change in tempo came when Scabbia sang the slower 'Wide Awake' mid-set. The set did feature songs old and new; as well as tracks from current album 'Shallow Life' they did earlier songs like 'Honeymoon Suite' (presumably nothing to do with the 80s AOR band!) and 'Half-life', which went down well with the faithful.
After just over an hour they ended their main set abruptly, so much so the crowd were a bit caught off-guard and didn't know whether or not to cheer for more for a few moments. They did reappear for two more songs, playing the catchy 'Spellbound' and 'Our Truth'. The latter was dedicated by Scabbia to the late Sophie Lancaster, while Ferro also dedicated it to the memory of former Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, pointing out it was 24 years to the day since the bus crash that killed him.
Once again then, a good gig from a band who you might expect to see in larger venues than this; their style is not completely to my taste but what they do, they do well, and in Cristina Scabbia they have a singer who can cross over to more traditional rock fans. Hopefully next time, if they do come here again, it is in the larger venue where they can be seen properly by everyone who shows up!
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Saturday 25 September 2010
Caught Live: Glenn Hughes; Picturedrome, Holmfirth 24 September 2010
Although I knew about this tour for several months, I only decided late on to go to the show at Holmfirth, a picturesque town in the West Riding of Yorkshire best known for being the setting for BBC sitcom 'Last Of The Summer Wine'. This is only the second time I've seen the self-styled Voice Of Rock live too; whenever he's played his homeland in recent years I've either been out of the country when he was around or he just hasn't been near this part of the world. He did play a show at Manchester University the night before, but as I've been there umpteen times I fancied a bit of a change of venue so the decision was made to venture out into Yorkshire to a venue I'd never visited before.
Despite the association with Cleggy, Compo and Foggy, Holmfirth's Picturedrome has been playing host to many top rock artists; Asia are frequent visitors and the likes of Joe Bonamassa have also played the venue. I got into the town at around 8:15 after a journey through some very steep hills to reach the place and found the venue reasonably quickly. Finding the way in was another matter! The front door was closed, and a sign told us to 'enter down the side of Lloyds TSB' (a nearby bank) Entering the venue down a dimly-lit side alley, we had to go past a bar first and negotiate the way past the hordes of drinkers to another room, where the door to the theatre itself actually was. Not the easiest of access, then but once in my impression of the place improved rapidly. The entrance was actually to the side of the stage, so once entering the floor the stage was immediately to my right and, even better, was not yet full! This despite it being close to showtime and the crew were already setting up for the headliner. The main hall is a reasonable size, about the same size as Manchester's Academy 3 but less cramped. There was a bar to the back of the hall, and a balcony, and the place looked appealingly old-fashioned despite being converted from a cinema to a rock music venue.
Glenn Hughes and his band came on just before 9pm, to generous cheers from the mainly 40-something crowd. Opening with the Hughes-Thrall favourite 'Muscle and Blood' he was right on top of his game from the word go; that voice in tip-top shape and his playing excellent. I often found myself watching his fingers - he's a very accomplished bassist although more renowned for his throat than his skill on the four-string. He had with him guitarist and (Scott Gorham circa 1978 lookalike) Søren Anderson, new drummer Pontus Engborg and keyboard player Anders Olinder. The latter looked somewhat out of place at the side of the stage in his white jacket, almost like a fan watching from the side while the other three gave it everything, but there was nothing wrong with his playing. A former colleague of Hughes may well have described that as 'a side order of keyboards' but unlike other side orders, he was fully visible and not placed behind a curtain.
Hughes promised us a 'rock and roll set' as opposed to previous tours where he pledged to be more funky, but when he rocks, he is funky and when he's funky, he rocks. That's just the way he is, whatever he plays his soulful influence is never far from the surface. It's probably that which keeps him popular too; he is a very intense, dynamic performer and your attention is always totally focused on the slightly-built bloke on the bass. He may be the Voice of Rock, the funkmeister, or whatever, but the sheer power of his delivery hits home harder than many current Metal bands who think that just being LOUD is enough.
The set delivered was a real mixed bag; including solo tracks from several albums, a few Purple favourites, a Trapeze number dedicated to former bandmate Mel Galley and even a track from the new Black Country Communion album which he made with such heavyweights as Joe Bonamassa and Jason Bonham. It seems odd that he's touring solo just as the album from his new band is hitting the shelves, but this tour was arranged months ago and Glenn seems to be on a mission to get out as much music as he can do. To quote from one of his own songs, he 'cannot stop the flood'. I would like to see him live with that stellar line-up at some point too, but the guys he had with him tonight gave great service. The drummer was even affectionately described by Hughes as 'Chad Smith's Son'!
The band played for almost two hours and ended with a fiery (pun intended) rendition of 'Burn' where Søren Anderson got to do a terrific impression of Blackmore's solos. He would stand out in most other bands, but here, it's all about the man from Cannock.
So, an excellent performance from the 58-year old Hughes. In a year where we've lost so many greats it's heartening to see someone from that era still at the very top of his game, and let's hope there'll be much more to come.
Thursday 2 September 2010
Mathew Street Festival Liverpool 2010
August Bank Holiday rolls around again and here in Liverpool that means the Mathew Street Festival. Seemingly now recovered from the 2007 debacle where the outdoor stages were cancelled at the eleventh hour, this year's event had the streets closed and the six outdoor stages setup on both the Sunday and the Monday. The event has attracted criticism as well as huge crowds, because of the emphasis on tribute bands (it grew from the annual Beatles convention which saw many bands from across the world arrive in Liverpool to play the music of the Fab Four), but this year the organisers have moved to address that by also adding a 'fringe' element showcasing new bands in indoor venues. As well as that they set aside one of the outdoor stages for new or original bands on the Sunday, however the main attraction is that there is something for everyone, and so the traditional line-up of tribute acts drew the large crowds once more. There's so much on that you cannot see it all, and so what I will write about here is the music I got to catch over the two days.
On the Sunday there was a stage devoted to the 1970s; with tributes playing the music of Squeeze, T.Rex, Roxy Music, KISS and even the Bay City Rollers (!) Hotter Than Hell, a European-based KISS tribute played at midday on this stage and drew a decent crowd. They've played this event before and came dressed as 'Love-Gun' era KISS complete with make-up, costumes and axe-shaped bass. Their 'Gene' was almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and they gave a short set even including 80s hits such as 'Lick It Up'. Their 'Paul' sometimes strained to reach the Stanley high notes, but let's be fair - that voice is not easy to pull off! So an entertaining start, even though they didn't have the pyro and effects of a real KISS show, they were fun all the same. However, I still prefer Dressed To Kill! Following that it was a trudge through the crowded streets to the Classic Albums stage; Guns 2 Roses were due on at 1pm and had an expectant crowd (estimated at around 5000) waiting. However they were held up by around 15 minutes (cue jibes at emulating the real Axl a bit TOO much!) and we learned this was because they had been stopped by the police on the motorway heading up to Liverpool! They were literally struggling through the crowds to make it onto the stage and managed to play a shortened set of only about 5 songs. That was a shame they had to shorten it, but it's a tight schedule at this event. We therefore got treated to 'It's So Easy', 'Paradise City', 'Sweet Child Of Mine' and 'Welcome To The Jungle' with hardly any chatter. There was however time for 'Axl' to let us all know they would be performing later that night at 'Revolver' a rock club just across the Mersey in Birkenhead. So yours truly noted that and made hasty plans to head over there that night!
Following that it was a choice between T.Rex tribute 'TooRex' on the 70s stage, or on another stage set up by the Superlambanana, was 'Are You Experienced' - a Hendrix tribute which has become an established act at the event. Hendrix won, and so I headed over there to watch guitarist John Campbell and his pals. When they concentrated on Jimi favourites they were good, but their set fell a bit flat at the inclusion of Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone'. I assume Jimi used to perform this song himself, but this was drawn out into an audience participation slot and in a short set, that's a mistake. Just deliver the hits! With all these acts, they're used to playing for longer in bars and clubs, so it really doesn't pay to do something like that. When 'Hendrix' or John Campbell did the favourites like 'Purple Haze' and 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' he and his band went down better. After this set I took a break as standing up straight for hours does my back no favours at all, and headed for a bite to eat and a sit down. The last act I wanted to see that day was 'Mercury'; a Queen tribute who were slated to play on the main stage sited near the Mersey Tunnel. This stage was themed on Live Aid and had tributes to many of the well-known bands who played that day. Usually Queen are represented by the Argentinian band 'Dios Salve a la Reina' but this year we got a different tribute band. However, their approach and look is the same as almost everyone else who performs as Queen - put the singer in that yellow jacket and white trousers and give the guitarist a Red Special copy! So many tributes to Freddie focus only on that 1986 look, and from this fan's viewpoint I'd like to see one of them dress as he did, say circa 1978. Anything to change the constant stream of yellow jackets! Singer Joseph Lee Jackson did do a creditable performance as Freddie, he has the moves (and particularly that swishing right arm) down pat, and has a powerful voice. He hasn't got Freddie's range (but who has?) and sounds more like later-era Mercury than the earlier incarnation, but he did do the hits justice in my view. Despite being a Live-Aid themed stage, the set Mercury gave included later hits like 'I Want It All'. To their credit, they, like Dios Salve A La Reina, do the whole of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' live - including the 'Galileo' bit which even the real Queen never did live. It does help when you've got about 50000 backing vocalists in the audience, of course! The crowd at the main stage was enormous, so much so I had no hope of getting anywhere near the stage so I watched it from the back! In fact, I was closer to the stage when Queen played their last gig ever (at Knebworth) than I was this day!
Later that night I did make the trip over to Birkenhead to see Guns 2 Roses; the venue (Revolver) puts the bands on so late though, that it was midnight when they finally appeared! That means that for me, it is necessary to drive to the place as there's no realistic way of getting back over to our side at 2am in the morning. The fact that there was a big stage at the exit of the Queensway tunnel also meant a diversion through the new tunnel further up the Wirral, but the trip was worthwhile to see the band play a much longer set even including a couple of 'Chinese Democracy' tracks! For GnR fans who are disillusioned with Axl's antics and revolving door line-ups, try these guys - you'll get a full set and they will turn up (traffic police permitting!) and play!
The next day turned out to be a scorcher, I'd expected rain but the sunshine brought the crowds out in huge numbers. I was later getting into town than the previous day, and the first act I saw was local blues legend Connie Lush. She's been around the scene for many years, and has won multiple awards. She showed us why during her short set on the 'Female Singers' stage, demonstrating a phenomenal range and power. Although she is a little too purist 'blues' to my Metallic tastes, there's no denying she is amazing. She and her band 'Blues Shouter' play frequently across the country and abroad, worth catching when in the area.
Following that, I took a bit of a chance (!) while resplendent in a Led Zep T-shirt, and headed over to the 'Modfest' stage. This celebrated the 1960s Mod era with tributes to such acts as The Kinks and the Small Faces, but among this line-up was one Bruce Foxton - the genuine article with his sort-of tribute band From The Jam. When he put this band together he had original Jam drummer Rick Buckler along for the ride, but the sticksman has since left the act and nowadays Mark Brzezicki (once of Big Country) is in the drum stool. The crowd at this stage was substantial, with what I suspect were Anfield Road End regulars from the 1980s packing the front! Chants of 'We Are The Mods' emanated from that area all through the set, as the band (featuring Weller soundalike Russell Hastings) ran through a crowd-pleasing set including virtually all the Jam's hits. Fortunately no-one pulled up your correspondent for the choice of T-shirt (although it's long enough ago now to confess, I once saw the Jam in 1981) but, powerchords are powerchords whether played by a bloke in a suit or in denim and leather! The irony of hearing 'Start' (which is a blatant rip-off of The Beatles' 'Taxman') played at an event that has its roots in Beatles celebration was not lost on me, nor was it lost when they played 'Eton Rifles' - David Cameron's favourite song of course and presumably one liked by fellow Eton pupil Iago Foxton - Bruce's son! Those old songs were politically charged but now, it's just a nostalgia trip and one that did go down great with the crowd to be fair. For all that, I wouldn't go and see them live indoors - doubtful the crowd there would be quite so tolerant of a Metal fan - even after all this time!
After that energetic set, it was straight over to the Classic Albums stage for another one - by 'Nervana'. These guys had travelled across the Atlantic to play this event, although not Seattle (they hail from Boston) they played tracks from the 'Nevermind' album to an enthusiastic and large crowd. Their 'Kurt' lost some accuracy points from me though; not because he was right-handed (I can accept that!) but he looked far too healthy to be Cobain, plus he had clearly washed his hair and shaved! Tut-tut, you've got to look like you've been eaten and thrown up to carry off the Kurt look!
That said, they played great - 'Teen Spirit' went over really well as you'd expect and they even did 'Endless, Nameless' (the hidden track). So although I blame Kurt for just about everything that went wrong with the rock scene in the 1990s and since, this was a good one.
Following that, I was going to call it a day but decided to wind down by watching at least one Beatles tribute at the festival they inspired. There were two stages devoted to Beatles music on the Monday; one concentrated on the early period and the other on their later output. The dividing point was 'Revolver' and so the last band on the 'early Beatles' stage were to perform that album. Handily, the band were themselves called Revolver! Hailing from Dundee, they played all the album from 'Taxman' (it was nice to hear that song after hearing 'Start' earlier!) through to 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. As they had a few minutes to spare at the end, the compere allowed them an encore and told them it didn't matter what song they played as long as it was early Beatles - so they ended the day with a rendition of 'All My Loving'. It was noticeably more laidback in this crowd than for the other sets I saw, but that was a good thing from my point of view since I was fit to drop by that point! All the members of Revolver took lead vocals, although not always the ones you expected - the bassist took lead on 'Yellow Submarine' for example, and the drummer sang several songs.
So that was my Mathew Street Festival for 2010; once again it proved to be a massive draw for people far and wide, and it's to be hoped next year is as successful. As I write, I read that the local council are actively seeking sponsorship for next year's event - fingers crossed that a media partner gets involved (I'm looking at you, Radio City and Granada TV!) as that would help push it still further.
On the Sunday there was a stage devoted to the 1970s; with tributes playing the music of Squeeze, T.Rex, Roxy Music, KISS and even the Bay City Rollers (!) Hotter Than Hell, a European-based KISS tribute played at midday on this stage and drew a decent crowd. They've played this event before and came dressed as 'Love-Gun' era KISS complete with make-up, costumes and axe-shaped bass. Their 'Gene' was almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and they gave a short set even including 80s hits such as 'Lick It Up'. Their 'Paul' sometimes strained to reach the Stanley high notes, but let's be fair - that voice is not easy to pull off! So an entertaining start, even though they didn't have the pyro and effects of a real KISS show, they were fun all the same. However, I still prefer Dressed To Kill! Following that it was a trudge through the crowded streets to the Classic Albums stage; Guns 2 Roses were due on at 1pm and had an expectant crowd (estimated at around 5000) waiting. However they were held up by around 15 minutes (cue jibes at emulating the real Axl a bit TOO much!) and we learned this was because they had been stopped by the police on the motorway heading up to Liverpool! They were literally struggling through the crowds to make it onto the stage and managed to play a shortened set of only about 5 songs. That was a shame they had to shorten it, but it's a tight schedule at this event. We therefore got treated to 'It's So Easy', 'Paradise City', 'Sweet Child Of Mine' and 'Welcome To The Jungle' with hardly any chatter. There was however time for 'Axl' to let us all know they would be performing later that night at 'Revolver' a rock club just across the Mersey in Birkenhead. So yours truly noted that and made hasty plans to head over there that night!
Following that it was a choice between T.Rex tribute 'TooRex' on the 70s stage, or on another stage set up by the Superlambanana, was 'Are You Experienced' - a Hendrix tribute which has become an established act at the event. Hendrix won, and so I headed over there to watch guitarist John Campbell and his pals. When they concentrated on Jimi favourites they were good, but their set fell a bit flat at the inclusion of Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone'. I assume Jimi used to perform this song himself, but this was drawn out into an audience participation slot and in a short set, that's a mistake. Just deliver the hits! With all these acts, they're used to playing for longer in bars and clubs, so it really doesn't pay to do something like that. When 'Hendrix' or John Campbell did the favourites like 'Purple Haze' and 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)' he and his band went down better. After this set I took a break as standing up straight for hours does my back no favours at all, and headed for a bite to eat and a sit down. The last act I wanted to see that day was 'Mercury'; a Queen tribute who were slated to play on the main stage sited near the Mersey Tunnel. This stage was themed on Live Aid and had tributes to many of the well-known bands who played that day. Usually Queen are represented by the Argentinian band 'Dios Salve a la Reina' but this year we got a different tribute band. However, their approach and look is the same as almost everyone else who performs as Queen - put the singer in that yellow jacket and white trousers and give the guitarist a Red Special copy! So many tributes to Freddie focus only on that 1986 look, and from this fan's viewpoint I'd like to see one of them dress as he did, say circa 1978. Anything to change the constant stream of yellow jackets! Singer Joseph Lee Jackson did do a creditable performance as Freddie, he has the moves (and particularly that swishing right arm) down pat, and has a powerful voice. He hasn't got Freddie's range (but who has?) and sounds more like later-era Mercury than the earlier incarnation, but he did do the hits justice in my view. Despite being a Live-Aid themed stage, the set Mercury gave included later hits like 'I Want It All'. To their credit, they, like Dios Salve A La Reina, do the whole of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' live - including the 'Galileo' bit which even the real Queen never did live. It does help when you've got about 50000 backing vocalists in the audience, of course! The crowd at the main stage was enormous, so much so I had no hope of getting anywhere near the stage so I watched it from the back! In fact, I was closer to the stage when Queen played their last gig ever (at Knebworth) than I was this day!
Later that night I did make the trip over to Birkenhead to see Guns 2 Roses; the venue (Revolver) puts the bands on so late though, that it was midnight when they finally appeared! That means that for me, it is necessary to drive to the place as there's no realistic way of getting back over to our side at 2am in the morning. The fact that there was a big stage at the exit of the Queensway tunnel also meant a diversion through the new tunnel further up the Wirral, but the trip was worthwhile to see the band play a much longer set even including a couple of 'Chinese Democracy' tracks! For GnR fans who are disillusioned with Axl's antics and revolving door line-ups, try these guys - you'll get a full set and they will turn up (traffic police permitting!) and play!The next day turned out to be a scorcher, I'd expected rain but the sunshine brought the crowds out in huge numbers. I was later getting into town than the previous day, and the first act I saw was local blues legend Connie Lush. She's been around the scene for many years, and has won multiple awards. She showed us why during her short set on the 'Female Singers' stage, demonstrating a phenomenal range and power. Although she is a little too purist 'blues' to my Metallic tastes, there's no denying she is amazing. She and her band 'Blues Shouter' play frequently across the country and abroad, worth catching when in the area.
Following that, I took a bit of a chance (!) while resplendent in a Led Zep T-shirt, and headed over to the 'Modfest' stage. This celebrated the 1960s Mod era with tributes to such acts as The Kinks and the Small Faces, but among this line-up was one Bruce Foxton - the genuine article with his sort-of tribute band From The Jam. When he put this band together he had original Jam drummer Rick Buckler along for the ride, but the sticksman has since left the act and nowadays Mark Brzezicki (once of Big Country) is in the drum stool. The crowd at this stage was substantial, with what I suspect were Anfield Road End regulars from the 1980s packing the front! Chants of 'We Are The Mods' emanated from that area all through the set, as the band (featuring Weller soundalike Russell Hastings) ran through a crowd-pleasing set including virtually all the Jam's hits. Fortunately no-one pulled up your correspondent for the choice of T-shirt (although it's long enough ago now to confess, I once saw the Jam in 1981) but, powerchords are powerchords whether played by a bloke in a suit or in denim and leather! The irony of hearing 'Start' (which is a blatant rip-off of The Beatles' 'Taxman') played at an event that has its roots in Beatles celebration was not lost on me, nor was it lost when they played 'Eton Rifles' - David Cameron's favourite song of course and presumably one liked by fellow Eton pupil Iago Foxton - Bruce's son! Those old songs were politically charged but now, it's just a nostalgia trip and one that did go down great with the crowd to be fair. For all that, I wouldn't go and see them live indoors - doubtful the crowd there would be quite so tolerant of a Metal fan - even after all this time!
After that energetic set, it was straight over to the Classic Albums stage for another one - by 'Nervana'. These guys had travelled across the Atlantic to play this event, although not Seattle (they hail from Boston) they played tracks from the 'Nevermind' album to an enthusiastic and large crowd. Their 'Kurt' lost some accuracy points from me though; not because he was right-handed (I can accept that!) but he looked far too healthy to be Cobain, plus he had clearly washed his hair and shaved! Tut-tut, you've got to look like you've been eaten and thrown up to carry off the Kurt look!That said, they played great - 'Teen Spirit' went over really well as you'd expect and they even did 'Endless, Nameless' (the hidden track). So although I blame Kurt for just about everything that went wrong with the rock scene in the 1990s and since, this was a good one.
Following that, I was going to call it a day but decided to wind down by watching at least one Beatles tribute at the festival they inspired. There were two stages devoted to Beatles music on the Monday; one concentrated on the early period and the other on their later output. The dividing point was 'Revolver' and so the last band on the 'early Beatles' stage were to perform that album. Handily, the band were themselves called Revolver! Hailing from Dundee, they played all the album from 'Taxman' (it was nice to hear that song after hearing 'Start' earlier!) through to 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. As they had a few minutes to spare at the end, the compere allowed them an encore and told them it didn't matter what song they played as long as it was early Beatles - so they ended the day with a rendition of 'All My Loving'. It was noticeably more laidback in this crowd than for the other sets I saw, but that was a good thing from my point of view since I was fit to drop by that point! All the members of Revolver took lead vocals, although not always the ones you expected - the bassist took lead on 'Yellow Submarine' for example, and the drummer sang several songs.So that was my Mathew Street Festival for 2010; once again it proved to be a massive draw for people far and wide, and it's to be hoped next year is as successful. As I write, I read that the local council are actively seeking sponsorship for next year's event - fingers crossed that a media partner gets involved (I'm looking at you, Radio City and Granada TV!) as that would help push it still further.
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