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Most bands hate it when they are pigenholed into rigid 'genres' of music; I dare say the bands on tonight are no exception. That said, they are all firmly categorised as 'power metal' and that gives the listener a very good idea of what they will sound like, especially since your correspondent knew little about any of these acts. It mattered not, since the music was exactly what I'd come to hear; soaring vocals, speedy drumming, widdly guitar solos and lots of keyboards in the mix. Power Metal, as a genre, can be traced directly back to the glory days of Rainbow when Blackmore and Dio reigned supreme, so despite not having been well-briefed on any of the bands I expected to enjoy the fare on offer.
I had, however, reckoned without the venue's facilities! It's been a long time since I last visited Rockworld, and I soon remembered why once entering the venue. The view from the main floor is badly obstructed by a large pillar, the stage itself has little elevation, so unless you are Peter Crouch (or better, Reed Richards) you won't see a lot on the stage. In addition to this, when openers Eden's Curse were on, they were themselves cursed by a PA that was doing a passable impression of the Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town (google it, those of you who are not British/under 40 years old!). Every time a bassy bit kicked in... FRRRRPPPPP! It frustrated vocalist Michael Eden to the point where he and the band decided that enough was enough and abruptly ended their set, with an angry broadside at the sound system.
That was a shame, they were playing well and I thought he was a decent singer, when not being thrown off by the flatulent speakers.
Firewind were up next, it did appear that the sound system had improved for their set, but it was still hard to make out vocalist Apollo Papathanasio over the deluge. Once again, they played exactly what I expected, with lots of opportunities to break out the air guitar.
They were also experiencing technical difficulties though, and they also cut their set short. They promised to return soon and play a full show, if that happens let's hope it is at a different venue!
There was a long delay in turning the stage over for the headliners, a cynical observer (raises hand!) might have concluded that the venue management had gone back to Cash Converters to get a refund on their dodgy PA system! They did spend a long time in preparing things, so it was close on 10pm by the time Stratovarius came on the stage. As said at the top of this blog, I know little about the band, other than they feature one-time Yngwie (and Dio) keyboard player Jens Johansson, and that their guitarist and main creative source Timo Tolkki controversially exited the band a few years previously, not only that but he signed over all rights to the band name to the remaining members! To an outsider, that's akin to David Coverdale leaving Whitesnake and telling the other guys to get on with it! Nevertheless, what matters is the band today and so I settled into my spot close to the dreaded pillar, to watch the guys go through their paces.
Vocalist Timo Kotipelto had been suffering from illness during this tour, but sounded in good voice tonight. Not being familiar with their material, I found myself constantly searching for and finding reference points; e.g. the singer's moves were Dio-esque, but bassist Lauri Porra was reminiscent of Iron Maiden's Steve Harris, up at the front of the stage with the singer, getting the crowd going. Jens Johansson looked more like he should be lecturing a class of computer science students at Manchester University, but his playing is a large component of the band's sound. He and guitarist Matias Kupiainen added the 'nerd factor' to the stage, resplendent in their glasses (so speaks a nerd-fan, LOL!). Finland must have a factory somewhere which produces these lightning-fingered shred guitarists, it seems that they can interchange one for another and barely miss an arpeggio! There really does look like there's an endless supply of these guys coming out of the land of a thousand lakes, it's an air guitarist's dream!
The band played for just over an hour, mixing new songs from 'Polaris' with classics, but the only moshpit of the whole night came at the end, when they closed with 'Black Diamond'. I stayed well clear of it, not mixing it with that lot in this place where you're only one slam away from a concrete pillar, not at my age! They went off to big cheers, and as a parting gesture Kotipelto got the crowd to count to four... in Finnish! (I've forgotten the lesson I'm afraid, if any of my Finnish friends are reading!)
All in all a good bill of Power Metal, but I really wish this gig had been held at the Academy 3 in the nearby University. The facilities there are infinitely better, their PA is reliable, and you can see the band from anywhere in the hall. Rockworld is totally inadequate as a music venue, and it does take away the enjoyment of a gig when you can't see properly and worse, suffer a sub-standard sound system. We pay enough to see gigs in this day and age, is it too much to expect we get a decent facility in which to see bands?
As a footnote, I grabbed a quick word with Eden's Curse vocalist Michael Eden while buying his band's CD; he once again apologised for the bad PA and also expressed a wish to play another show soon. Being cheeky, I told him to come to our end of the M62!! ;-)
I do recommend all three bands, but do not recommend Rockworld to see them in!
One of the hardest-working acts on the tribute circuit, Limehouse Lizzy never seem to stop touring, bringing the music of the late Phil Lynott's band to fans the length and breadth of the country. It's been a while since I saw them last, so it's about time I did a write-up of one of their gigs! They played at the Citadel, a small theatre in St Helens (traditionally Lancashire, so it's a near-homecoming for Lancastrian frontman Wayne Ellis). The venue is cosy to say the least, a small standing area but with a seated balcony above, it probably holds about 400 people at the most. The evening started with support act Evenhand; just two guys, one on double bass, one singing and playing acoustic guitar. They went over well, and played great, but not really to my taste.
With it being such a small place, it was pretty easy to get right up to the stage. The guys came on and ran through a set of Lizzy favourites and hits, usually they do one or two more obscure numbers but on this occasion it was classics all the way. All played superbly well, although I was never lucky enough to see Thin Lizzy when Phil was around I can understand why so many say it's the next best thing.
Guitarist Greg Alcock nails Robbo's iconic solo in 'Still In Love With You'; frontman Wayne Ellis, although not looking particularly like Lynott, has that same easygoing stage presence. Having seen the 'other' Lizzy fairly recently, and noting that their drummer Tommy Aldridge tended to play so hard that it impacted on the Lizzy music, it is a pleasure to report that Limehouse drummer Andy Fox is more attuned to the true Brian Downey style. It's a far more natural groove. The only non-Lizzy song they do is 'Out In The Fields'; a hit for Gary Moore and Phil Lynott back in the mid-80s. Here, Tim Read sings the Moore parts, although the lead solo is handled by Greg Alcock.
They left to tumultuous cheers, high-fives exchanged between band and audience, although not before Wayne made sure we all remembered why we were here, namechecking 'one of the greatest rock 'n' rollers who ever lived' to another big cheer. Limehouse are doing a cracking job of keeping alive Lynott's music, long may they continue to rock!
Limehouse official site with tour info
Limehouse Lizzy on MySpace
I never learn: whenever I go to the Barfly I always get there handy and drive down. I should get the bus, head for The Swan (a well-known real ale pub popular with bikers) and sink a few scoops instead, before heading into the venue. That way, I'd miss the support bands that they always have on, and they are nearly always utter cak! Tonight was no exception, I got in to find a bunch of kids on stage (they called themselves Tied Up - they should be. And shot!), attempting sleaze rock when they can barely string three chords together! They couldn't string much of a lyric together, either. Even an old sleazedog like me cringed in embarrassment at their effort which celebrated the well-endowed woman (chorus went: 'she's got tits, she's got tits, she's got GREAT BIG F**K OFF TITS!'). Have a listen to 'Whole Lotta Rosie' kids, and learn from the master how it should be done.
Mercifully that ended, and before long I had an Ashes To Ashes moment: looking up at the stage I could have sworn it was Vince Neil up there! With a band that all sported haircuts last seen on the Strip circa 1981, it really looked we'd gone back in time. I half-expected Gene Hunt to walk in! They went by the name of Hollywood Tease; although they were a vast improvement on what came before, it still wasn't great. All the right moves were made by 'Vince' and they did, to be fair, get a bit of a crowd going, but it was just clichéd trash rock of the kind that went out with spandex. I feared for the health of their guitarist, I think his instrument weighed more than he did and he looked like a tattooed toothpick! The timewarp only lasted around 30 minutes, before they took their coiffured barnets off the stage to make way for the headliners.
Where most bands endure line-up changes, Heaven's Basement endure name changes! Known previously as Roadstar, and before that Hurricane Party, they have demonstrated commendable resilience in the face of some trying times. Effectively they started over after a managerial split, with a harder-hitting sound and less emphasis on the 'glam rock' image. Tonight they were in great form, I was especially impressed by vocalist Richie Hevanz. He is singing well (ably backed by guitarist Jonny Rocker), and is now a far more accomplished frontman than he was in the Roadstar days. Whereas before, he came across as looking pleased even to be on a stage, he is now more commanding, more assertive, in short he looks the part! The band played a short set of around 45 minutes, during that time they easily won over the small crowd and displayed poise and professionalism, something that only comes with extensive gigging experience.
Heaven's Basement and in particular their singer, are already stars. They just have to show it to everyone else now!
Sorry, no pics! In my dash to get out I left the camera at home... doh!By way of complete contrast to the night before, the four original members of Asia returned to this area, appearing at the newly-rebuilt Floral Pavilion. New Brighton is more associated with sticks of rock than rock legends; the UK tour was dubbed 'A Night At The Theatre' with the band playing all-seater venues. With the venue being so new, I half-expected to have to wipe my feet at the door (!)
Although I've seen this band a few times now, and know that they come on early, I still was caught out by the start. After a quick dash through the Wallasey Tunnel, I got there bang on 8pm. I got in to find them already on and playing the Yes song 'Roundabout'. I reckon I missed about ten minutes of the show then, and as I didn't hear the parp-tastic 'Only Time Will Tell', I'm assuming it came very early in the set! Still, all things considered, I'm not complaining ;-)
I do find seated gigs are harder to get into; I much prefer to stand in a crowd, and it does have a completely different atmosphere. After each song, the guys were given generous applause then it was total silence, as though everyone thought that they had to be on their best behaviour in a posh new theatre! Not quite the rock 'n' roll experience of the previous night's AC/DC gig then, but the sheer quality of the music more than made up for that. The set I saw was a similar structure to that played on last year's tour, broken into two parts with a short intermission. As with last year, the Asia favourites were interspersed with one song from each of the four members' previous bands. There was one surprise when it came to Geoff 'Buggles' Downes's turn; I expected the lamé jacket and shades for 'Video Killed The Radio Star' but instead, they chose to play 'Living In The Plastic Age'. Some songs from the recent 'Phoenix' album were played too, and as ever, both Steve Howe and Carl Palmer were given extended solo spots. One highlight for me was that they chose to play 'Don't Cry' from the 'Alpha' album semi-acoustically, in a format similar to that performed in 2006. I like the 'full' rendition too, but this version does work well live, involving the crowd in the chorus.
When I saw the band last year I raved about their musicianship and the way they seemed to enjoy playing off each other. It was the same this time around, they just belong together on stage. Bassist/vocalist John Wetton looked and sounded in great shape, now totally recovered from his heart scares he is probably playing and singing better than ever.
So, although it could not have been more different a gig experience to the raw AC/DC show of the previous night, it was just as enjoyable.
Another high-quality performance from an excellent band made up of top-drawer musicians, ignore the other high-profile 80s stars who are reforming for one last hurrah and go and see a proper 80s band!
In this day and age, a 54-year-old bloke dressed as a schoolboy, doing a striptease, would normally be arrested on the spot.
Not so for Angus Young, whose antics are a regular part of any AC/DC concert along with the Hell's Bell and the cannons, and of course the massively inflated 'Rosie' figure (!)
AC/DC have been away for far too long, and there have been strong hints from 61-year-old vocalist Brian Johnson that he is ready to call it a day. After this terrific show, let's hope he is reconsidering! He was in magnificent form, putting to shame many much younger guys. There was tremendous excitement in the MEN Arena this night, it had been the best part of a decade since last they visited the venue and demand for this show, as with all the others on the tour, far outstripped supply. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy tickets immediately when they went on sale last autumn, so avoided any dealings with scalpers. The atmosphere was charged further with an animated film, showing a 'runaway train' driven by a devilish caricature of Angus, heading at great speed towards the city. It being AC/DC, this film was packed with saucy innuendo which I won't describe here, but wouldn't have been out of place in a Benny Hill sketch (!) The film ended, the screen parted and revealed a large 'locomotive' which served as the main stage prop for the night. Of course, they then opened their show with 'Rock and Roll Train'!
From start to finish there was an atmosphere of celebration in the crowd, the band played a set which included (by my reckoning) FIVE songs from the current album 'Black Ice'; that's unusual for AC/DC who normally play two or three new ones, then pack the set with classics and a few from more recent albums. This time, with the exception of 'Thunderstruck' and finale 'For Those About To Rock', everything else played was from the albums up to and including 'Back In Black'. Even so, with a set so packed with familiar material, they still left out such gems as 'Sin City', 'Bad Boy Boogie' and 'Touch Too Much'. This was probably my only issue with the show, that even approaching two hours, it wasn't long enough! All the usual boxes were ticked, the aforementioned strip from Angus (including flashing the 'AC/DC' emblazoned boxer shorts), the Hells Bell descended from the ceiling for Brian to swing on, the cannons fired, and when it came to 'Whole Lotta Rosie', there she was, larger than life, actually sat astride the 'Rock 'n' Roll Train'! There was an enormous stage ramp for Brian and Angus to run up and down on, the end of which elevated for Angus to do his lying down soloing bit. Needless to say, the other three (rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Phil Rudd) were stationed at the back 'all night long', providing the solid platform for the two frontmen. The only real evidence of the passing of years was with Cliff Williams, whose long brown hair has now turned completely grey!
All in all, this was an exhibition in how to do an arena rock show. I've seen many bands on the MEN arena stage, and plenty pack the place out, but very few can exhiliarate a crowd so totally the way AC/DC can. They're the ultimate stadium rock act, and it is to be hoped that this is not quite the 'end of the line' for the 'rock & roll train'.
Support was provided by Downpatrick's finest, The Answer. They've done pretty much this whole tour with the Aussie legends, gaining more valuable exposure along the way. They played this show with a stand-in drummer, as regular sticksman James Heatley is sidelined with a tendon injury. Considering that he must have only had a day or so to prepare, he did well. The band only get half an hour and I was just getting started, when they ended their set! The Answer are starting to look more at home in the big venues themselves, with the support slots they've had allied to their strong work ethic, I see no reason why they should not be playing such venues in their own right within a few more years.
In a week when one of the UK's finest rock bands announced that they were to call it a day (Thunder), it's good to see that another veteran British band is still going strong, even after coming back from a retirement of their own - long before Thunder even started!
Quo are part of the furniture; they've been around that long that you see several generations in their audiences, from pensioners to poppets. Admittedly it is the older crowd that is the majority here, so much so that even I felt young at this gig! They play around 200 shows a year still, incredible when you consider that mainmen Rossi and Parfitt must be pushing 60 now, and have a history of rock 'n' roll excess that is up there with the likes of Ozzy! Nowadays totally clean and sober, they're probably playing better than ever. They should be, since they're getting enough practice! 
The band came on stage at around 8:30, opening with perennial favourite 'Caroline'. They've changed their ways a lot since I first saw them in the 1980s; time was they would trot out the same set regardless of the album that they were meant to be promoting, now it encompasses almost their entire career. They even do 'Pictures of Matchstick Men' and 'Ice In The Sun'!! They tried to fit in as much as they could during their two hours, that did mean resorting to a lengthy medley of some of their classics but it was a real effort to please as many as possible. Some things don't change though; 'Frame' (Rossi) still has his silly ponytail (cut it before it goes completely, Frame!!) and his onstage banter between songs rambles as wildly as ever! He still can play that Telecaster, though; he's not exactly Jani Liimatainen but is nevertheless very underrated as a guitarist.
It's Parfitt though, who is the heartbeat of the band (term used advisedly given his well-publicised health scares!) It's those hard-charging, driving riffs that make the band still sound surprisingly solid. He is joined on guitar occasionally by keyboard player Andrew Bown, a relative newcomer to the band having joined officially in 1976. When not tinkling the ivories or strumming another Telecaster, he plays harmonica (whatever did happen to Bob Young? 
) Matthew Letley does seem to play well within himself though, it's as though he is holding back so as not to overshadow the main men. He does just enough to drive the band along, as though he were driving a classic car but never swamps the sound. Only when he played a short drum solo did he really open his shoulders and cut loose; I'd prefer a little more of that in the set itself personally but I do accept that too much can ruin the live sound. It's just a touch too polite for me!
They finished the main set with 'Rocking All Over the World' (of course) and a short encore included 'Bye Bye Johnny', just as it did in Milton Keynes 25 years (gasp!) ago. All in all it was an entertaining evening, as you'd expect from a band who must be regarded as living legends. I still wish they'd played '4500 times' though!
Status Quo, not just a Great British Institution, but a bloody good live act!
On the eve of this tour, the unthinkable loomed: Thunder were to tour without Harry James! The band's website had announced that the irrepressible sticksman was forced to withdraw from the shows, he'd been diagnosed with kidney stones (owwwwieee!).
At extremely short notice, the band recruited John Tonks in Harry's place, and played the first date at Exeter. The next night, the band were due to play a sold-out show at the Manchester Academy, this was the only date yours truly could make this time around. Word came through that Harry was *in the building*, and so it proved, shortly after 9pm when the guys came on stage, and that familiar figure took his spot at the drumkit, Harry - back!
They were greeted like homecoming heroes, Harry especially, as they commenced their set.
This time around, Thunder have a new album 'Bang' to promote, and played their customary solid set, mixing old and new material. They opened with the lead-off from 'Bang', a rant set to music called 'On The Radio' which takes aim at the 'business' in general for not giving the band much in exposure down the years. The packed crowd were into it from the off; this song contains a 'f- you!' which was delivered, with relish, by the crowd after some 'wait for it!' prompts from singer/master of ceremonies Danny Bowes. It was one of those nights where Thunder could do no wrong, MC Bowes once again had them in the palm of his hand. It never ceases to amaze me how good he is at controlling a crowd, as well as being one of the best singers in the business he is a born showman, a leader.
I rave-reviewed their last show at this place last year, when the Academy was a building site. It was essentially more of the same this time round, but in a completed (and much-improved) venue rather than a hard hat area!
The new songs went over as well as the oldies, suggesting many present had already got the 'Bang' CD, but they brought back some of my personal favourite old songs in this set, including the stunning 'Don't Wait For Me', the epic 'Empty City' and the one that tops my favourite songs list: 'Higher Ground'. I only wish I could have seen more of the shows on this tour; I always enjoy Thunder's shows but this one especially so. Basically, see last years' write up and multiply it by two, you might have an idea of how great it was! ;-)
Support came from Get Vegas and Heaven's Basement; I'd missed Get Vegas by the time I got to Manchester (sorry lads, but that's what happens when there's a home game at Anfield!) but I did see Heaven's Basement. Previously known as Roadstar, they've started again after some business-related hassles. They played to an already full crowd, and went over very well. I never really got Roadstar until I'd seen them a few times but this was a definite step up. Singer Richie Heavnz has matured into a more assured frontman and the band are a notch or two heavier than in their previous life. I would like to see the guys again in the near future.
All in all then, a great night for lovers of rock like it used to be; to think that less than a decade ago, Thunder were calling it a day after repeatedly bashing their heads against the music business wall, now here they are, selling the Academy out with very little publicity. If this upward trend continues, they could well be doing the arenas soon, this time as headliners! (We've got one here now lads - oh you know that, you played it in July!)
Go and see Thunder next time they come anywhere near you!
Set list (thanks Thinny!!)
Backstreet Symphony
On The Radio
Carol Ann
Low Life In High Places
The Devil Made Me Do It
Empty City
Dirty Dream
Love Walked In
Stormwater
Can't Keep A Good Man Down
Don't Wait For Me
I Love You More Than Rock 'n' Roll
Encore:
Candy Man
Higher Ground
Dirty Love
