Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. November 2008.
The Feeling opened with I Thought It Was Over and Fill My Little World, followed by Never Be Lonely, from the album Twelve Stops and Home for which frontman Fan Gillespie Sells split the crowd in half to help with the vocals.
There is always an element of dread when a band resorts to audience participation so early but with The Feeling it not only worked but set the standard for future gigs.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. June 2008.
Despite so much band history and fan expectation to live up to, Journey’s new vocalist Arnel Pineda blew away the cobwebs of 70’s and 80’s rock with a performance that belied his youth and lack of serious stage time.
After opening the set with Never Walk Away, from the new album, Revelation and old favourite Separate Ways, the band seemed to grow in confidence as each song was played to a packed audience.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. June 2008.
With two critically acclaimed albums to play in one night, you could be forgiven for thinking the task was going to prove itself too difficult to recreate live. However, Queenscryche relished such a challenge and even topped it.
Opening the night with the first Operation Mindcrime album, the crow was presented with a theatrical stage gig mixing the live band performance with actors and a stunning animated/live action screen show which provided a dynamic backdrop to the set.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. My 2008.
For a night of classic acoustic rock, you couldn’t go far wrong than a gig by singer/songwriter Midge Ure. Where other solo artists would struggle to fill the stage, Midge seemed to revel in the sparseness.
He began with Ultravox’s Loves Great Adventure and Personal Heaven before playing his co-creation of Visage’s Fade To Grey and delightful rendition of One Small Day.
Midge pulled a couple of classic covers out of the bag with Peter Green’s Man of the World and a stunning version of the Walker Brothers classic No Regrets, before finishing the set with Dancing with Tears In My Eyes.
Alan Barrow of Magnum. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. May 2008.
Marking the 20th anniversary of the now classic Wings of Heaven, Magnum arrived on stage to thunderous applause from a near capacity audience.
Opening the night with Back to Earth and the impressive version of the bouncy crowd pleaser When We Were Younger, the Midland based band breezed effortlessly through a two hour set without comprising their subtlety of sound.
Other old favourites such as the stomping Vigilante and Midnight You Won’t Be Sleeping were given a new lease of life, helped in part by Magnum’s borrowed drummer, no less than Thunder’s Harry James.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. March 2008.
Having just celebrated his 50th birthday, Gary Numan appeared as fresh and as good as he has ever been whilst still appearing to be mean, moody and more than able to please a near capacity audience.
Coming on stage to huge applause, Gary and the rest of band postured and preened through the openers of Replicas and the stunning Me, I Disconnect From You.
With no need for introduction of each song, Gary was able to speed through the set whilst retaining the honesty and meaning of classics such as Praying to the Aliens, I Nearly Married a Human and the wonderful It Must Have Been Years.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. March 2008.
With a new album entitled Phoenix out soon, Asia thrilled a small but appreciative audience with a night of tasters, classic and member’s songs.
Asia opened with amongst Only Time Will Tell and the magnificent Wildest Dreams before Steve Howe took centre stage with the Yes classic Roundabout.
As good as the first part of the evening was, by opening the second set with Carl Palmer’s contribution, E.L.P’s seminal piece Fanfare for the Common Man, the music and night was driven up a notch.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. December 2007.
With their fifteenth studio album not due till next year, Marillion might have felt they took a big gamble by touring so close to Christmas, they need not have worried.
By playing a set list that had something for everybody, from 1989 up to the present day, the band left a near-capacity crowd content and full of pre-Christmas cheer. A truly eclectic evening was kicked off by Bridge and Living With The Big Lie form their 1994 critically acclaimed album Brave.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. November 2007.
One thing you can guarantee at a Thunder gig is that you will be joined by some of the most vocal and dedicated fans in rock today.
By opening the set with Dirty Dream from last year’s Robert Johnson’s Tombstone album and the excellent Last Man Standing Thunder set their stall out to entertain.
They continued to huge applause from a capacity crowd with The Devil Made Me Do It and the love song I’ll Be Waiting.
Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. June 2007.
From the pulsating, atmospheric opening of Splintering Heart to the emotional, heart jerking ending of Easter, a near-capacity audience was treated to a heady mix of songs from Marillion’s new album Somewhere Else and a selection from their extensive back catalogue.
The band treated the audience to a sample of the new album with the tracks The Other Half, Somewhere Else and single Thank You Whoever You Are.
These were deftly intertwined with classic songs such as the sublime Afraid Of Sunlight, You’re Gone and the hauntingly beautiful Fantastic Place.