Stray are possibly not the only band of a certain vintage to have played Hastings Pier in their 1970s heyday and then returned to play to an enthusiastic crowd at the Carlisle rock pub down the road some fifty years later. But after a very successful gig last Autumn (which, sadly I missed because I was at the White Rock down the road for Dave Hill and Slade), the irrepressible Del Bromham and his band are back to rally the troops for another Hastings gig.
Following an impressive solo performance from guitarist Dylan Gers (son of Iron Maiden legend, Janick), Stray took to the stage and launched into an exhilarating ‘Time Machine’ from the band’s 1970 debut album. Although I was still too young to see Stray in the 1970s (at Hastings Pier or anywhere else for that matter), I have seen various incarnations of the band on the live music circuit and at various festivals over the years, going back to the early ‘90s.
This current formation, however, is made particularly special with the inclusion of second guitarist/vocalist, Pete Dyer (who originally joined the band in the mid ‘70s), as well as the addition of keyboardist, Simon Rinaldo, whose studied take on that classic 1970s-era Hammond-driven sound brings a whole extra dimension to Stray.
The set-list is a good mix of material from the classic early to mid ‘70s albums alongside a generous sprinkling of songs from their acclaimed late-period renaissance albums (Valhalla from 2010 and About Time from 2023).
Stray may not be one of the biggest names from the world of heavy rock but they are certainly one of the most resilient and tonight they delivered an absolute masterclass of a performance with powerful riffs, great melodies and classic songs. Well over 50 years since they first formed and well over 30 years since I first caught sight of them, Stray are one of those bands who just seem to keep on getting better and better each time I see them.
While someone banging out some half-decent AC/DC or Stones covers will invariably bring a smile to my face, when it comes to Pink Floyd you’ve either got to get the sound bang on or else it’s simply not worth bothering. And while I was never lucky enough to see the original Pink Floyd, I’ve seen a few Pink Floyd tributes over the years, from the internationally-renowned (Australian Pink Floyd) to the downright dodgy (remaining nameless to spare blushes).
Formed in 2014 and hailed as one of the UK’s leading Pink Floyd tribute acts, proudly proclaiming their commitment to authenticity, I had high hopes for On Thin Ice and was not disappointed.
Performing three sets that delved into songs from across the band’s career, the first set began with a convincing selection of classics from the Syd Barrett-era Floyd, followed by a couple of tracks from Meddle before moving on to a mammoth rendition of songs from Dark Side of the Moon. It was all done in QUAD sound, too, with four channels of sound filling the room, echoing the original Pink Floyd tours of the late ‘60s and ’70s and ensuring maximum sonic impact in terms of those memorable special effects on albums like Dark Side.
Mish B, one of two female backing vocalists, did an absolutely incredible job taking on the lead vocal for ‘Great Gig in the Sky’ and received rapturous applause for her own take on that stunning, other-worldly performance which session singer, Clare Tory, will always be best remembered for (Tory’s second most memorable performance being the theme song for BBC’s Butterflies, for all you trivia fans out there.)
After a short break, we are into the second set, which is a celebration of the Wish You Were Here album that is every bit as good as their exploration of the Dark Side of the Moon, before ending in an epic performance of ‘Sheep’ from Animals. It’s great to see Hastings’ Blackbox back on the circuit. As a gig venue it pretty much does what it says on the tin, a long oblong box painted completely black with the stage at the front and the bar at the back. The sound is great, the guitars, keyboards, sax and vocals are mind-blowingly authentic and in a venue like this you can half close your eyes and mentally transport yourself to some huge stadium somewhere seeing the real thing.
After another short break the third and final set, focuses on the band’s later studio albums with a couple of tracks from The Wall, and a track apiece from the post-Roger Waters albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell, before drawing proceedings to a close with a stunning rendition of ‘Comfortably Numb’.
The guys (and gals) do put every ounce of effort into making themselves sound as close to Pink Floyd as humanly possible so if you are looking for a night of Pink Floyd classics in a live setting, On Thin Ice are absolutely worth checking out.
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of two iconic British bands: Motörhead, who need absolutely no introduction; and Painted Lady, who few will have heard of but who went on to have a huge impact on the UK’s rock and metal scene after they morphed into the much better-known Girlschool. The line-ups of both bands varied over the years but in at the start were the two founding bass-players-cum-lead vocalists, Lemmy Kilmister for Motörhead and Enid Williams for Girlschool.
Lemmy passed away in 2015, of course, but Enid Williams is still going strong and is one of a growing number of acclaimed rock musicians who’ve made Hastings their home. She’s been out of Girlschool for several years now but more recently bounced back fronting Planet Enid Collective, alongside Audrey M (bass) and Yair Katz (drums).
Italy’s Motörqueens, meanwhile, are Europe’s leading all-female Motörhead tribute act and what better way to celebrate the enduring legacy of both Girlschool and Motörhead than a double bill featuring both bands here at the Carlisle in Hastings.
Williams has enjoyed a rich and varied career between her two stints in Girlschool, running a vegetarian cuisine company, touring with the English National Opera, performing in West End musicals and working as a TV Astrologist. But tonight she’s in full-throttle rock and roll mode, alternating between lead and bass guitar and wowing the crowd with some vintage Girlschool songs.
As well as early Girlschool classics, like ‘Emergency’ and a revisit to the band’s much-celebrated covers of ‘Race with Devil’ and ‘Tush’, I’m particularly pleased to hear some of Williams’ material from her final album with Girlschool, 2015’s Guilty as Sin. These included the rousingly defiant ‘Come the Revolution’ and the starkly eco-themed ‘Treasure’, both of which combine hard, heavy riffing with powerful, thought-provoking lyrics. There’s guest spots aplenty, too, including some blinding lead guitar contributions from another local boy, Tino Troy of Praying Mantis, and Baz Roze of the Kent-based metal band, Black Roze. It’s all a bit of a NWOBHM dream!
Headliners, Motörqueens, deliver a high-octane, sassy and unbelievably powerful celebration of Motörhead’s music, even if the authentically Lemmy-esque rumble blasting from the amps sends the Carlisle’s famous, life-size cut-out of Lemmy flying off the side of the stage at one point. It’s a hugely entertaining tribute delivered with passion, conviction and true rock and roll grit.
An extra treat comes towards the end of the set when Williams is invited back on stage to play ‘Bomber’. As the curfew approaches, there’s time for one final song. Motorqueens and Enid blast out a gloriously raucous ‘Please Don’t Touch’ with the rest of musicians from the evening having a glorious time belting out the choruses. Suddenly it’s 1981, everyone’s singing along and we’re all 15 again. A superb finish to a fantastic evening.
John Illsley, legendary bassist and Dire Straits co-founder, wound up a 21-date music and chat tour at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings. I never got to see Dire Straits back in the day, sadly. However, the fact that this was a chance to see John Illsley perform some Straits classics with a full band, as well as a chance to get a first-hand insight into his long career, made it too good an opportunity to pass over, even though (following Dave Hill and Slade the night before) it meant a second trip to the White Rock in the space of twenty-four hours.
A full two-hour show, the format was a Q&A session, with Illsley in conversation with long-time friend and former Dire Straits co-manager, Paul Cummins. This was followed by live music from the band then a short interval, followed by a further Q&A session and then more live music.
The first half of the show focused on the early part of his career, with the second part focusing on the Brothers In Arms days and beyond. Those early days and hearing about Illsley sharing a flat in Deptford with Mark Knofler’s brother, David, while studying at Goldsmiths held a particular fascination for me, as a former student of Goldsmiths myself who ended up spending twenty-odd years living in the Deptford area, not too far from the small council flat were Dire Straits was originally formed. An articulate, urbane and thoughtful man (even if he lived in what sounded like a filthy hovel at the time!) it was a fascinating insight into the early days of the band and the fairly swift pathway to their first hit single. The inspiration for that first hit came after an evening at a local pub, where Mark Knopfler heard a jazz band playing who called themselves ‘Sultans of Swing’. The rest is history…
The musical segment saw a clutch of songs from the first Dire Straits album, including the aforementioned ‘Sultans of Swing’ as well as a song apiece from Making Movies and Love Over Gold. The band are excellent and Illsley’s vocals are not a million miles away from Mark Knopfler.
After the interval it’s back to more chat, with a real focus on the story behind the astronomical success of Brothers in Arms. Illsley describes it as a perfect storm: Knopfler’s song-writing reaching another level, digital studio technology being newly available, Sony keen to push an album that could help propel sales of their new-fangled CD players, and MTV launching in Europe just a few months before the album’s release date. Both they and their US counterpart keen to give airtime to a single that name-checked them. Neither Illsley nor Mark Knopfler seemed particularly keen on the superstardom that followed, however, and in spite of monster world tours, Live Aid and Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday gig at Wembley, there was to be only one more studio album.
Before long we’re back to more music. Unsurprisingly, songs from Brothers In Arms feature heavily. As well as the title track, there’s ‘So Far Away’, Walk of Life’ amd ‘Money for Nothing’ there’s also a song from Illsley’s most recent solo album. ‘It’s a Long Way Back’ is all about those early days in Deptford. Proceedings wrap up with ‘Where Do You Think You’re Going’ from the Communique album. Illsley and the band leave the stage to a well-deserved standing ovation.
I was lucky enough to see the original line-up of Slade on one of their annual Christmas tours a couple of times back in the early 1980s. Then, after Dave Hill reformed the band with Don Powell in the early 1990s, seeing Slade every Christmas pretty much became an annual tradition. Health issues meant that Hill, now the only original remaining member, had to miss a couple of years in recent times. But now he’s back on the road for a ten-date UK tour. As he approaches his 80th birthday next April this has been advertised as the final ever Slade Christmas tour. They are not giving up playing live altogether, Hill reassures us all later on. There will still be the odd show, just not these big tours.
Yes, there’s no Noddy and Jim, the ones who actually wrote all of those Holder/Lea hits being blasted out tonight. Don departed some years ago amidst a certain amount of acrimony and so Dave with his ever-flamboyant stage-attire is the last man standing. But it’s a chance to see a bonafide ‘70s legend less than a mile from my front door and, most importantly, a chance to celebrate all those hits with as much communal stomping, swaying, singing and clapping as all of us can muster. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Looking forward to getting crazee with Slade!
It’s not exactly an unfamiliar set-list, either for long-time Slade fans or, indeed, almost anyone who had more than a passing acquaintance with the chart music of the 1970s and early ‘80s. Only three of the songs being played tonight came in below the Top Five in the UK singles charts! And the only things that may even slightly resemble anything like a ‘deep cut’ are ‘Lock Up Your Daughters’, a minor hit for the band the year after their post-Reading comeback; and ‘My Baby Left Me’, another minor hit recorded as a tribute to Elvis following the King’s death in 1977. Familiarity is what’s it’s all about tonight and kicking off with ‘Take Me Bak ‘Ome’ the big hits come thick and fast.
The classic Slade live format of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums has been tampered with in recent years and rather than someone taking on Noddy Holder’s old role on second guitar, you now have Russell Keefe on keyboards. This works surprisingly well, especially given the prominence of the keyboards in so many of Slade’s mellower numbers, like ‘Everyday’, ‘My Friend Stan’ and ‘My Oh My’. What works less well is when Keefe takes lead vocal on several songs. Holder’s voice was gravelly but it was never gruff. In Slade’s glory days, Holder could yell louder than any of them but Tom Waites he was not.
Without trying to mimic Holder, Hill’s long-time bass-player, John Berry, does a much more sympathetic job on the songs where he sings lead. The other new-boy, Alex Bines, pounds away on drums as the audience clap and stomp along, and the soon-to-be-octogenarian Hill nails all those familiar, classic, guitar solos.
An impassioned Dave Hill imploring the crowd to look to the future
It’s the first night of the tour and towards the end Hill seems genuinely moved by the rabble-rousing response from the audience tonight. After a suitably crazy ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ the band exit the stage but soon they are back for an encore with an epic singalong rendition of ‘My Oh My’, followed by a wonderfully raucous ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’.
But wait, it’s nearly December, it’s the start of the Slade Christmas tour and there’s obviously one song left to do. The roadies are on hand to distribute Santa hats, Dave Hill gives an impassioned plea about looking to the future, even though times might be right now, and soon we’re all yelling along to Merry Xmas Everybody’ at the top of our voices and leaving with a real spring in our step ready to face 2026.
Setlist:
Take Me Bak ‘Ome Lock Up Your Daughters Look Wot You Dun Everyday Coz I Luv You Run Runaway My Friend Stan Far Far Away The Bangin’ Man My Baby Left Me Gudbuy T’Jane Mama Weer All Crazee Now My Oh My Cum On Feel the Noize Merry Xmas Everybody
Bristol-based Sons of Liberty have teamed up with Sunderland-based Thieves of Liberty for the unsurprisingly-named 12-date UK tour: The Tour of Liberty.
Thieves of Liberty opened proceedings with a set of high-energy hard-rock encompassing a spectacular twin-guitar assault from guitarists Kieran Wilson and Liam Lindsley, powerful vocals from frontman, James Boak, and delivering a slew of memorable songs off their debut album, Shangri-La. This young rock band have been garnering some rave reviews of late, with comparisons to mega-league rock institutions like Bon Jovi, Van Halen and Queen no less. That’s not all just hyperbole either. Though I haven’t seen them before they are well worth keeping an eye on.
Thieves of Liberty – photo: Darren Johnson
I first became familiar with the Southern Rock-inspired Sons of Liberty when they were Introducing Stage winners at Minehead Butlins back in 2019, returning to the main stage for a well-received performance the following year. Back then, they were fronted by Rob Cooksley (AKA Greyfox Growl), whose eccentrically charismatic stage persona was very much part of the overall SoL package. For me, however, the arrival of vocalist Russ Grimmett and the subsequent release of the band’s third album, The Detail Is in The Devil, marked a significant turning point. Grimmett is such a great singer with such a fantastic vocal range that Sons of Liberty have followed Deep Purple and Iron Maiden in being one of that select number of rock bands who go from strength to strength after replacing the frontman who helped give them their initial breakthrough. Never an easy feat to pull off, Grimmett is a superb fit for the band giving them greater depth and a more polished presentation, with the whole band creating some incredible music together. They are now in a whole different league.
Indeed, while there’s a small clutch of songs from the band’s first two albums, it’s material from the band’s third album and their first with Grimmett that heavily dominates the set. Whether it’s because I’ve been playing it so much these past few months or simply that it’s a great album just rammed full of catchy, memorable tunes (probably a mixture of both to be fair!) these feel like songs that have been around for decades, not months. ‘Time To Fly’, ‘Light the Fuse’ and ‘Tertulia Time’ the three songs which open tonight’s set are all bonafide classics, the latter with a chorus like some long-lost ‘80s stadium rocker.
Photo: Darren Johnson
Huge riffs, unforgettable choruses, a monster rhythm section, stunning guitar solos and powerful vocals – all the ingredients are there for what I want from a truly great hard rock band.
This is a band that does light and shade though and one that draws from a wide palette of musical influences. There’s a change of mood and a change of pace, for example, with the semi-acoustic ‘Hawk Men Come’, the band’s powerful and moving hymn to the people of Ukraine.
As well as a smattering of earlier material like ‘Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief’ from the band’s debut album (which provides an opportunity for a crowd sing-along), there’s also an airing for a couple of new songs that didn’t originally make it to last year’s album. The unremitting wall of sound that is ‘Full Force Five’ and the defiant swagger of ‘My Town’ are ample evidence that these guys don’t look like they’ll be giving up on hitting us with plenty of great new tunes any time soon.
Photo: Darren Johnson
As proceedings start drawing to a close (and clearly demonstrating that Southern Rock was never just about whiskey-soaked hellraisin’ and over-confident displays of machismo) Grimmett introduces the very Skynyrd-ish and really rather lovely ‘Walk With You’, a touching anthem of solidarity for anyone struggling with their mental health. Then there’s just time for a blast of ‘Ruby Starr’, the band’s tribute to the female Southern Rock vocalist of that name, marking the end of another triumphant set from Sons of Liberty.
Hawklords was originally a late 1970s spin-off project from the space rock legends, Hawkwind, during a time the main band was on a brief hiatus. Fast-forward to 2008 and the name was resurrected as the name for a new band featuring a handful (of the many!) former members of Hawkwind. Just like Hawkwind itself, there have been numerous changes in personnel since then but former Hawkwind members have always been a strong presence in each iteration.
Currently, Hawklords is composed of Jerry Richards on guitar and vocals, who was part of Hawkwind in the late 90s-early 00s; Mr Dibs on bass, who did an 11-year stint in Hawkwind until 2018; and Dave Pearce on drums, who was never part of Hawkwind but was a member of psychedelic-rockers, The Bevis Frond.
While most spin-off projects from veteran rock acts tend to make very liberal use of their parent band’s back catalogue, with set-lists composed mostly or entirely of a compendium of classic cuts, this is very much not the case with Hawklords. They certainly capture the sound, spirit and ethos of classic-era Hawkwind but the focus these days is very much on performing new, original material.
The band are currently promoting a brand-new album, Relativity, and there is a heavy focus on material from that on this current tour. But, as the publicity blurb aptly spells out:
“Sounding, at times, as if the music has fallen through a worm-hole from the classic 1970s era of space-rock and psychedelia, the new release explores themes including Artificial Intelligence, ‘machine learning’ and how Humanity can, in part, come to terms with all that entails.”
This is manna from heaven for any space rock devotee and fans of 70s era Hawkwind will find the key ingredients all present and correct at a Hawklords gig: the light show, the sound effects, the spoken word interludes, the hypnotic riffs, the whole shebang – but, crucially, all with captivating new songs, addressing contemporary themes relevant to the modern age.
The vintage material isn’t neglected entirely and the band give us a blast of ‘Brainstorm’ from the Space ritual album. Nick Saloman of The Bevis Frond is also invited up on stage as tonight’s guest to give us an additional blast of guitar, serving to make it an even more memorable evening. I was completely transfixed from start to finish. I also picked up a copy of the new album, Relativity, at the gig. Really well-produced it’s already had repeated plays since the weekend.
I’ve found the way I choose which gigs to go to has really changed during the time I’ve been living in Hastings. When I lived in London, my approach was very must based on keeping an eye on what all my favourite bands were up to, checking out their UK tour schedules and working out which was the best venue to get to.
My approach has now changed completely. I tend to look at what’s coming up in the two main venues closest to me (Hasting White Rock Theatre and Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion) as well as a selection of nearby smaller venues and choose accordingly. Because we are so well catered for in terms of live music on this small section of the East Sussex coast, it means I rarely travel further than a three-mile radius to get to gigs these days. However, it’s also meant I’ve tended to see a broader selection of artists, bands for whom I might be completely unfamiliar with but just fancy seeing or bands where I own just a single best-of compilation rather than their entire back catalogue. The Blockheads very much fit into that latter category. Although I ‘d seen and enjoyed them before, back when I first moved down here in 2016, I’ve still not progressed beyond that one compilation CD but I was hugely impressed with what I saw last time and keen to see them again.
There have been some changes since then, however. Derek ‘The Draw’ Hussey, the Blockheads’ frontman following the death of Ian Dury back in 2000, sadly passed away himself in 2022 and has been replaced by Mike Bennett. Veteran bass-player Norman Watt-Roy also stepped away in 2022 and Nathan King (brother of Level 42’s Mark) now does the honours. The first I knew about, the second came as something of a surprise. However, Chaz Jankel (keyboards, guitar and co-songwriter) is very much still part of the band, as is John Turnbull (guitar) and Mick Gallagher (keyboards) from the Dury-led glory years.
As Turnbull told the audience at one point the band’s main job, nay only job these days, is keeping these songs alive. And a great job they do, too. New frontman, Mike Bennett, adopts a somewhat more conventional interpretation of Dury’s songs (if anything Dury-related can ever be termed conventional) than the eccentric, larger-than-life persona of his predecessor, Derek the Draw, but his approach works well and he has an engaging stage presence. Musically, the band are as strong as ever. While I missed the charismatic presence of Norman Watt-Ray, his replacement ably delivers those funky bass licks and Chaz Jankel, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher are clearly in their element. You can see how much joy it’s giving them still performing these songs.
As for the songs, those classics come thick and fast: ‘What a Waste’, ‘There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards’, ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’, ‘I Want to Be Straight’, ‘Billericay Dickie’, ‘Sweet Gene Vincent’, ‘Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3’ and, of course, ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’. There’s a few I’m less familiar with and Turnbull even tells us they’ve been in the studio recording a couple of new tracks in time for Christmas. They encore with a riotous ‘Blockheads’ and a poignant ‘Lullaby for Franci/es’ with each member of the band exiting the stage one by one on the final number. A stand-out performance that celebrates the Blockheads’ back-catalogue in style and does Dury’s legacy proud.
Mike Oldfield was just 17 years old when he started composing the music for Tubular Bells. Trying to find a record company to take it on proved something of a challenge but eventually Richard Branson took an interest in Oldfield’s demos and in 1973 Tubular Bells was the first release on the newly-founded Virgin Records. Still only 19 at the time, Oldfield played virtually all of the instruments on the album. It gained worldwide recognition when the opening theme was used for the soundtrack of The Exorcist and went on to become the highest-selling instrumental album of all time.
My own introduction to Mike Oldfield really came via an episode of Blue Peter, which showed Oldfield at work in the studio creating what turned out to be a new version of the theme music for the show. As a 13-year-old (probably a bit old for a kids’ show like Blue Peter by then) I was, nevertheless, absolutely fascinated by what I saw and rushed out to buy Oldfield’s version of the Blue Peter theme when it was released as a single.
Getting a copy of Tubular Bells itself took a while longer but, even so, the music was everywhere and it’s an album I play frequently to this day. Therefore, when I saw that the Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary Tour was coming to Hastings, getting a ticket was a no-brainer.
The tour is the brainchild of arranger, composer and conductor, Robin A. Smith, who collaborated with Oldfield on Tubular Bells 2 and 3 and for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Although Oldfield is not directly involved in performing on the tour it has his full blessing support. Moreover, Smith has put together a hugely-talented group of musicians to re-imagine Tubular Bells as a stunning live performance piece.
In addition to Robin A Smith (keyboards/piano/musical director), he’s joined by Jay Stapley (guitar), Maxime Obideau (guitar and mandolin), Lisa Featherston (bass), Kwesi Edman (cello), Daisy Bevan (vocals) and Will Miles and Jack Davies (percussion).
Before we get to the performance of Tubular Bells itself, the first half is taken up with performances of other highlights from Oldfield’s back catalogue, including ‘To France’, Summit Day’, ‘Family Man’ and a wonderfully exhilarating version of ‘Moonlight Shadow’ with Lisa Featherston on vocals, as well as Smith’s own composition, ‘The Gem’. The sound just filled the auditorium, particularly the thunderous-sounding percussion, the stunning guitar work and exquisite pieces on the grand piano. It felt like there could have been at least three times as many musicians up there on stage. However, the best was yet to come.
After a short break we’re back for the main event. From the familiar opening bars of part one of Tubular Bells, through every second that followed the who thing was just a magical, mesmerising and utterly unforgettable experience. For something that was so clearly conceived as a studio project, to see it transformed into a live performance piece in this way will stay with me a long time. Hats off to Robin A. Smith for pulling together such a stunning interpretation of one of the all-time classic instrumental albums.
Some rock and rollers make for charismatic front-men by dint of being unfeasibly cool, others through virtuoso musicianship and others through seemingly hypnotic personal appeal. With Anvil frontman, Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow, however, it is simply his sheer, childlike wonder at the privilege of being up on stage performing to people by playing the music he loves.
I first saw the Canadian heavy metallers, Anvil, at Preston Guildhall as a 17-year-old when they were supporting Motorhead on their Another Perfect Day tour back in 1983 (a birthday gift from my father). And even 40 years later, Kudlow’s enthusiasm is as infectious as ever. Of course, Anvil’s profile in the past decade has been helped enormously by the hugely successful ‘Story of Anvil’ film, a tale of perseverance that The Times once deemed “possibly the greatest film yet made about rock and roll”. How much of a material impact the film has ended up having in terms of day to day life on the road for Anvil it’s hard to tell. They are still playing small clubs, like the one here in Hastings tonight, but they are playing them to a deluge of love and affection and, looking around at the audience tonight, while there’s a few of us who may have remembered them from that early Motorhead tour there’s plenty who were clearly not even born when Anvil first came to the UK.
Still with original vocalist/guitarist, Steve Kudlow, and original drummer, Robb Reiner, these days the pair are joined by bass-player, Chris Robertson, whose now been playing with them for a decade. From the moment the trio hit the stage the energy levels remained stratospheric. Kicking off with ‘March of the Crabs’ and ‘666’ there was no shortage of classics from Anvil’s early ’80s heyday, and the band’s Metal On Metal and Forged In Fire albums were well represented in the set-list. But there was also more recent material, too, including the band’s tribute to the Canadian government’s legalisation of cannabis – the title track of their 2020 Legal At Last album, as well as ‘Bitch In The Box’ (about satnavs!) from the excellent Pounding The Pavement album – and a new song ‘Truth Is Dying’ (about online misinformation) from the band’s very latest album.
It’s powerhouse drumming, thunderous bass-lines and monster guitar riffs throughout. The only time they stop for a breather is when Kudlow regales us with anecdotes about touring with Motorhead and (for a Canadian) he doesn’t do a bad Lemmy impersonation either – wonderfully capturing that deadpan, Jack Daniels-soaked, Stoke-on-Trent gruffness.
As the band draw to a close, and following an immense drum solo from Reiner, Kudlow pays emotional tribute to former Anvil second guitarist, Dave Allison, who died recently and dedicates ‘Jackhammer’ to him. Then it’s almost all over as the trio blast us with their bona fide metal anthem, ‘Metal On Metal’. But it’s not quite over. Kudlow jumps down into the crowd, guitar on his shoulder, soloing and sharing selfies. Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ blasts from the PA while he continues doing selfies, shaking hands and thanking everyone for coming to the party. What a party it was.
