I first saw the video for 'Switchboard Serenade' on Raw Power sometime in 1991. I loved it straight away, with its sleazy, dirty verse and melodic chorus. The album actually came out in 1990 but I don't think it got a UK release until 1991 (this was actually fairly common at the time, and some albums were only ever available on import). I bought the Spread Eagle album on cassette in Summer 1991, around the same time as Skid Row's 'Slave To The Grind', Metallica's 'Black Album' and Overkill's 'Horrorscope'. Although I probably liked those albums more at the time, over the years I've definitely listened to it more than any of those other albums, some of which lost their initial lustre fairly quickly. This album has longevity. It is great because it is sleazy and melodic yet very aggressive at the same time with some real speed.
It's fair to say that I never expected to get the chance to see them live but they reunited a few years ago and now, post-pandemic, are touring in support of their comeback album.
London's Star Circus open up. They start off as punchy rock kinda like Ugly Kid Joe but with great harmonies and catchy choruses which remind me of FM. That FM influence carries out throughout the set and the harmonies and melodies are easily the best thing about them. 'Wall Around Your Heart' sounds pretty messy. The bass seems totally at odds with the guitars and the song has a number of disjointed parts that don't seem to go together. They also have a touch of Journey at their most muscular, whilst the final track has an 80s Whitesnake meets 'Raise Your Fist And Yell' era Alice Cooper feel.
Spread Eagle open with 'Subway To The Stars' but it all seems a bit flat, and you can't hear the vocals very well. 'Rhythm Machine' and 'Sound Of Speed' fare a little better but it still doesn't sparkle like it could and there sounds like there is too much bass in the mix. Singer Ray West's higher pitched vocals on 'Back On The Bitch' mean you can hear them, and you can't deny a song that good. The sound completely derails 'More Wolf Than Lamb' which is a muddy mess. 'Broken City' still kicks and the solo is amazing, whilst 'Suzy Suicide' is absolutely pummelling. The ballad 'Through These Eyes' is brilliant, its quieter dynamic sounding much better and giving greater impact when the intensity is turned up. I decide to take my earplugs out at this point so I can sing along and everything sounds better so I decide to do without them for the remainder of the set. Maybe this was the problem all along. The chunky riffing of 'King Of The Dogs' is excellent, and the thrash mid section sounds like 'Act III' era Death Angel. 'Switchblade Serenade' highlights the fact that the vocals and harmonies aren't quite what they used to be. The quick and sleazy 'Scratch Like A Cat' is super aggressive though.
I really wanted tonight to be great because of how good that first record is, but I also worried that the thirty odd years since that record would have taken its toll, and tonight was probably a mixture of the two. Some great songs played by a band who have probably seen better days.
Spread Eagle ***
Star Circus ***
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