When I was seventeen, my local library started lending CDs and cassettes as well as books. I was still relatively new to rock and metal so I saw it as a good opportunity to discover more music. Every Wednesday I would go to the library after school to see what I could borrow. They would get some new releases but not very many. However, this was how I first heard Megadeth's 'Rust In Peace' which is still one of my favourite albums of all time. They didn't have a massive stock so if there weren't any new releases I fancied, I'd have a look through the older albums they had. This was my first experience of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and tonight's headliners. I can't even remember which Heep album I borrowed. I think I remember hearing 'Gypsy' around this time which would probably have made it 'Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble'. However, I also discovered 'Easy Livin' around this time too so it could have been 'Demons And Wizards' or maybe it was one of those double album deals. I was impressed with what I heard and although I wouldn't have considered myself a diehard fan, I certainly respected them and kept an eye on what they were up to.
Tonight is part of 'The Magician's Farewell' tour, their final ever tour, although they do concede that it might last for two or three years so it still may not be the absolute last time to see them. Time is clearly running out for them as a live act though.
Cult melodic rockers Tyketto open up the evening with 'Reach'. It has a strong chorus and the backing vocals are great but even this early in the set, you can tell that their trump card is frontman Danny Vaughn. His voice is incredible and it immeasurably improves everything the band plays. He is one of those singers about whom you could use the old cliche 'he could sing the phone book and make it sound amazing'. 'Wings' has another great chorus and another towering vocal performance from Danny. It is unfair to just single out Danny though because the whole band is really tight. The uptempo and harder edged 'Burning Down Inside' is excellent. 'Strength In Numbers' has an Extreme or Electric Boys funk rock tinge. 'Lay Your Body Down' is played with a bit of verve, and that chorus is pure gold. The guitarist Harry Scott Elliott is great, playing some fantastic solos and also throwing in a bunch of Dave Lee Roth style high kicks. The ballad 'Standing Alone' is spine tingling. The evergreen 'Forever Young', with it's gargantuan chorus and blazing guitar solo, is a killer way to way to close the set.
April Wine are a band whose name I've known ever since I got into metal but have never actually listened to before now. The Donnington Monsters Of Rock festival was probably the central point of most metalhead's year. Even though I only went once, I used to obsess over the Monsters Of Rock line ups and would even try and predict line ups (I had pages and pages of fantasy line ups each year and then rated each one out of ten). I knew April Wine because they were a part of the very first line up in 1980 and therefore became a fabled name to me. Apparently, this is the first time they have played the UK in forty years. They sit at that midway point between '70s rock and NWOBHM (yes, I know they're Canadian), kinda like Graham Bonnet era Rainbow. It's solid enough. There are quite a few bluesy touches too. Guitarist Brian Greenway takes lead vocals for 'Before The Dawn' which is kinda like Derek And The Dominoes meets Motorhead. His voice possesses a bit of grit and soul which suits the song well, and I probably prefer his voice to that of the lead singer Marc Parent. 'Big City Girls' is all AC/DC boogie. 'Just Between You And Me' is a nice change of pace, being a doo wop style ballad. 'Roller' is a high energy slice of ZZ style blues boogie. They're solid rather than spectacular.
'Grazed By Heaven' is a good uptempo opener for the Heep, firmly in Maiden meets Purple territory (although it actually really reminds me of the Japanese band, Double Dealer). 'Save Me Tonight' is a powerful piece of power metal. The keys in this track, and throughout the night, are great although they are heavily indebted to the great Jon Lord. 'Overload' is surprisingly potent. All the songs seem to have more muscle than their studio counterparts. 'Shadows Of Grief' is played with a real energy, and that organ is sweet. The rhythmic mid section is great and the singer, Bernie Shaw, reaches some impressive notes. Bernie is in great voice and he sounds particularly strong on 'Stealin'. He has a Bruce Dickinson style edge to his voice although he has a greater, Gillan-esque range. Founding member Mick Box looks cooler than ever (and certainly cooler than when I first discovered them in the nineties). 'Hurricane' is a bit too formulaic, and there are certainly better choices to include in a final tour set. The acoustic led 'The Wizard' is a real crowd pleaser. A rapid fire 'Free 'N' Easy' is hard hitting. The razor sharp riffing is amazing considering it was written in '71. 'The Magician's Birthday' is still proggy bollocks although the creepy mid-section and doomy guitar solo is cool. The stomping 'Gypsy' is fantastic, and the harmonies are great. 'July Morning' is epic and moving and closes the regular set. A rampaging 'Easy Livin' closes the show. If this is the last time we get to see them then this is a fine farewell.
Uriah Heep ****
April Wine ***
Tyketto ****
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