CORB LUND AND THE HURTIN' ALBERTANS - Sandringham Hotel 28/03/08

It may have been a small room but it was a hugely enthusiastic and appreciative crowd that greeted Canada's Corb Lund and The Hurtin' Albertans. This 4-piece's country sounds are something a little different for me as it is a genre where I am quite selective in what I'll listen to but this was one of the most enjoyable shows I've seen all year.

Like all the best country artists Corb is a great story teller and whilst some of his songs are serious and some not so, all are delivered with a rhythm and tone that capture the listener so that one gets caught up in the tale. Most of my favourites were songs from the 'Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer' album (with which I'm most familiar) such as the title track, "Hurtin' Albertan", "All I Wanna Do Is Play Cards" and "The Truck Got Stuck". The tracks that were aired from the new album 'Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!' (all stories about the cavalry in times of battle) also grabbed my ear enough to walk out with a CD from the merch table.

Despite the confined space there was dancin' and clappin' and hootin' and hollerin' from great portions of the crowd and the band too seemed to be having a great time - Corb was barely without a smile on his face (though maybe that had something to do with the beers he was chugging!) We were told that they've had the best reception this time from any of their Australian tours and have promised to be back soon... check 'em out.

(Photos by Vanessa Berry.)

KISS - Acer Arena 20/03/08

KISS know how to put on a show. It's as simple as that - regardless of what you think about the band or their music, they sure can entertain. And after 35 years their age really isn't showing performance-wise. This was an event with action from start to finish and in the words of Paul Stanley (still bouncing around and jumping in those boots even after a hip replacement!), KISS is about fun - no politics, no bad news just FUN!

The last time I saw KISS (2004) I chose to forgo their arena show when they announced they'd be playing a club show as I felt it would be a more unique experience - and it was - however I was left wanting to see the arena spectacular one more time. I say "one more time" because I have seen the band several times now (in different incarnations, with and without makeup) so without any new material on offer I'm not sure I need to make the investment again. This is not to say I was disappointed with what I saw, far from it.

All the hallmarks were there: the explosions, fire (and fire-breathing), levitating drumkit, etc. though for mine the best was Gene's introduction to "God Of Thunder" where, after his blood-spitting routine, he flew up to a platform on top of the lighting rig and performed the first half of the song from up there. I also enjoyed seeing Tommy Thayer sing "Shock Me" - he can "do Ace" vocally as well as on guitar - probably better than Ace can these days. Another pleasant surprise was the inclusion of "Lick It Up" - one of my favourite KISS songs - surprising because it is from the band's non-makeup period.

For pure spectacle, a good time and some great "big dumb rock songs" I highly recommend attendance at a KISS show to anyone - even just to see where all those other big rock acts pinched a lot of their show and performance ideas from.

Set list:
1. Deuce
2. Shout It Out Loud
3. C'mon And Love Me
4. Lick It Up
5. I Love It Loud
6. Firehouse
7. Calling Dr Love
8. Shock Me
9. Let Me Go, Rock And Roll
10. 100,000 Years
11. God Of Thunder
12. Black Diamond
13. Love Gun
14. Detroit Rock City
------------------------
15. Shandi
16. I Was Made For Loving You
17. Rock 'n' Roll All Nite

(All photos by Debbie Davis.)

OZZY OSBOURNE - Acer Arena 18/03/08

Ozzy's show was much as I expected it would be, a fact which could be viewed as both a good & bad thing. In the 11 years since his last visit he's become a TV star, survived an accident that nearly killed him, dealt with an intruder to his Buckinghamshire residence in the middle of the night & dealt with his wife's cancer scare & his kids' rehab visits; all the while continuing to perform on his annual Ozzfest jaunt in the US (in a reduced capacity on occasion it must be said). All of this led one to wonder how he'd carry himself through a 1.5 hour set after flying all the way Down Under for this tour.

Well I must say that - lengthy guitar solo during which he took a break aside - he did admirably for a man pushing 60. His voice (always unique but never technically brilliant) faltered on a few occasions with some missed notes during "Bark At The Moon" being the most glaring. Also, his vocals were quite heavily reverbed & there was a fair amount of holding the mic to the crowd for their participation; although, to be fair, he was prompting that participation in other ways all night too.

His "I can't hear you!" and "Go fucking crazy!" encouragements to the crowd were plentiful as was his traditional schtick of dousing himself and the crowd with numerous buckets of water. The setlist featured a few new tunes, with the bulk made up of tracks from the 'Blizzard Of Ozz' and 'No More Tears' albums along with the obligatory brace of Sabbath tracks, in this case "War Pigs" and show closer "Paranoid". Throughout it all the Prince of Darkness bounced around and clapped his hands with the glee of a young lad.

There's a lot that can (and has) been said about Ozzy and his career but he does come across as having a genuine feeling of delight at being on stage in front of a packed arena after all these years. The band too were solid, especially Mike Bordin on the kit and Zakk Wylde's unique shredding (who made a subtle but reverential motion skyward before launching into the "Crazy Train" solo, in respect of its author, Randy Rhoads).

I'm not sure I believe Ozzy when he says we won't have to wait another 11 years to see him again, but stranger things have happened... the way he's going he might just outlive us all.

Set list:
1. I Don't Wanna Stop
2. Bark At The Moon
3. Suicide Solution
4. Mr Crowley
5. Not Going Away
6. War Pigs
7. Road To Nowhere
8. Crazy Train
-- Guitar Solo
9. I Don't Know
10. Here For You
11. I Don't Wanna Change The World
----------------------------
12. Mama, I'm Coming Home
13. Paranoid

IMMORTAL - Metro Theatre 15/03/08

On their first visit to this country the Sons of Northern Darkness treated a capacity Metro crowd to that rarest of beasts: Black Metal that knows how to have fun. Now sure, all the hallmarks were there: the leather and spikes, the facepaint and fire-breathing along with furious riffs and a hellish roar but something that sets Immortal apart from many of their BM brethren is the volume of memorable songs in their catalogue.

On their later albums particularly, in amongst the blasting kick drums, etc. one can find a real groove and it was this that really drew one in during their set. "Damned In Black" and "One By One" really set the benchmark in this area (and this feel is one that frontman Abbath has continued with his other band, I - essentially a slightly blackened tribute to KISS and Motörhead). One thing that unfortunately slightly hampered the overall sound was the snare drum which really didn't cut through as it should have, though doubtless this was through no fault of the band and the drumming was excellent.

Some humour was thrown in with Abbath's vocal imitation of a didgeridoo solo and a general camping up of some of metal's cheesier elements. Throughout this, however, the integrity of the band's excellent music was maintained and the set was well balanced in its energy and execution.

Immortal's visit was unexpected and their performance and material are shining examples of the diversity within their genre. Here's hoping that now they're back together we see a new album and a speedy return visit.

HORSE THE BAND - Metro Theatre 05/03/08

HORSE the Band had just exploded onto the stage as I entered the venue to discover that it was not the Metro's main stage they were playing on but the tiny stage in a rather small room (still under construction as it appeared) adjacent to the bar area. However, despite the fact that they were crammed together, placing each member in some danger of physical harm as a result of the frenetic movements they were all making to match the sound of the music, the whole band appeared to be very much enjoying themselves. The drummer in particular was never without a grin on his face as he wrapped is arms and legs around some insane, syncopated and pummeling beats to the amazement of anyone who stopped throwing themselves around the pit long enough to watch.

Much has been made of HORSE the Band's use of old synths, GameBoys, etc. to inject some melody into their otherwise full-on whatever-core-you-want-to-call-it sound and they certainly do the trick when it comes to helping HtB stand out from a very overpopulated crowd. This band truly do have their own sound that all at once is a brutal, noisy, melodic, bouncy, eccentric, schizophrenic scream of a thing and it's impossible not to get caught up in it to some degree. And caught up in it most people were with the front of stage a whirlpool of human bodies which managed to suck the band's vocalist in on more than one occasion. I say "most" though because there seemed to be an inordinate number of young (perhaps) college types who seemed to be out only to show off their cool outfits to anyone who'd cast a second glance and hug and talk loudly with their friends all through the set. This is something I've never understood - there is no shortage of bars in this city in which one can rendez-vouz with friends. Anyway...

For those of us watching, the band was very entertaining - I particularly enjoyed watching the keyboardist trying to nail his parts whilst dancing, jumping and pogoing around the stage. The vocalist made some fun with an oven mitt puppet thrown onto the stage and made a point of telling the assembled throng the band's hotel name and room number in an invitation to carry on after the show. I hope that HORSE the Band manage to get back to these shores before too long and that a better room sound and vantage point is available to do them justice.

HELLOWEEN - Metro Theatre 28/02/08

A blast from the past this one; 20-odd years ago I was enjoying Helloween's rousing Power Metal on albums such as 'Walls Of Jericho' and the two 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys' albums. Admittedly, they had fallen off my radar in recent years, though it must be said that this band has influenced countless others and have maintained a solid output over the course of their career.

Opening tonight with their seminal "Halloween" from the first 'Keeper...' album was a terrific way to begin the show, its 13 minutes of pure unadulterated twin guitar lead and operatic vocal metal got the crowd fired up and suitably in the mood. The band too seemed to be enjoying themselves on this their first visit to our shores and were hamming it up for all they were worth. Whilst obviously serious about their songcraft and playing, Helloween have never been afraid to laugh with and at themselves as the occasional odd diversion albums such as 'Pink Bubbles Go Ape' and 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy' (don't the titles just say it all?!) can attest.

Singer Andi Deris was in fine voice, both on his recorded material and the earlier tracks, with one of the latter, the anthemic "March Of Time", being a firm favourite for me and, it seemed, most of the crowd.

After an extremely enjoyable 45 mins, however, things unfortunately turned sour as yours truly was felled by a headache out of the blue of the kind of jackhammer-in-the-skull variety that renders one practically incapable of remaining upright. I certainly don't suggest that the music was the culprit as I have never in my life had music of any kind cause a headache, but much as I tried to shake it off and enjoy the remainder of the show, it was too strong and I had to take my leave. So much as the gig was for me, at this point this review becomes truncated. Let me say though, on an "up" note, that even after only 45 mins I felt I had got my money's worth and I hope to have the opportunity to catch this enjoyable outfit the next time they grace us with their presence.

(Bad quality phone camera photos, I know, but better than nothing.)

IRON MAIDEN (+ Behind Crimson Eyes + Lauren Harris) - Acer Arena, 09/02/08

The last time Iron Maiden were here was on the back of the 'Fear Of The Dark' album in the early '90's and they played the 5,500 capacity Hordern Pavilion; all these years later and they are playing two nights at the 21,000 capacity Acer Arena - testament to the staying power of one of the greatest bands in the history of rock music (heavy or otherwise) and to the loyalty of their fanbase, many of whom had brought their young children along tonight.

Opening the show was Lauren Harris, daughter of Maiden bassist Steve. Far from earning her place on this tour through daddy's blind nepotism, Lauren proved her worth with an upbeat and rocking performance. She has a strong voice and stage presence; showing plenty of spunk she projected well, even in such a large venue, with her band backing up ably. By the end of the set it appeared as though most of the early crowd had been won over. The songs were enjoyable if not yet entirely unique, however what is unique is a young woman breaking into music with a hard rock sound as opposed to the more common pop/r'n'b/urban style favoured by most; more power to her.

There was another support act tonight, however I took the opportunity during their set to enjoy a drink in the bar area. Unfortunately this didn't stop me hearing a fair portion of their awful set including the worst version of Motörhead's "Ace Of Spades" that I think I've ever had the misfortune of hearing. Their tragic emocore name Behind Crimson Eyes pretty much sums up their sorry state of affairs and just as they were booed from the stage last night, they'll receive no link here from me. (I mention their name only so you know what to avoid.)

After an impatient wait the house lights finally dimmed and the most deafening roar I have heard from a crowd in a long time threatened to lift the roof clean off the venue. The video screens treated us to a short video montage of the band's journey and arrival on their own specially commissioned Boeing 757 'Ed Force One' which is carrying band, crew and gear on this tour and being piloted by vocalist Bruce Dickinson. Then the familiar voice of Winston Churchill rang out intoning his famous "We will fight them on the beaches..." speech and in a flash the band were amongst us launching into "Aces High". The youthful energy displayed by these six - let's face it - middle-aged men put bands half their age to shame. Dickinson bounded back and forth between the drum riser and the front-of-stage monitors, Harris bounced around, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith threw shapes and Janick Gers danced, twirled and flung his guitar around while up the back Nicko McBrain pounded his kit relentlessly whilst appearing relaxed and making it all look so easy.

This being the "Somewhere Back In Time" tour, focusing on the '80's Dickinson albums, the stage set was designed to match and was very impressive. Mainly based around the original 'Powerslave' set and featuring amps hidden by walls bearing hieroglyph designs, Egyptian sarcophagi (with glowing red eyes, no less!) and runways around the back and both sides (which Dickinson made great use of), the design also incorporated artwork from 'Somewhere In Time' and 'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son' on an impressive array of interchangeable backdrops. Dickinson also treated us to several costume changes: a red jacket and flag for "The Trooper", a tattered shawl for "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner" and an African mask for "Powerslave" and in addition picked up a fan-made "Eddie" mask thrown onto the stage, put it on backwards and proceeded to dance about strangely. However, even with all the movement (which rarely let up) his voice lost none of its power and he hit all his notes. Eddie himself (a towering cyborg version) made an appearance - as traditionally - during the band's eponymous track, lurching across the stage pointing his raygun and "fighting" with the guitarists.

I got the sense that the band were somewhat awed by the reception afforded them tonight - at one point where Bruce appeared to be intending to speak between songs, he was unable as he was met with a deafening roar which didn't let up for several minutes. And of course every time he called "Scream for me Sydney!" the response was thunderous. In fact, we were told that we had provided the warmest welcome of any crowd in any city in the world at any time and unlike such comments often made by bands, this sounded genuine. This is a band of incredible musicians who were all in fine form and who appeared to be truly enjoying themselves; when you consider the number of times they must have played these songs by now, I'd say that's something rare and special.

We've been promised that we won't have to wait another decade and a half to see Maiden again and I look forward to the opportunity to witness some material from other eras of their long and distinguished career as even though they appear to be affording themselves some greater comfort on the road at this stage of the game, they don't appear to be ready to hang it up yet by a long shot.

Setlist (correct me in the Comments if any are out of order):

01. Intro - Churchill's Speech / Aces High
02. 2 Minutes To Midnight
03. Revelations
04. The Trooper
05. Wasted Years
06. The Number Of The Beast
07. Run To The Hills
08. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
09. Powerslave
10. Heaven Can Wait
11. Can I Play With Madness?
12. Fear Of The Dark
13. Iron Maiden
-----------------------------------------
14. Moonchild
15. The Clairvoyant
16. Hallowed Be Thy Name

Edit: See Jason's comment below regarding "Run To The Hills" & "Can I Play With Madness?"

This show was well worth the wait and I recommend that anyone looking for a truly enjoyable, world-class performance check them out upon their return, especially if for one reason or another you were unable to see them this time around.

Up the Irons!

(Atilla has some pictures from the show here.)