The first was a new car, it is a nice car, economical with many features I like including digital radio. That is something I never had much interest in until I got it. I then discovered "Planet Rock" radio and my life has actually changed as a result. I listen to more music and I've just started going to more gigs again. This started last year when I entered a competition to win tickets to see Judas Priest. I don't enter competitions but in this instance I just knew that I would win and sure enough I did (thank you Planet Rock for that!).
I took my youngest daughter and we saw the mighty Priest supported by Michael Schenker, a truly great guitarist with some fantastic songs, he is sadly underrated and seems to have been forgotten. he has such a beautiful touch on the guitar, his tone and his sense of melody are amazing, he needs to be rediscovered by everyone.
Michael Schenker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBmmJjsURD4
I'd not seen Judas Priest before, I have several of their albums and the last album "Redeemer of Souls" is brilliant, a real return to form, consistent and absolutely heavy metal. Judas Priest are an institution and I can't believe I've never seen them before and my daughter, after the gig, was incredulous that I'd never seen them before.
They are the epitome of heavy metal, walking the line between caricature and something far more primeval and dangerous. I loved the show, it was like being assaulted. Rob Halford has the most amazing voice, he hits insane high notes and he's no spring chicken but has managed to retain his voice and range. The Priest have a huge catalog to draw from and they did. My highlight was "Screaming for Vengenace" where my daughter adored "Turbo Lover".
Priest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiecuPjbnjU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV2WEJYZRuA
We are both sold on the Priest and will be seeing them again if we can.
I found out too late that Thunder were playing at the 100 Club on Oxford Street and by the time I looked, the tickets were well and truly sold out, disappearing in less than 10 minutes, bear in mind this band are playing Wembley next month.
Your question might be, "Who are Thunder?" and that is a question that goes back to the late '80's. They released an acclaimed album, "Back Street Symphony" and toured relentlessly. I was initially put off them by a band called Terraplane that I really didn't like and they later became Thunder. Now I tend to bear a prejudice so it is a testament to Thunder that their first album was a real killer with no filler and live they were incendiary. I saw them low down on a couple of festival bills and they blew the headliners off the stage (taking the scalps of Aerosmith, Whitesnake and ZZ Top at various times). They were not a band that a self respecting headliner would take out with them unless they were at the top of their game.
Now I'd not seen Thunder in a number of years but heard the lead track, "The Thing I Want" off their last album "Wonder Days" and loved it, here was another band of a certain age, hitting their stride again and as it turned out, they never really lost their stride, it was more that we became estranged from each other.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hD1kEfLN6M
Anyway, Planet Rock were offering a pair of tickets to the annual childline/NSPCC fundraiser that Thunder always do, to the sold out 100 Club gig, and yes, I won them! So last night I was at a sold out show for a select few 350 people to see a band that is headlining Wembley in a month!
Let me paint the picture, 5 older men came on stage, all short grey hair, the most unlikely looking rock stars you can imagine. The singer, Danny Bowes, was Dad dancing and bouncing constantly, a man in his element and he treated this like Wembley, the man is a born show off with a wicked sense of humour and did I mention the voice? No? Power a-plenty, bang in tune and an English voice cut from a similar cloth to maybe Paul Rogers, the blues rock voice that England does so well, he can lend himself to the big power ballad or the out and out rocker as well as cover versions. He is an amazing frontman, the complete package, a cheeky chappy with the voice you simply can't doubt. I can't find much footage from the 100 Club gig (yet) so here is some live footage from a few years back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYGwpQPBUyE
A great song and a great voice and a full gig of killer songs like this can't fail and it didn't. This wasn't dangerous or rebellious or even a nostalgia trip, this was about having fun and raising some money for charity into the bargain. I laughed, sang and remembered what a great band they were and how great they are now. The years were stripped back as the night wore on, the songs were evergreen, the band was tight and the pressure was on the audience to deliver, yep, as bizarre as it sounds.
After the main set finished, the band had nowhere to go, so we were instructed to turn around and face the far wall and cheer as if the band weren't on stage, to simulate them being off stage. Yes it was a really funny moment, 350 people facing the other way while the band told us when they would be leaving the dressing room and when we could turn back. They were in brilliant form and the shame is that they simply got better throughout the night and come the final encore, they looked warmed up! I promise not to leave it anywhere near as long before I see them again and I will be buying the new DVD and filling in the blanks in my collection and thanks to Thunder I will setting up a standing order to childline/NSPCC today, I kept meaning to but they have given me the push to do it, every month counts.
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