NWOBHM Never Dies Part Three: In The Heat Of The Night.

Diamond Head

The Hairy Dog

Derby

10.10.14.

October and November sees New Wave of British Heavy Metal veterans Diamond Head back on the road for a eighteen date tour which covers most of England, Scotland and Whales this includes the Hard Rock Hell festival at Pwllheli and a couple of dates on the continent.

Widely recognised as one of the leading lights in the plethora of NWOBHM bands back in the late seventies and early eighties Diamond Head have been chronicled as a major influence on the bands Metallica and Megadeth.

I first saw the boys from the West Midlands play live thirty two years ago at Rock City Nottingham in 1982 to be exact. Sadly after the release of their third studio album ‘Canterbury’ Diamond Head disappeared in the mid eighties, they reformed in the nineties and released their fourth studio album entitled ‘death and progress’ (1993) this second incarnation of the band was sadly short lived. In the noughties D/H came back for a third time and after two more studio albums ‘all will be revealed’ (2005) and ‘what’s in your head?’ (2007) it looks like they’re back to stay. 

The current line-up of founding band member Brian Tatler  (lead guitar) along with Karl Wilcox (drums) Eddie Moohan (bass) Andy Abberley (rhythm guitar) and Nick Tart (lead vocals) are by now well established and the most settled in the bands long history. That said I was surprised to learn that lead singer Nick Tart was not fronting the band on this tour; his replacement is Rasmus Bom Andersen from Denmark.

Tonight’s gig at the Hairy Dog in Derby is the first night of the tour and a respectable turn out has gathered to see the show. I’m looking forward to a full set of songs as last year D/H played a shorter show due to their tour being a ‘double headliner’ with Uli Jon Roth.

It’s half past nine, Showtime! There’s an air of anticipation building in the audience as the NWOBHM legends hit the stage opening up with ‘play it loud’ and ‘lightning to the nations’ both very early D/H songs. With ‘classics’ such as ‘call me’, ‘to heaven from hell’ and a mash-up of ‘devil his due’ and ‘heat of the night’ all coming in the first half of the set the Derby crowd were captivated right from the get go.

I for one had some trepidation about the stand in singer before the show started and although early on Rasmus did seem a little uneasy on stage it didn’t take him too long to get into his stride. He told me after the show that tonight was only his second performance with D/H making tonight’s rendition even more remarkable, by the end of the tour I’m sure it will seem like he’s always been there.  

This evening’s performance is packed with classics from the pantheon of D/H’s back catalogue such as ‘borrowed time’, ‘it’s electric’ ‘the prince’ and the song made famous by Metallica ‘am I evil’. A kind of middle-aged mosh pit (instigated by yours truly) started around the time D/H played ‘it’s electric’ and it continued to the end of the gig.

The newer songs ‘what’s in your head’, ‘come alive’ and ‘give it to me’ were included in tonight’s exploits to prove D/H are not resting on their laurels and the older hands in the band were definitely up for it, their enjoyment of playing live was apparent for everyone to see in fact their vivacity infected the crowd with a bonhomie felt long after to night’s entertainment was over.

Diamond Head can be seen all over the country till the end of November so if you’re an old fan from the early days or if you’ve never seen them before get yourself along to a show and all will be revealed… GD Manofmetal.

For more info on Diamond Head go to http://www.diamond-head.net/

Stop Press News…

Diamond Head singer Nick Tart quits the band

Statement from Nick

After 11 years of being the singer for Diamond Head I now feel it’s time for me to move on. As most are aware they have already started the October tour with a replacement singer and I wish them nothing but the very best. I haven’t heard the new guy yet but I’m sure he will be great; Brian has good quality control over Diamond Head and I don’t believe he would continue touring unless he had found a singer who could pull it off. They are a very powerful band to front, so the best of luck to him, no doubt I will be snooping into you tube to see what they sound like.
I was hoping to pen a third album, but making new music with the band became limited; Brian mentioned he had no interest in making a new album, he didn't feel the urge, which I can totally understand. He’s been doing it for a long time, but if there is no urge to make a new album, then an album doesn't belong. I made things even more difficult by moving to the other side of the world.
After living in Brisbane for nearly 6 years now, I've been very fortunate to still be able to fly to the UK and US for tours, thanks to hard work and determination of Karl Wilcox our drummer, without him there’s quite a lot that wouldn't have been possible for DH. When Diamond Head get offered work, festivals for example, they should be in a position to say yes, without worrying about all the hassle it will take to get me involved.
I’m very proud of the 2 albums I have written and recorded with DH and the touring we have done was way beyond my expectations, especially performing at Knebworth with Metallica. I have had some fantastic times, the guys in DH are so grounded which made the tours such a joyful ride, and we have had some laughs.
I now have my own band here in Brisbane; it’s taken me a long time to find someone to connect with musically, but I’m now writing new material and things are shaping up nicely. I’m getting quite excited, so I now need to move forward.
Love and thanks to those DH fans that accepted and encouraged me when I first joined the band and have followed us ever since, you know who you are.

All Photos and videos of Diamond Head by GD Manofmetal from the Hairy Dog Derby 2014 (Photo of Nick Tart by GD from Sheffield 2013)

NWOBHM Never Dies Part Two: The Lion’s Share.

Vardis [Review]

Rock & Blues Festival

Pentrich

Derbyshire

25.07.14.

For the second weekend running I find myself at a festival in Derbyshire watching a New Wave of British Heavy Metal band, last week it was Girlschool, this week it’s the turn of Vardis who have returned to the fray after an absence of twenty eight years. I last saw Vardis in November 1986 at the mardi gras Nottingham which must have been one of their very last gigs, until now that is.

Formed in the 1970’s Vardis rose to their peak of fame in the early 80’s with their debut album 100 MPH which uniquely for a first LP is a live recording. I saw them back then support Hawkwind on the Levitation tour and Slade on the Till Deaf Do Us Part tour as well as opening up the Heavy Metal Holocaust festival at Port Vale in 1981.

Rumours of a reunion began last year and in 2014 it came to fruition with a successful appearance at Brofest(UK)#2 and the re-release of their 1986 album Vigilante which has been digitally re-mastered. Today at the Rock & Blues festival we see Vardis playing their third show since the comeback and lead guitarist and lead vocalist Steve Zodiac bares little resemblance to his appearance of yester year, gone is the mane of long blond hair and the bare foot and bare chest demeanour but not gone is the inimitable guitar sound that so impressed the NWOBHM audiences back in the day.

Joining Steve Zodiac on stage is Terry Horbury (bass) and Gary Pearson (drums) it was Gary by all accounts who was instrumental in finding Steve and getting the old team into a rehearsal studio.

Vardis are in good company at the Rock & Blues festival being joined on the bill by Toseland, Eddie & the Hot Rods, Acoustic TV, New Generation Superstars and many more great live bands. Headlining the main stage on Friday they follow State of Quo which was good for them as 100% of the audience have heard of Status Quo, considerably less of them have ever heard of Vardis.

It’s a testimony to the quality of their songs that not only the ‘hard core’ fans down the front were rockin’ to the hour and a half set but many of the Vardis initiates were engrossed in the show as well. Songs like ‘Let’s Go’ ‘Out of the Way’ ‘Destiny’ ‘If I Were King’ ‘100MPH’ and ‘The Lion’s Share’ standing the test of time and sounding as fresh and relevant as they did over thirty years ago. On the strength of tonight’s performance I’m sure there are now many more Vardis fans in the world, if I were king I’d have a lion’s share because NWOBHM Never Dies… GD Manofmetal.

Visit The Vardis Wbsite:

http://www.vardisrocks.com/

                          Gee It's Steve Zodiac!

 All Five of My Videos From Rock & Blues Festival...

NWOBHM Never Dies Part One: The Girls Are Back In Town.

Girlschool [Review/Interview]

Rock & Bike Festival

Carnfield Hall

Derbyshire

18.07.14.

July sees the first gig of the year for NWOBHM stalwarts Girlschool as they materialize at the Rock & Bike festival in Derbyshire. Also on the bill of the weekend festival are Snakecharmer, Psychedelic Warlords, Bad Manners, Evil Scarecrow and a guest appearance by former WASP axe man Chris Holmes to name just a few. There’s a great atmosphere at this festival with plenty to do, two stages with around thirty live acts as well as a custom bike show a Wild West display, merchandise stalls as well as real ale at the bar and many exotic food outlets.

Girlschool are headlining the main stage on Friday night, last year they toured the UK with fellow NWOBHM luminaries Raven but these days the girls tend to play more gigs abroad than in their home country so this weekend was high

on my ‘to go to’ agenda.

Playing a set of familiar songs Girlschool wow the large audience with anthems such as ‘take it all away’ dedicated to the late Kelly Johnson their original guitarist who sadly past away seven years ago this very week. Other ‘classic’ GS numbers included in the set are ‘hit and run’ ‘demolition boys’ ‘yeah right’ screaming blue murder’ and ‘emergency’ as well as the newer numbers ‘I spy’ and ‘never

say never’.

To say this band have been around for thirty six years they’ve lost none of the vim and vigour that they possessed back in the early eighties, in fact like many of the bands from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era they’re still going strong and still have an audience who want to watch and listen to them which is reassuring.

The current band line-up comprises of three of the original members of GS, Kim McAuliffe (guitar/vocals) Enid Williams (bass/vocals) Denise Dufort (drums) and Jackie Chambers (lead guitar/vocals) who took over from Kelly back in 1999 and it’s  Jackie ‘Jax’ Chambers who I managed to interview at Rock & Bike, here’s how it went…

GD: Having taken the first six months of 2014 off prior to playing the Rock & Bike festival at Carnfield Hall, what are Girlschool’s plans for the rest of the year?

Jax: Well we have a couple of gigs to do in Finland next month and then we're hoping to record a new album at the end of the year.

GD: Unbelievably its six years since Girlschool’s last studio album, the brilliant ‘Legacy’ and three years since ‘Hit and Run – Revisited’ are there any plans for a new album?

Jax: lol… and just for you I answered 2 questions in 1... there are plans but nothing concrete as yet, here's hoping!

GD: After thirty six years together what keeps the grand dames of British heavy metal going? 

Jax: I think it's because we love music and playing on stage is just the best feeling in the world. As long as the crowds want to hear us then we'll keep on playing.

GD: Do you find Girlschool get more recognition in Europe than they do in the UK these days?

Jax: Yes I think we do but lately we've done a few more gigs here in the UK and they've been well attended, let's hope there's a few more UK dates soon.

GD: Fellow all female metal band Rock Goddess have recently reformed do you think any future collaborations between the former rivals are a possibility, i.e. touring together or maybe sharing the bill at a festival?

Jax: I wouldn't say that Rock Goddess were ever rivals, in fact we're all the best of friends. Me and Den (Denise Dufort) were in a band with Tracey Lamb and Jody Turner (of RG) a few years back called No Class when things weren't busy with GS, great fun! But to answer that question I do hope we will play together somewhere along the line.

GD: Jax, I hear you have plans to form your own band can you tell me how that is going and what style of music you’ll be playing?

Jax: Yes, whilst GS aren't so busy I'd love to be playing more (love it) I've been doing some writing with a singer and now I'm looking for a drummer and bassist... It will still be good old Rock n Roll in the same vein as GS... early days yet though but hope to be gigging by the end of the year?

A huge thanx to Jax Chambers for the interview and a massive thank you to the rest of Girlschool who came off stage at the Rock & Bike festival elated by the protracted ovation they received by the enthusiastiv crowd… proof that NWOBHM never dies… ‘Cheers you lot’ GD Manofmetal. 

          Above: Enid Williams & GD Manofmetal @ Rock & Bike Fest 2014.

Visit Girlschool’s official website: http://www.girlschool.co.uk/mainindex.htm

Four Videos From Rock & Bike 2014 by GD...

Hell Hath No Fury [Videos]

Sunday the 13th of April and it's time for some 
Grrrl Punk'n'Roll courtesy of Headcheck Records @ the old angel Nottingham. 
this event is part of Polish band Brains All Gone's UK tour 
Here's five videos of all bands from the Hell Hath No Fury gig. 
If you like any of the bands featured contact:
http://www.headcheckrecords.co.uk/

                
               
               
               
               

Contact all the bands @ their websites...

Brains All Gone: https://www.facebook.com/brainsallgoneofficial?fref=ts

Healthy Junkies: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Healthy-Junkies/128020360589230?fref=ts

Maid Of Ace: http://www.maid-of-ace.com/

Hearts Under Fire: http://heartsunderfire.bigcartel.com/

Kerosene Queen: https://www.facebook.com/KeroseneQueen?fref=ts

New Muscle & Blood [Gig Review]

New Generation Superstars [NGS] + Latexxx Teens + First Wave

Sitwell Tavern & The Salutation Inn

Derby & Nottingham

28/29.03.14

Embarking on a three date mini-tour taking in the town of Corby and the cities of Derby and Nottingham at the end of March, New Generation Superstars and their special guests, Italian industrial metal band Latexx Teens scarcely have time to breath before the whistle-stop tour is over. The hat trick of gigs culminates on the eve of British Summer time, and talking of new beginnings…

It’s another new era for New Generation Superstars as sadly a couple of months ago NGS said goodbye to their rhythm section Alex and Rick and welcomed on board their latest drummer and bassist  Mord Fustang and Jonny Suicide. New muscle and blood adding a fresh dynamic to the Leicester/Nottingham based band who have been around for more than a decade now and with three albums under their belt and a fourth in the pipeline they show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

It all kicked off on Thursday 27^th at The Zombie Hut in Corby, it’s a venue I’ve not been to yet but according to Jonny Suicide it is an awesome little venue, a kind of ‘mini rock city’. I did however manage the remaining two dates and rocking up as I did at the ever dependable Sitwell Tavern in Derby was a surprise lying in wait. First Wave were into their set when I got there, the Leicester punk band had stepped in a few weeks ago due to the original support band puling out and blow me recognition suddenly hit, First Wave used to support NGS a few years back about six years back to be precise since I last saw them but here they were, a blast from the past firing on all cylinders. Here’s a thing, First Wave’s new lead guitarist Graham Warne was NGS original guitarist, it’s a small world init?

The intimate nature of the Sitwell only enhances the atmosphere generated by the audience, who as a rule are enthusiastic so when we’d been treated to some old school punk rock the ardour of the crowd grew even more grandiose as we prepared to welcome NGS’ special guests, who’d jetted in Thursday morning from their home country of Italy.

Latexx Teens are neither teenagers nor do they wear latex so any preconceptions made about them from their name was blown out of the water the minute they began their set. All the way from Italy this five piece outfit combined industrial heavy metal with a glam/punk attitude which makes them alluring to many people. Both nights’ I saw them they went down well, especially at the Nottingham show where they went to town on their makeup, looking like the bastard sons of Marilyn Manson. My biggest criticism was the sampled keyboard sounds which tended to drown out both the lead guitars; however they were a great success and a counterpoint to the headliners.

Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Sixteen Tons is not what you’d expect to hear as an intro for New Generation Superstars but that’s what we got, a new era indeed as at both the Derby and the Nottingham show’s the patrons were treated to a ‘new’ look and a different sound driving the familiar songs we know and love.

As ever AJ Superstar (guitar/lead vocals) and Davey Messiah (lead guitar) are at the helm of the ship but now they’re joined by new ship mates, former Suicide Tuesday bass player Jonny Suicide and former Wraith sticks man Mord Fustang. The new line-up has changed the dynamism of NGS but I suppose we won’t feel the full effect until new material has been written and introduced to the shows.

On these three dates NGS were playing an interesting set which contained about 80% of the songs from their 2013 album Rock n’ Roll or Die, however they did play some of the old favourites from their two noughties albums such as  Come Over, Star, Beat Em’ Down and the by now anthemic Overload.

The Derby show was excellent, the intimate atmosphere of the Sitwell Tavern made for a fun evening, it was like being invited into a conclave of rock and metal. The Nottingham gig by comparison, felt more like an arena show; NGS never fail at the Salutation, they’ve played that venue many times in the past and it always comes up trumps for them.

With all four band members now having shall we say a surfeit of tattoos my ‘heckle’ of Tattoo Wars previously directed at AJ and Davey now encompasses the whole NGS personnel, I think Jonny the bass player is losing this war and he is in possession of two full sleeves. Another amusing part of proceedings is the now traditional Ramones’ cover at the end, there’s usually an ex-member of NGS floating about the Sal who joins them for the finale, this time its Dirty Berty, who along with the Latexxx Teens boys invade the stage on mass to round off a fantastic evening and bring the curtain down on the March mini-tour.  

What about that Ernie Ford intro song I hear you say, well when I asked AJ what was that all about, he gave this as his answer…

“I guess it was in the lyrics ‘poor man made out of muscle and blood. Another day older and deeper in dept.’ Sort of sums it all up. We do it for the love of Rock n Roll, not the money or fame!”

In the lyrics of one of their own songs from their first album ‘I don’t do it ‘cos I have to I do it ‘cos I can… Man!’

Check out my Rock n’ Roll or Die album review: http://discworlddog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/new-generation-superstars-rock-n-roll.html

Find the bands on their websites & facebook…

NGS: http://www.newgenerationsuperstars.com/

Latexx Teens: https://www.facebook.com/lxtofficial

First Wave: https://www.facebook.com/pages/FirstWavePunk/142964532412055

GD Manofmetal.

Videos of Latexx Teens & NGS from the Salutation Nottingham by GD:

Rock Until You Drop [YNT Videos]

Four videos from YNT the Y&T tribute band who played Rock Until You Drop @ The Salutation Nottingham on the 15th March 2014.

Rock Until You Drop is a bi-monthly 'classic' rock night held at the Salutation on Maid Marion Way Nottingham on the third Saturday of every other month. 

YNT: https://www.facebook.com/pages/YNT-Tribute-Band/627408520650179?fref=ts

RUYD: https://www.facebook.com/bud.chatwin.1?fref=ts

Knocking on Heaven’s Door [Gig Review]

Heaven’s Basement + Glamour of the Kill + The

Dirty Youth

Rescue Rooms

Nottingham

14.03.14

After travelling to pretty much all points of the compass including Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada in recent months, those lovable hard rockers Heaven’s Basement have returned to more familiar shores. It’s only the second date of their Welcome Home tour and already they’re playing to a sold out show here at the rescue rooms in Nottingham, the tour covers most of the UK in March and many countries in mainland Europe during April.

Over the last couple of years Heaven’s Basement have grown from strength to strength and with the release of their 2013 album Filthy Empire on Red Bull Records they have gathered around them an even bigger fan base than they had before.

I’ll keep the history lesson brief, I first saw the beginnings of this band a whole decade ago when they supported the mighty Queensrÿche in 2004, called Hurricane Party at the time the only member of that line-up in today’s band is drummer Chris Rivers. Moving on to the monsters of rock festival at Milton Keynes in 2006 and now going out under the moniker of Roadstar I caught up with the guys again, this show was guitarist Sid Glover’s first gig with the band so I’m reliably informed. 2008 and Roadstar become Heaven’s Basement but still many trials and tribulations befell the band until the beginning of 2011 when the current line-up of Aaron Buchanan (lead vocals) Rob Ellershaw (bass) Sid Glover (lead guitar) and Chris Rivers (drums) released the Unbreakable EP and thankfully three years later they’re finally breaking into the big time.

Nottingham has always been a happy stamping ground for Heaven’s Basement in the past (Trashstock, Wildside etc.) and tonight’s show is no exception, the enthusiastic crowd were packed into the rescue rooms to see the boys play a blistering set of old and new songs. As you might expect they opened up with Welcome Home the first track off the Filthy Empire album, a lot of the songs from that album are in the set tonight but I’m glad Heaven’s Basement haven’t forgot their older material. Lead guitarist Sid sings his now trademark song Paranoia about halfway though the show and the band finish off with a couple of old favourites, Reign on My Parade and Executioners Day as well as an encore of Jumping Jack Flash just for the hell of it.

It’s been about a year since I last saw Heaven’s Basement, this band have grown into a top act with stage antics by belt and braces front man Aaron Buchanan always making an impact, tonight he walked out onto the audience's hands and clambered up onto the balcony before later in the set, crowd surfing on his back whilst still singing, I remember seeing him at the High Voltage festival in London 2011 making a similar move, always impressive.

I would say tonight’s audience were bordering on 50% male to female ratio and as you probably know for rock bands this is unusual, I’m guessing both Heaven’s Basement and the main support band tonight, Glamour of the Kill are responsible for this statistic, to say they were eye candy for the girls would be a little rude so I’m not gonna say it (Oooops).

And so onto Glamour of the Kill and they’re a band I’ve not seen before, made in Yorkshire this four piece band more than held my attention for their entire set. Heavier than the headliners GOTK play slick heavy metal with very powerful double kick drum beats and a full guitar sound and although there was some ‘growly’ vocals on the whole you could hear the lyrics as being sung by front man/bassist Davey Richmond who is ably acompanied by Chris Gomerson (guitar/vocals) Mike Kingswood (lead guitar/vocals) and Ben Thomson (drums/vocals) I would go and see these guys again they seem like they’re going to be around for a long while yet.

Tonight’s show was opened by Welsh rockers The Dirty Youth, I saw them a couple of years back but sadly tonight with the show being sold out the delay between opening the doors and the first band coming on stage is very marginal for everyone to get into the venue in time to see the first band. Why it takes so long to get everyone through the doors I do not know, the queue meandered around the block so by the time I got in I only saw the last two songs of their performance. However on a more positive note the lead singer of The Dirty Youth Danni Monroe assured me they would be embarking on a headlining tour of their own later in the year so I’ll keep my eyes peeled for that.

Below: GD Manofmetal & Danni Monroe.

Check out all of tonight’s bands on their websites…

Heaven’s Basement: http://heavensbasement.com/filthyempire/

Glamour of the Kill: https://www.facebook.com/glamourofthekill

The Dirty Youth: http://www.thedirtyyouth.co.uk/

GD Manofmetal.

Videos From The Rescue Rooms By GD Manofmetal:

Discworld 2014 [Eximius Humanus]

Morpheus Rising - Eximius Humanus [CD Review]

Melodic Revolution Records

Released: February 2014

Formed in 2008 Morpheus Rising are a five piece rock/metal band based in York and although  they released their debut album Let The Sleeper Awake in 2011, I have to confess they didn’t come to my attention until last year when Ex Saxon & ODS drummer Nigel Durham joined the band. Now a couple of years on from that debut CD and the band have another album out on Melodic Revolution Records titled Eximius Humanus which they launched in February at the Robin 2 Bilston.

Heavily inspired by the NWOBHM genre Morpheus Rising (MR) also combine many other influences in their music, the new album is ten tracks of heavy metal for the twenty-first century but there’s also a progressive sound to some of the songs on Eximius Humanus reminiscent of prog metal bands like Queensrÿche for example.

Track one; Super Human is really only an intro to track two, Looking For Life, the latter with it’s sci-fi concept of searching for a new earth combining with the formers search for the superman we all hope lurks within us all and while track one is an electronic jingling build up, an overture if you will to track two which sounds more typical of MR, all powerful riffs and durable drum beats.

All ten songs have been written by Pete Harwood (guitar) and Si Wright (lead vocals) and the rest of MR’s line up is Damien Sweeting (guitar) Andy Smith (bass) and the aforementioned Nigel Durham (drums) together they’ve produced a commanding, well crafter album that almost seems like a concept album so significant are the lyrics, no insipid love songs or brash battle metal anthems will ye find here.

Day Number One is the third track, a song about getting back to the beginning, starting again, renewing our view of the world, it’s a melodic number with lots of harmonising backing vocals. Mega City One comes next and is one of the best songs on the album, you’ll know all about this distopian vision of the future if you’ve ever read a Judge Dredd comic book. Musically Mega City One has catchy riffs, blistering guitar breaks and a sing along chorus; it leads directly into Fly Higher an uplifting tune about achieving great things, lyrically a complete antithesis to the previous number.

Tracks six, seven and eight are all weighty hard rock songs with tantalising guitar riffs and lead breaks. Eximius Humanus’ penultimate song, Touch The Sky is slower in tempo, it’s a kind of superpower ballad and for all it’s popular familiarly the lyrics don’t dumb down any “Ectopic beats born through anxiety, My heart skips another beat and I’m far away, into the blackening blue, I dream I’m flying with you, higher and higher we climb, I never want to Wake” is the opening verse, weighty stuff I’m sure you’ll agree.

The album concludes with the excellent Superpower and we’re pretty much back to where we started, as I said earlier this isn’t a concept album but many of the underlying themes of the individual songs imbue the listener with a sense of the familiar. An overall anticipation of achievement coupled with the fear of disaster pervade throughout every song on Eximius Humanus in short an album packed with thought provoking lyrics, backed up with exemplary tuneful heavy metal music.

Get your copy of Eximius Humanus on Morpheus Rising’s website:

http://www.morpheusrising.co.uk/

GD Manofmetal. 

Nine Men in Black [Gig Review]

JD & The FDCs [FDCs] + The Idol Dead [TID]

Tap N’ Tumbler [TNT]

Nottingham

27.02.14

This week I’m off to see two bands that I’ve not only seen many times before but two bands I’ve already seen this year. JD & The FDCs and The Idol Dead are playing the Tap N’ Tumbler in Nottingham on the last Thursday in February and I for one am not gonna miss this show. Back in the middle of January I caught up with them both at the twelve band extravaganza that was Martin Short’s sixtieth birthday bash at the Maze. Tonight however they will both get a longer set than they did that night, the FDCs are headlining so it’s the turn of some of Yorkshires finest sons in the form of The Idol Dead to play first.

With bottled water and towels in place on stage courtesy of Craig the land lord (all it needed was some Robertson’s barley water and you’d have thought we were at Wimbledon) and its show time. Opening up with the brilliantly fast paced Buckle N’ Howl (note to self: video this next time) TID immediately invigorate the crowd with chant along lines like ‘hell yeah!’ and fuck yeah!’ this is a great song to open with. The Leeds based band’s personnel are Polly Phluid (lead vocals) Tim (lead guitar) KC Duggan (lead guitar) Suggy (bass) and Nish (drums)looking resplendent as they do in their black shirts and lime green ties. TID play post punk hard rock (a cliché I know) but then again fulfilling clichés are one of the bands ambitions apparently. Although all the members of TID give it 100% on stage a special mention has to be made about the over excited antics of KC on guitar and Polly’s St Vitas dance like movements they both draw the eye. The poignant song Travelling Man is one of the highlights of their set for me but the only draw back is they only played half a dozen songs or so; a few more would not have gone a miss. I.D.O.L is the final song it’s a rip roaring sing along number with mucho contributions from the audience as a microphone wielding Polly Phluid weaves his way in and out of the masses. Both bands tonight have an array of merchandise on sale but I have to mention TID’s green and black ‘punky’ teddy bears, you wouldn’t give one to a small child in case they had nightmares. 

If you was wondering why this review is titled Nine Men in Black then wonder no longer, when the FDCs take to the stage they always wear black shirts with white armbands sporting the legend FDCs so tonight we’ve seen nine similarly clad band members on the TNT stage (like nine back riders in the lord of the rings) ok well not really like that but it’s what ran through my weird imagination at the time. Opening up with Ujpest Dozsa an upbeat song that’s become a staple of the FDCs set it’s swiftly followed by This Ship is Going Down, the crowd are ‘up for it’ as JD leads his band of merry men through an unfamiliar set which contains three brand new songs even I’ve never heard before. For those of you reading this who aren’t familiar with the FDCs they are Jamie ‘JD’ Delerict (lead vocals/guitar) Dazmondo (lead guitar/vocals) Joey Strange (bass/vocals) and Danny Gunn (lead drums) this band seem to be constantly on the road and have reached a wide audience over the last four years or so that they’ve been together. Although front man JD was struggling a bit with a bad throat the new stuff came across well and the man flu didn’t effect his sardonic banter with the crowd and with his fellow band members, I think Dazmondo has been ‘sacked’ at just about every gig they’ve played. The penultimate number of the FDCs set is the now anthemic Burn This City Down, with audience participation at maximum it would be easy to finish on this one, however no FDCs gig would be complete without the trademark Stupid Music Played by Idiots (whimsically dedicated to The Idol Dead) another crowd participation song, many of the audience shying away from JD as he pounces on unsuspecting victims to sing along. In fact the FDCs are a band that get the crowd joining in all the time, from ‘Slade thumbs’ to constant shouts of YES! A word written on the back of Daz’s guitar lest we forget it. They’re a band that you either ‘get’ or you don’t get, it makes no difference to Jamie he is a man driven by the force of rock n’ roll and I think he’s never gonna stop. 

If you were at this gig tonight you will have witnessed two groups who express the real meaning of what live rock music is all about, I also know many like them that give so much of their valuable time to the cause for very little financial reward. I’d better get off my soap box now before I get started on about bands with no more talent than these guys who manage somehow to get away with charging exorbitant amounts of money to go see them in an arena… Never… Gonna… Stop!

Find both tonight’s bands on their websites…

JD & The FDCs: http://www.jdandthefdcs.com/

The Idol Dead: http://theidoldead.com/

GD Manofmetal.

Both videos bellow shot @ The Tap N' Tumbler Nottingham by GD: