SAINT JUDE, Fighting Wolves @ Birmingham Academy 2 18/12/11

Fighting Wolves have been making some waves recently. Their song “One Minute More” has been getting plenty of airplay on Planet Rock, and its not hard to see why. A catchy, rollicking, Classic Rock tune it is also the standout song in the cannon. Its not that the others are bad by any means, its just that it is the best thing they have got by a mile.

That said, the three piece are a band to keep an eye on in 2012 as their entertaining set does hint at a promising future.

The term “making waves” can comfortably be applied to Saint Jude too. That this gig is in the Academy 2 and not the little room next door is no mean feat and with celebrity endorsement from the likes of the Stones Ronnie Wood and Jimmy Page in the bag and Management from Thunder vocalist Danny Bowes, their star is definitely on the rise.

This short tour is a way for them to round off a year which has seen them gain much critical acclaim for debut album “Diary of a Soul Fiend” –  a version of which was given away last month in Classic Rock Magazine.

However - and lets be honest here - the patronage of Wood, Page and anybody else matters for nothing if the songs don’t cut it and they certainly do

Their trump card is front-woman Lynne Jackaman, the public face of the group. She possesses a quite astonishing voice, and is a very charismatic figure. But there is more to the group than the singer, the band behind her contains blues guitar hero Marcus Bonafanti and he together with fellow axeman Ivor Sims are more than content to leave her in the limelight while they kick out the blues licks in the shadows. Joining them are bassist Scott Wiber and drummer Lee Cook, with the band becoming a six piece on occasion with the addition of a Hammond Organ player.

Kicking off their 75 minute set with the Stones-esque “Little Queen” is a shrewd move as it showcases their talents perfectly. Jackaman explains that they intend to play some new songs this evening that may or may not form part of their second album – due to land next year. The new stuff sounds good too, with a track called “Sweet Melody” complete with a harmonica solo, probably sounds like the most immediate.

Not surprisingly it’s the “….Soul Fiend” stuff that sounds best, though. “Pleased To Meet You,” – which sees Jackaman sing “I’ll be rising, as you are going down,” positively oozes sex and the largely acoustic duo of “Angel” and “Down and Out” showcase the versatility of the band, while main set closer “Soul on Fire” is perhaps Saint Jude’s best known track and it is expertly delivered and puts the gloss on a fine evening.

Rather like Rival Sons and Graveyard Saint Jude aren’t re-inventing the wheel, but they are finding a way to make the old stuff sound fresh and exciting again.

Retro never sounded quite so good.