The first first of all is that it’s the opening show of Fury UK’s latest tour, and the second first – if I can put it like that – is it’s the first time RTM has been to a gig in a snooker club in 21 years of concert attendance. But, it is in the upstairs room of Tamworth snooker club that we find we are spending Good Friday, along with some like-minded souls.
Voodoo Vegas are opening up on this particular trek, and they do a reasonable job. Man mountain frontman Lawrence is happy to be here and happy too with the revamped décor (“you’ve painted it black since I was last in this room,” he says. “It’s a proper rock club now its black.”) He also has a rather idiosyncratic approach to crowd participation. Faced with a group of disinterested punters, he jumps off stage and confronts them until they join in – he’s a very big man so you probably should do what he says, and soon the chaps are clapping along,
Vegas are everything you would expect a band called Voodoo Vegas to be. Taking their cue from the bands of the Sunset Strip circa 86-91, they offer a catchy brand of sleazy rock. Their website tells you all you need to know. They are, it says “rock n roll the way it used to be” and according to the profiles the last album that Nick, one of their guitarists, bought was “Slave to The Grind by Skid Row. Whether that is true or not, who knows, but it says much for their ethos.
They posses one excellent song in “King Without a Crown” and a bunch of pretty good ones. Ending their set with two untitled new ones gives a rather lopsided feel though.
What can we say about Fury UK? A band that RTM has supported for years. Upon seeing them in November supporting Iced Earth we said: “they are a damn fine metal band who deserves to succeed……but you wonder when the breakthrough will come.” And that remains the case.
In a just world, where talent and great songs were all that counted, then the Manc three piece would be cover stars, that they aren’t tells you all you need to know about the way things are right now in the music business. And if the opening slot for Iced Earth was that breakthrough we talked about, it hasn’t translated into extra punters, no more than 50 die hards greet them here.
This is Fury’s second show of 2012, following an appearance at Hammerfest. The tour is in support of their new DVD, but moreover, you suspect because this band belongs on the road, and they treat us to a well-honed and familiar set. Beginning with “I See Red” and taking in a mixture of tacks from second album “VR” and third “A Way Of Life.”
New track “We Drink Blood” is a welcome addition and hints that album number four might be another fine affair, a crushing, yet catchy song it ticks all the boxes you want from this band.
It’s the more epic moments that you suspect the band enjoys most, however and both of their best moments are aired here. “The Remainder” (which is often cut in the support sets and was only played during in impromptu encore when we saw them in 2010) is a meandering beat of a song, which like the always standout “Death By Lightening” is built around a quite stunning solo from Chris Appleton.
The only downside to the evening is a slightly muddy sound, with feedback hindering Appleton’s vocals – and clearly vexing him on occasion. Unfortunately, as bands like Fury UK know only too well, on the gig circuit they are on the PA’s aren’t always great. For so many reasons Fury UK deserve better.
The new album is due in October. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed that finally it will be the one that gets this superb band the recognition it deserves.
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