MAGNUM, Trillium @Leamington Assembly 27/11/12

Trillium might be from Lake Michigan, but their classical, symphonic style has much more in common with European symphonic metal bands than it does with their homeland.

Vocalist Amanda Somerville has a formidable voice and carries songs like “Ego” along. In fact, the band seems ostensibly to be a Somerville solo project. They are worth having a listen to, but don’t, on this evidence, have the chops to overhaul the genres big boys.

By contrast Magnum have been one of the big boys of British Prog Rock since the early 70s. This is their second tour of the year and there is a more than decent crowd here to watch this show.

Helped no doubt, by the fact that new album “On The 13^th Day” is extremely good. It is with a song from this, “All The Dreamers,” that they begin tonight’s festivities, but while there a smattering of new songs, this really is a show that takes in the full breadth of their career.

And what a career it’s been. No one could argue with the quality of songs like “When We Were Younger” with its Marillion-ish overtones, while “The Flood” (somewhat topical given the weather outside) rolls along nicely and the epic “How Far Jerusalem” sounds so good it could almost be a Dream Theater song.

Towards the end of the set “All England’s Eyes” is worked up into a mighty crowd participation number along with the catchy “Vigilante.” For the encore “Rockin’ Chair,” their foray into hard rock from the “Goodnight LA” album is dusted off and sounds as good as ever, before “Days Of No Trust,” with its rather prescient lyrics rounds things off exceptionally.

Magnum’s true strength lies in their quiet confidence. They have never strived to be cool – this is never better shown than when frontman Bob Catley starts dancing, think your geriatric uncle after one too many at a wedding and you would be somewhere close – but that is part of their charm. Exceptional musicians, guitarist Tony Martin stands stage right, happily in the shadows while the songs he wrote are played, and while drummer Harry James always looks happy to be a stage, but the Thunder man looks even more chuffed than usual tonight as he takes the applause,

If you have been one of the top bands in a genre for a generation there is usually a reason for it – and that reason is that you are very, very good indeed. That is just what Magnum showed in Leamington. Their quiet, understated skill made for a magnificent show.

Quireboys, Burning Crows @Slade Rooms 25/11/12

One of the joys of going to gigs is seeing a band that you have never heard before and thinking, “blimey.”

And that is exactly what happens with Norwich’s The Burning Crows tonight. The four-piece give a magnificent showcase of their talents here, with their brand of 80s influenced hard rock going down a treat.

The band’s sound is built around guitarist/vocalist Whipzz and fellow six stringer Lance Daniels, giving a welcome twin guitar twist to songs like “Best Damn Everything” and party anthem “You, Me Tonight.” Really, if like us,  you grew up listening to the likes Guns N Roses and Skid Row and still occasionally hanker after some honest to goodness hard rock to mix with made up genres that end with suffix “core” then these boys could be the ones for you. They are to release a debut full-length album in 2013 – they play a track called “All the Way” from it tonight – and are ones to watch. Very, very good indeed.

If Burning Crows are giving retro rock a modern twist, then tonight’s headliners are just, well, retro. Back in 1989 RTM can remember the excitement when we heard “7 O’clock” and the thrill of buying the “A Bit Of What You Fancy” album when it came out the following year. That debut CD reached the dizzy heights of number two in the charts, then along came a scruffy blonde man with a chorus that said “here we are now, entertain us” and the musical world changed.

Quireboys all of a sudden were dated, out of fashion and album number two “Bitter, Sweet And Twisted” stiffed. The band plodded on, releasing records periodically over the years, and are here touring with two original members – singer Spike and writing partner Guy Griffin – which is more than a lot of bands of their era can manage.

Throughout that time, while the records might have been slightly patchy (with the honorable exception of the quite brilliant “Homewreckers and Heartbreakers”) the band have remained a superb live act. Their Faces/Stones type songs always translate better to a live setting anyway, and so it is tonight.

Geordie he may be but Spike now lives in Wolverhampton, so always produces the goods at his adopted hometown show and it is all smiles when “Tramps And Thieves” from “Bitter….” Kicks things off. Whilst the gig contains songs from most of their albums, it is fair to say it is concentrated on material from their debut. A stone cold classic of a record, the likes of “Hey You” “There She Goes Again” “Whippin Boy” and more sound just as good now as ever.

Later tracks are not neglected, though “This Is Rock N Roll” is tossed out with gusto and “Lorraine” is full of the cheeky charm of their early stuff. They even include a new song in “Mother Mary” a lilting, almost country ballad that hints even in 2013 the band will have plenty to offer.

There is a tremendous camaraderie on display on stage – guitarist Paul Guerin and keyboard man Keith Weir grinning their way through – and this obviously includes Burning Crows too. Whippz is back on stage to duet on “Sweet Mary Anne” and “7 O’clock” with Spike.

The encore sees them run through “I Don’t Love You Anymore” and “I Love This Dirty Town” before Spike invites us back to his to continue the party. Here is a band that might not sell many records these days and plays smaller venues, but still appears happy just to be onstage. Seeing the Quireboys live is, was and hopefully will always remain, a joy and sometimes that is all that is needed. A fine night.

THERAPY? Hawk Eyes @Academy 2, Birmingham 23/11/12

When last we saw Hawk Eyes it was the Ginger Christmas show last year. We said the Leeds band were “blessed with a couple of very fine songs indeed.” We stick by that theory, but for whatever reason they choose not play them this evening.

Indeed, to be frank, Hawk Eyes look bored to be on stage. Whether it’s a first night of the tour thing, or that the crowd appears indifferent to them, who knows. The fact is though that most of the excitement seems to have gone from their show.

As you might expect from a band that changed its name, the band appear to not be quite sure what they want to be. “Headstrong” is the pick of the set, but it never approaches the levels they managed 11 months ago.

In contrast to see the seemingly restless support band, Therapy? Have always known exactly what they wanted to be, and it wasn’t famous. Their Wiki page says they have sold 2 million records, but it doesn’t say that most of these were in the 90s, with the “Troublegum” “Nurse” and “Infernal Love” records they were frequently in the singles charts and frequently in the magazines. The trouble with this was simple. Andy Cairns and his mates had artier ambitions; they simply wanted to play the music they liked. And, for most of the 21^st century, that’s exactly what they have done.

Happily, although the limelight has dimmed, the fans remain onside and the Academy 2 is near full when the band almost sheepishly make their way onstage. Dressed in suits, they look for all the world like the cast of “Reservoir Dogs” when a cover of Joy Dvision’s “Isolation” kicks things off.

The early curfew means a slightly shorter set, but no one can feel shortchanged as over 20 songs are fired out in a 90-minute concert. New album “A Brief Crack Of Light” is well represented with its brooding opener “Living In The Shadow Of A Terrible Thing” perhaps the closest thing they have to their 90s sound.

They have lost none of their mischievous nature, either. “Die Laughing” is dedicated to the recently deceased Clive Dunn and “Before You, With You, After You” beginning with a snippet of “I Never Promised You A Rose Garden.”

Along with the batch of new songs there is plenty of looking back, too. “Stop It Your Killing Me” “Teethgrinder” and “Stories” sound as fresh as ever despite being almost 20 years old.

Suits are gone for the encore and the classics are out. “Screamager” and “Nowhere” mix alongside a cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Potato Junkie” finishes things, surely the only song in history to feature “James Joyce is fucking my sister” as its key line. And guess what? That’s the line Therapy choose to make a sing-a-long out of. What else should you expect from a band that appeared on Top of the Pops with a single that began with the couplet “let me try on your dress/it turns me on when we’re a mess. “?

They don’t play that song – “Loose” - tonight, but what they did play was excellent. Truly reinvigorated Therapy? Are a band that haven’t sounded this good in years. Being a deliberate cult band never sounded so much fun.

EUROPE @Academy Birmingham 21/11/12

If the cancellation of tonight’s support band Stonerider at late notice – so late in fact that earlier in the evening they posted a picture of the venue on Twitter – was an early blow (as RTM had been looking forward to the brand of Black Crowes-y rock) then the crowd at the venue was another one.

There are barely 600 people in the venue when Europe take the stage at just before 9pm. A tremendous shame as the band deserves so much better. These shows at the Academy have been very much a fixture in recent years, and they have been uniformly superb. 2012’s promises to be just the same, as the band have a new album out that they are keen to show off.

Indeed, it is with three songs from the aforementioned “Bag Of Bones” LP that they begin this evening, “Riches To Rags” and “Not Supposed To Sing The Blues” in particular showcasing all that is good about present day Europe with their casual catchiness and easy charm.

They then play “Superstitious,” a song that the teenage RTM played to death before deciding Europe weren’t cool enough as the 90s dawned, at this point we are left to reflect on the fact that things really have turned full-circle.

Even the short acoustic section is redeemed by two things. First Jon Norum plays a superb bluesy guitar solo that leads into a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The World Keep On Turning” and second, there is the fact that with the cymbals attached to his feet drummer Ian Haugland resembles a one-man-band.

Stools happily away it’s rocking all the way to the end. The new album’s title track sounds fantastic, and if you can’t enjoy “The Beast” from the “Last Look At Eden” CD (the album that reminded the world – and me – just how damn good Europe were) then you aren’t trying very hard.

The main set closes with the fist-in-the-air classic that is “Rock The Night” – although not before a faithful cover of “Paranoid” that frontman Joey Tempest describes as “bostin’”- before its back for the encore of “Last Look….” And that song. You know the one. The most bombastic thing in the world, the one that nearly all power metal bands would kill for – and the one that paid for the enormous tour bus that sits outside. And you know what? Try listening to “The Final Countdown” without a smile on your face. It is nigh on impossible, as anthems go, it remains the benchmark.

So another Europe gig ends in triumph and enjoyment. Yes the crowd might not be massive, but do you think that bothered Joey and the boys? Not if their smiles when RTM sees them getting into a taxi outside are anything to go by. We didn’t ask them where they were going.

It is obvious. They were heading for venus…..

SEETHER, Heaven's Basement @Institute Birmingham 18/11/12

RTM has a confession. Up until about a month ago we hadn’t heard of Seether. It seems that, with this lack of knowledge of the South African act, we are in a minority. This show was originally supposed to be at the Academy 2, but was upgraded to the much larger Institute, where it is almost sold-out.

 So, if we didn’t know about Seether, then why are we here? The answer to that lies in the choice of support band. Heaven’s Basement are a band that we have had a lot of time for and have had for a long time. Their history is complicated and long, first they Hurricane Party  - attracting A&R man extraordinaire John Kalodner to their first EP - then they were Roadstar, before becoming HB in 2008 after a split with manager Laurie Mansworth (who now looks after The Treatment).

Throughout all that time they have made fabulous hard rock records. Last years “Unbreakable” EP showing that again, and given the amount of time they spend on the road they have no problems winning another crowd over tonight. Singer Aaron Buchanan has only been in the band for a year but looks born to the role, with his effortless charm and seemingly boundless energy. They (finally) have a debut album out next year and the track they play from this “There Is Else Left To Lose” gives notice that it might be very good, but as always it is “Reign On My Parade” and “Executioners Day” that steal the show. Job – as always – done.

Seether, rather quietly, have become a very big deal it seems. Given the size of the crowd and the sense of expectation you might have expected a show to rival the Down one in this very room last month, that it never reaches any of those heights is entirely due to the band themselves.

The three piece have some good songs, witness the dark and brooding opener “No Jesus Christ” and the fine slab of American arena rock that is “Here and Now” for example. But to be brutally honest, they have absolutely no charisma at all.

Whilst it would be dull if every band behaved like Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie or Kiss, it wouldn’t have killed the group to involve the crowd at some point, instead singer Shaun Cooper is content to mumble “thank you” after each song and leave the gaps drenched in feedback.

Perhaps we should have expected such a low-key show. The opening told us as much. There was no backdrop, for example, and no intro music. Which is fine up to a point, but they were here headlining to 1400 people and it needed a spectacle to go with their undoubted talent.

“Country Song” could have been turned into a sing-a-long and the insanely catchy “Fake It” could have been a showstopper, but it wasn’t. Cooper singing “The Gift”solo was just dull, before the show ended with “Remedy” (which is a dead ringer for Nevermind era Nirvana) and no encore – that would have been too much like showbusiness.

 

Seether are a band who is good at what they do – essentially write grunge songs for the 21^st century - but they have none of Heaven’s Basement’s presence. Tonight only felt like a metal show when the support was onstage.

GERRY McAVOY'S BAND OF FRIENDS, Sugar Mama @Bilston Robin 2 16/11/12

Tonight had better be good. It better be good, because RTM is missing the mighty Gentlemen’s Pistols at the Asylum for it.

 If you will permit a slightly personal digression, that we are doing to this show at all is a long story, but one that revolves around the fact our partner in gig going crime for 20 odd years is the world’s biggest Rory Gallagher fan, so RTM is forsaking one of our favourite bands to see a tribute act……

Actually that is little disingenuous. This is not your average tribute act. This celebration of the work of Rory Gallagher (the man who Jimi Hendrix considered the world’s greatest guitarist) contains two of the men who were by his side in the 70s – bass man Gerry McAvoy and drummer Ted McKenna – together with Dutch bluesman Marcel Scherpenzneel. Viewed in that respect this Band of Friends is no more of a tribute than the current line up of Thin Lizzy, say.

Before the Rory stuff there are Sugar Mama. Impossibly young they might be, but this local band have some very fine blues chops. Single “Bullfight Blues” is a fine song and their set is an entertaining one, even if it is slightly marred by singer/guitarist Sam Anderson having tuning problems with his guitar.

This is a minor problem though – and one they will iron out with more shows such as this. Sugar Mama are a band with potential.

So it is then, that about 9.20 Gerry McAvoy and his mates stroll out onto the Bilston stage. Early portents are not good. He sidles up to the mic, goes to say hello and the thing collapses. What follows are 30 seconds of pure slapstick as he tries and fails to make said stand behave, but if that sets us laughing, what follows makes sure the smiles don’t leave for the next two hours.

The evening kicks off with “Last of The Independents” and from there becomes possibly the finest celebration of blues music that could be imagined. “Lets Go To Work” follows quickly as does “Calling Card” with its funky bass. “Bad Penny” is a revelation and “Follow Me” has lost none of its appeal despite being over 30 years old and really, if you can’t enjoy Shadow Play” you aren’t trying.

Although the band as a whole is flawless, it really is Scherpenzneel who deserves most plaudits. He is quite stunning in the “Rory” role, and his guitar duel with special guest Gwyn Ashton is jaw-dropping.

It is a real shame when “Bullfrog Blues” brings the curtain down, as this had been one of the great life-affirming gigs of 2012. Not a gig, as such, it was exactly as promised, a band of friends enjoying themselves -  and it was unexpectedly brilliant.

Gentlemen’s who?

REVOKER, Sacred Mother Tongue @Birmingham Acdemy 3 13/11/12

The last time Rocking The Midlands saw Revoker, it was the first date (I think) on the first UK tour. They were meant to support Holy Grail but somehow got bumped up to headliner. The crowd – which wasn’t massive to begin with – drifted off after HG (who were fantastic) and Revoker were left to play to about 20 people – doing so extremely well.

Fast forward 18 months and they are back, this time as the bonefide headline act. Worryingly, despite their debut album “Revenge For The Ruthless” being a fine affair, there is, yet again, hardly anyone here to watch.

Sacred Mother Tongue seem to find this quite funny, all things considered. Man mountain singer Darrin South exalts an audience member with a tremendous Afro to come forward, for example.

That they can behave in this way betrays the fact they have great confidence right now. Signed to EMI and with a killer new EP “A Light Shines” in the bag, they really have come on leaps and bounds since we last saw them – three years ago at the Hellfire Fest.

Their trump card is guitarist Andy James, who’s intricate playing underpins most of their songs, early songs like “The City Is Crying” benefit from being road tested and new ones like “Bleeding Out” and current single, the massive sounding “Evolve/Become,” are superb. If you saw this band a few years ago and thought they might not make it, then its time to think again, as the tongue could be the name on everyone’s lips in 2013.

The lack of numbers for Revoker is surprising. If this was a US band the press would be all over such catchy songs built around massive choruses and groove metal type riffs. But these boys are not from New York, but the Welsh valleys and sometimes we would rather look out than in it seems.

The likes of “Stay Down” with its “another Saturday night in my home town” refrain, pack a fine punch, as does “The Great Pretender.” Their finest moment, though, surely is “Psychoville” with its giant hook, designed to worm its way into the brain and not leave.

Revoker are set to release album number two next year and debut a song called “Killing House” from it, although from the same ballpark as “Revenge….” It does hit at a slightly heavier – and dare we say it – a more grown up sound.

A cover of AC/DC’s “TNT” is played, before Motorpsycho” ends things. It has been a fine evening, showcasing amply two bands who prove that metals next generation is alive and kicking in the UK. Both bands could probably benefit from the right support tour next year to propel them to the next level in 2013 as both have potential – and the ambition – to sell out much bigger venues than this.

Go and see them next time – when they are both big you will claim you were there anyway!