Neal Morse/Mike Portnoy, The Flower Kings @Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton 8/3/13

It’s worth saying at the outset that this gig was originally slated to be at the much smaller Slade Rooms around the corner from the Wulfrun. It could never have taken place there. Not, unfortunately anything to do with the crowd. That would have just about filled the former, but rather it just would not have fitted physically.

Don’t believe me? The night ends with 11 of the world’s finest prog rock musicians onstage, two drum kits (and one of these belonged to Mike Portnoy) someone jumping off the speaker stack, someone else jumping out of a box all in one joyous finale. Not for nothing is this gig billed as Prog Rock Royalty.

The tale of how we got here begins some three and half hours earlier; When Swedish Prog masters The Flower Kings take the stage. Immediately kicking off with a 25-minute epic masterpiece in “Numbers” from their most recent album “ Banks Of Eden” their hour-long set is basically faultless.

They are far less po-faced than you might imagine too. Introducing the band, which includes a couple of Germans, front man Roine Stolt encourages to “not mention the war,” for example and throughout the exemplary playing, which also includes a stunning “The Truth Will Set You Free” they exude a happy, easy charm.

Indeed, so good were they that you did wonder if they might upstage the headliner. As it happened, not a bit of it!

Neal Morse, is a modern Prog Legend, his work in Spocks Beard and the supergroup Transatlantic affords him such status, and the fact that his band for this trek contains modern day marvel Mike Portnoy, who since leaving Dream Theater has managed to up his workload, only reinforces the thought that this evening is very special indeed.

Last year Morse released an astonishing record called “Momentum” (which, RTM, to its shame, didn’t hear until 2013) and it is the title track from that that kicks us off tonight. “Author Of Confusion” soon follows with its harmonies seeing all the band sing expertly, before Eric Gillette elevates the thing with a stupendous solo. Best of all, though is closing song “World Without End,” all 34 minutes of it in all its stunning glory.

How do you top that? Well with three members of Transatlantic in the room you play 45 minutes of their songs, with “Whirlwind” perhaps the pick, before the aforementioned jam closes the evening off.

The eponymous star is clearly enjoying himself, grinning throughout and even letting Portnoy play a touch of metal at one point. Morse’s songs deal with his spiritual beliefs, which makes him a rather incongruous listen for us. These are not views we share, or believe in for that matter, but he clearly has convictions and has crafted some absolutely magnificent songs to tell that story.

A quite joyous evening in all senses of the word and one of the gigs of the year.

The Viginmarys @Hare And Hounds, Birmingham 5/3/13

The fact that the tannoy is playing the Happy Mondays just before the band comes out tells you that RTM is slightly off territory tonight. This, ladies and gentlemen, is one of those occasions when stick our heads a bit of above the parapet and go and have a look at something slightly hip…

Actually, that should be hip with a but. Macclesfield’s The Virginmarys first came to our attention a couple of years ago when we discovered that Little Angels frontman Toby Jepson produced their debut EP and Classic Rock had the track “Taking The Blame” on one of their CD’s a couple of months ago, which we liked a lot.

Actually that track is a neat starting point for the band. Singer/Guitarist Ally Dickaty sings it in his accent, which gives the song a somewhat more indie feel than maybe we are used to, but the music the band play is pure classic rock.

Opening with appears to be an ode to casual sex in “Just A Ride” before “Out Of Mind echoes the Rolling Stones. Indeed the bands influences are hard to pin down, one minute they are knocking out Bluesy riffs, the next they are into screeching rock – and in places they remind RTM of long forgotten Brit sleazers The Glitterati.

With Dickaty and bass man and bass man Matt Rose preferring to let the music do the talking, the three piece might suffer from a lack of a focal point, that is if they didn’t have drummer Danny Dolan. Equal parts Keith Moon and Animal from the Muppets he seems on a mission to kill his kit, breaking his drums at least twice thanks to his energetic style.

Appropriately for a band with such diverse references the songs have a scattergun approach, “Same as It Ever Was” explodes, “Looking For Love” offers a change of pace while album title track “King Of Conflict” rattles along while sounding like the White Stripes.

After explaining they aren’t doing their usual encore as the dressing rooms are too far away, they stay on stage for the acoustic “Stripped” and the single “Bang Bang Bang.”

A band on the rise – Dickaty tells us they sold twenty tickets last time they were in Brum, while there must be 150 or so here tonight, The Virginmarys are a group to watch. Strip away the crossover appeal, though as this is what the Rival Sons would sound like if they were from North West England. The Virginmarys are retro rock UK style.

UFO, 4Bitten @Institute Library 3/3/13

4Bitten might be from Greece, but you just know that their hearts are in America circa 1987. They are seemingly going all out for the MTV sound that so defined that era. “Games You Play” apes Whitesnake, while “Far From Grace” is a more than decent stab at a Bon Jovi tune.

 Frontwoman Fofi Roussos has a decent voice for this type of thing, though, and they are enjoyable despite offering nothing that could remotely be described as “new.” “Let It all Burn” continues the clichéd song titles, while the last song of their half hour set rather neatly sums them up. Roussos sings about the need to “write a different song,” but does so over a riff that, shall we say, borrows extensively, from Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down.”

Not that it matters a jot what the support band are up to. Tonight, you see, is all about UFO. Of all the reformed British hard rock bands of that era, Moggy and the boys can perhaps consider themselves the most unlucky. Yes, of course, the glory days are behind them in terms of record sales and yes, they might be best known to a generation of metal fans as the band who’s song is played before Iron Maiden come onstage, but that neglects the fact that out of all of them, UFO are arguably putting out the best records. Certainly last years phenomenal “Seven Deadly” has bothered RTM’s Ipod extensively in the last 13 or so months.

Even tonight’s choice of venue says much for them. Whether by choice or accident, it is in the smaller Library downstairs, but is so packed that surely it could comfortably have took place in the main Institute.

The setlist is largely the same as the one the trailed around the UK about this time last year, although this one does begin with “Lights Out” and if you are going to start with one of your songs, then you had better be confident, this, however, is UFO we are talking about, and by the time “Mother Mary” and “….Deadly.” highlights “Fight Night” and “Wonderland” have been played it is immediately clear we are in the presence of something pretty special.

The band is in fine form, guitar man Vinnie Moore is worthy successor to Michael Schenker, but is singer Phil Mogg that carries the band along. At turns he is both a favourite uncle and looks he would punch you in the face, but still finds time to ask about the Rotunda, tell us he is only touring to get out of the house, argue with the lighting man about the set up and tell us that he has Top Gear recording on his Sky Box.

Back to the songs, “Love To Love” becomes the epic centerpiece and, whilst we can argue about the merits of finishing with a guitar solo, the encore of “Doctor Doctor” (naturally) and “Shoot Shoot” cannot be trifled with.

UFO were truly out of this world tonight, but we should leave the last word to Mogg. “I was determined to have fun tonight,” he tells us. “And luckily you didn’t spoil it too much…” 

GRAND MAGUS, Primitai @Wolves Slade Rooms 28/2/13

Here at RTM we like Primitai a lot. In fact, our glowing praise of the band from last years I Am I show is still on their website. This is the fourth time we have seen the group since  a couple of years ago when they opened – in this very room – for White Wizard.

Happily on each occasion they have improved and tonight is no exception. “Sin City” and “Nocturnal Hordes” from last album “In The Line Of Fire” still sound thrilling, but that album has been around since 2010 and the group need some new stuff if they are to move forward.

Good news then that they air a couple of new songs, “Pound For Pound” packs an immediate punch, while “Scream When You See Us” has a driving riff and is slightly more sprawling. Both, however, hint that album number three, when it hits, might be a bit good. And any band that performs a Manowar-esque human pyramid onstage is alright with us.

As are Grand Magus. The three piece are a band who is superb on record, but really excels in the live arena. If their set in support of Amon Amarth last year was good, then their mid-afternoon slot at Bloodstock last year was a phenomenal affair, so hopes are high for this headliner.

And – boy, they don’t disappoint. For 75 minutes tonight, we watched metal at its most thrilling. Last year’s fine “The Hunt” album – which more or less is a continuation of the previous “Hammer of the North” record – is well represented, with four songs played. These include the majestic pair of “Sword of the Ocean” and “Starlight Slaughter,” while if there is a more majestic slice of power metal than “The Oar Strikes The Water” from 2008s “Iron Will” could someone please send it to us?

Here is a band for whom headlining the Black Country, evidently holds a special place. Singer, JB tells us he “can feel it in the walls” and it says much for how blasé we are about our heritage that someone shouts back “that will be the damp, pal….”

No matter, though, as Magus do understand their history. Their songs, rather like the aforementioned Amarth, rely heavily on, and draw heavily from, the Norse mythology, with “Valhalla Rising” sounding suitably epic.

Unlike other bands who sing about this type of thing, though, Magus eschew the death metal sound in favour of something that sounds not unlike Sabaton playing a Judas Priest track. With Fox’s expert bass and Ludwig’s pounding drums complimenting JB’s guitar, Magus are superb. “Hammer of the North” which is played as an encore, turns into a sing-a-long to end a very special set.

Throughout history there have been some exceptional three piece bands, from Rush to Motorhead, to Hendrix the triumvirate just seems to work. To that list, lets add Grand Magus. Their website says they are “Scandinavian Riff Lords” and that description will do for us too. 

GODSIZED, Eye For An Eye, Shebrew, Severed Ties @Asylum 2, Birmingham 26/2/13

Local band Severed Ties are ones that have caught our eyes recently. Their EP “Amongst Us All” is a rather ambitious, well thought out, proggy metal thing and is well worth hearing. Sadly, as on the previous time we should have seen them, RTM has to work too late to catch their full set, but the bit we did see showed just why we like them. Just get the EP for yourselves.

Second band on the bill are another local band. Shebrew, who are stoner rock to the core. If Karma To Burn had a vocalist they would probably sound like this. Gargantuan riffs with a locked in bass groove behind them, they might not be the most original but blimey, they sound enormous with it. All the more incredible is that the chap playing bass is only standing in tonight. In common with many bands like this – Mastodon and Red Fang – for example, Shebrew let the music do the talking, but they do it very well.

So you’re opening for a band who is starting a world tour. You have drums in the band. You remember to pack the cymbals, right? Well you would think. But Eye For An Eye managed to leave them behind Swindon, and so are grateful to a few mates who being said percussion items up from Wiltshire for them. It’s worth it too as by the time they attack opener “Apocalypse Angel” it is clear that Eye are , ahem, worth looking at.

They are perhaps the most conventional heavy metal band on show tonight, with some of their songs, such as ”Give It All You Got”  having Motorhead influence. Their 40 minutes, which culminates in “My Fire” highlights a band we hope to see more of.

Unbelievably despite being around for years, it seems, RTM has never seen Godsized before, and arguably more astonishingly they are yet to release their debut album. Happily, said opus “Time” is onsale during this tour and the hour they spend onstage is worth the wait.

Big riffs and bigger beards abound as “Phoney Tough and The Crazy Brave” rocks and rolls its way by way of a hello. “Brothers In Arms” from the quite fabulous EP of the same name follows, before early contender for new album highlight “Moving On” with its massive riffs and huge chorus follows.

New single “Heavy Load” is given an airing, before “Last Goodbye” takes honours as song of the night. Frustratingly, for some reason the set is cut short, with singer/guitarist Glen Korner looking aggrieved. The bands apparent anger at this sees “Heavy Head” transformed into an edgy guitar jam, and they do duly bid us farewell.

Even the frustrating ending can’t disguise the fact that Godsized are a bit special and a band with much to look forward to. Hopefully this album and tour can see them kick start their careers and become the band they always had the potential to be.

Whether they do remains to be seen, but tonight was fine start.

URIAH HEEP @Robin 2 Bilston 22/2/13

The chap who is onstage doing the introductions might initially seem to be to be over-enthusiastic.

“Here is a band that is one of the big four of British rock,” he chirrups. “Right up there with Led Zep, Sabbath and Deep Purple.”

He then goes on to reel off some surprising facts: Uriah Heep have been number one in Germany three times for example, and perhaps most startling of the lot: they have sold 40 million copies of their records worldwide. Which makes them, as he says, a pretty big deal.

It also makes the public come out to watch. The Robin is pretty packed by the time the band hit the stage. To Heep’s eternal credit though, they don’t just spoonfeed the assembled throng the hits – and neither should they, when their last three albums have been quite as good as they have. Perhaps their recently announced slot at Download is evidence of a bright future too. And after “Against The Odds” kicks us off, a song from a relatively recent album in “Overload” follows.

Heep, rather like Purple, were never a heavy metal act in the conventional sense, rather more a hard rock act with prog influences. The Hammond Organ is evident throughout and by the time “Sunrise” with its stack harmonies and best of all the sprawling epic “Between Two Worlds” with its majestic solo has been played, it is clear that their musicianship is to the fore.

Before long it is back to the new stuff, with last album “Into The Wild’s” rabble rousing opener “Nail on the Head” getting an airing. Extremely catchy, it has Thunder-like qualities and is not out of place here.

There is a dip back all the way to their first album for “Gypsy,” which sees Mick Box – the only original member in the group – talk to the crowd for the first time, before the Marillion- esque “July Morning” and “Lady In Black” bring us to a close.

There is an encore of “Free N Easy,” during which the women of Bilston are invited to take the stage and perhaps their best known number “Easy Livin” brings things to a rather joyous close.

It would be easy to point to bands like as a mere nostalgia act. Yes, there is only one original member, but rather neglects the fact that like Motorhead, they have had a pretty stable line up for years and also that in ex Praying Mantis frontman Bernie Shaw, they have a singer who knows the ropes, hamming it up with “I hope there’s no curfew tonight as we will play for as long as they will let us” before the group plays exactly the same set as the rest of the tour.

With bass man Trevor Bolder missing the trek as he battles cancer, it might have been easy for this gig to not quite be top notch. It was anything but. Tonight, Uriah Heep, were quite heavy, very good, and for that we were very ‘umble. 

THE BRONX, Single Mothers @Wolves Slade Rooms 15/2/13

“We got horse in our food. We got double amputees shooting their girlfriends, it’s not safe to be out there, ladies and gentleman. This is our fallout shelter.”

So says Bronx singer Matt Caughthran in the intro to the track “Shitty Future.” That he says this while wearing a ladies blouse, which has been thrown onto the stage probably tells you that this wasn’t the most serious of introspective nights, but it does neatly sum up The Bronx ethos. They are one of those bands that believes that a punk rock show is a chance to forget your troubles for an hour and, well, frankly, just go crazy.

So do support band Single Mothers , it’s just that no one seems to like them very much. Which is a shame as RTM was quietly impressed by the Canadian’s sound, which was not unlike a heavier Hold Steady playing some Ramones covers in parts. “Brand New Scene” was delivered with passion and set closer “Baby” – which boasted a chorus of something like “Hey Baby, do you want to make a Baby, Baby?” was actually better than it seems. No matter, though, as the crowd cannot be roused and singer Andrew Thompson was leaves us with a “The Bronx next, then you guys can have fun…”

To be fair the assembled throng take his advice to heart and it doesn’t take long for the crowd surfers to come after The LA band take the stage.

The LA based five piece are over in the UK in support of their new album. “IV” which is a quite marvelous affair. Punk purists can argue all day about whether it sounds too polished, but whilst the addition of a second guitarist has perhaps seen them go more “rock” in the last few years, this is still very much a band with a punk rock heart.

Second track “White Tar” from the debut album still menaces with its “got cancer, looking for the answer” refrain and by the time Caughtran has decided to cross-dress, it is a show that just drags you along on its quite phenomenal energy.

Caughtran encourages and cajoles like some sort of viscous ringmaster, but all the time  does it with a smile on his face and appears to be just as ready to be your best mate as fight you. I mean, you can’t take anyone too seriously when they make you howl like wolves because you are in Wolverhampton, can you?

Of course, any show cannot survive on energy alone, and luckily The Bronx have belting songs in abundance, the new albums highlight “Too Many Devils” sounds incredible, “White Guilt” is almost perfect pop (which they might not like, but its true), then they can switch to “They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)” a screaming punker that Caughtran delivers from the moshpit.

There is no encore, instead “Heart Attack American” and “History’s Stranglers” fair old rip our faces off, and if the stage patter sometimes was too clichéd (“Its Friday night Wolves, lose your minds – are you ready…?” And so on) there is little doubt that the band were genuine in their sentiments.

For 75 minutes tonight, there was a genuine connection between band and audience and some damn fine songs were played, and as such, our time in the fallout shelter was one worth spending.