SAXON | LIVE REVIEW
Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Fri 23 Feb
“Where were you in ‘79 when the dam began to burst?” asks Biff Byford in the opening line to Saxon’s most famous anthem, Denim And Leather. Well, Biff, I was two years old and I’m afraid I didn’t make ‘89, ‘99 or even 2009 either – but finally, in 2017, I finally got to see heavy metal legends Saxon at the Steelhouse Festival. Seven months later, they’re a few miles down the road for the opening date on their Thunderbolt tour and they’ve brought a stellar supporting cast in Rock Goddess and Diamond Head. This, ladies and gentlemen, is proper old school heavy metal.
Rock Goddess were there at the beginning and tonight they prove that they still have a lot to offer. With riffs to give Iron Maiden a run for their money, they definitely made a few new fans this evening. Whilst Diamond Head helped to establish the NWOBHM (that’s New Wave Of British Heavy Metal for the uninitiated) in the late 70s and early 80s, and enjoy an unquestionable influence, they’re arguably also rans of that scene’s top table. Still, with new vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen now seemingly settled in the band, there’s a renewed sense of vigour about Diamond Head these days. Kicking off their set with the blistering Helpless, they deliver their set with the energy of a band half their age, finishing with the anthemic Am I Evil?.
With the death of Lemmy and ultimately Motörhead, there’s a huge void in the classic heavy metal scene which will never be filled. But by Satan, Saxon are going to try. Opening up with the title track of their new album Thunderbolt, the place is already headbanging along furiously. Never a band to rest on their laurels and rely on the classics, Biff and the boys lead the crowd though no less than six tracks from the new album, and the Cardiff crowd greet them like old pals. Choice picks from more recent albums such as Battering Ram are also given an airing tonight.
Naturally, we do get 747 (Strangers In The Night) – it wouldn’t be a Saxon gig without it – and the finish of Wheels Of Steel and Denim And Leather leave fans beaming as we disperse into the freezing Cardiff night. These gigs are very often a nostalgia trip for old metalheads reliving their youth, but tonight all three bands, each in the fourth decade of their careers, sounded absolutely vital. Perhaps NWOBHM is due for a comeback: bring it on, I say.
words CHRIS ANDREWS