Review by Damien Doherty for MPM
It’s a bitterly cold night here in Belfast but by 7:00 PM the queue is already forming outside The Empire as Brian Downey’s Alive and Dangerous rock into town.
The Thin Lizzy legend has been especially busy this year with gigs in Ireland, the UK, Mainland Europe, and Scandinavia. Indeed, it’s been a hectic couple of days for the guys playing at The Dedication for the 38th anniversary of Phil Lynott’s death at the Button Factory in Dublin last night before hopping in the van and heading north.
Support for this evening comes from 15-year-old Lurgan teenager Zac Mac. Playing since he was four years old this guy is really a whizz-kid. Armed with his Emerald Virtuo guitar (handmade in Co. Donegal, shameless plug for my home county there) he treats us to tracks from his new album Supernatural along with some virtuosic renditions of covers as diverse as Rush’s Spirit of Radio, Hysteria from Muse, and Iron Maiden’s 2 Minutes to Midnight. With confidence and skill beyond his years Zac Mac is one to watch, and a perfect opening act for tonight.
Hitting the stage to a sold-out audience the band dive straight into Rosalie, the Bob Seger song that Lizzy made their own, while up next is crowd favourite Jailbreak and the familiar intro has everyone moving. Twin guitars introduce Wild One with lead guitarists Joe Merriman and Michal Kulbaka playing off each other in perfect harmony.
Matt Wilson is a dead ringer for Phil in looks and vocal abilities as he hails a rallying cry for Are You Ready, then Brian’s familiar drum motif opens the Celtic inspired Emerald with Joe and Michal deftly trading solos. It’s all hands in the air clapping as the unmistakable bass line introduces Dancing in the Moonlight which includes a faultless and faithful facsimile of the solo from Joe, while Massacre shifts the mood somewhat with its dark broodiness.
The tempo drops for the wonderful Still in Love With You, Matt’s golden voice loyally conveying the emotion of the song before Joe effortlessly pulls off the outro solo. The king of swing’s shuffle beat kicks off Johnny the Fox; Brian is looking fantastic tonight, his zeal and energy unwavering as he furiously pounds the skins for Warrior.
There’s a healthy mix of ages in the crowd tonight too, and a few familiar faces, the dies hard fanatics, the “regulars”. It’s especially heartwarming to see the number of fans in their teens and twenties, an enduring legacy to the music of Thin Lizzy and this man Brian Downey. Heads nod and hips shake to Don’t Believe a Word, and Michal really impresses by reeling off the John Sykes solo from Cold Sweat. A swing beat signals Suicide, with Matt giving some swagger while the lads run their synchronised licks up their necks.
The sound in The Empire is fantastic tonight, and it is surely fitting that this iconic Belfast venue plays host to their Belfast debut of the Gary Moore/Phil Lynott collaboration Parisienne Walkways, the long sustained bent E note resonating in the vaults of the roof shaking more than a few cobwebs loose I’m sure, and eliciting a huge round of applause for Kulbaka.
It’s a trifecta of perfection to finish the set; Whiskey in the Jar has the whole place jumping, followed by Cowboy Song (Owww, Owww, Owww), which as tradition dictates segues into Boys are Back in Town. Encore time and it’s mine (and more than a few others) absolute favourite, the unrivalled masterpiece Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend.
What a performance, what a crowd, what a venue, sheer perfection. With UK and Scandinavian dates already pouring in for 2024 it looks like another hectic year ahead, so catch them where you can. Brian Downey everybody!! – Still making your toes tap and your hands clap!
Photography by Paul Verner for MPM
