Review & Photography by Phil Rozier for MPM
Let’s be honest, if you’re writing reviews of live music, the chances are, you like live music. Otherwise what an absolute waste of your time? Why such a bold statement as an opener? Well, as one who likes live music, one simply can not be impartial and independent when…
‘The Al-fucking-mighty! The Al-fucking-mighty! The Al-fucking-mighty!’ is bellowed out loud by 1400 fans of proper hard rock and metal music. I mean, this is simply what dreams are made of, right? A wall of Marshalls, 16 4×12’s if you’re counting… each one of them (yea yea ok assuming they’re not just for show, go with with me on this one…), where were we, ah yea, 16, 4×12 inch speakers, sending walls of organ shaking noise originating from the Gibson and Epiphone guitars (remind me to come back to the guitars later!). Played by modern day legends, adorned with denim and leather, a cross between punk, pirate and 1950’s greasers… it’s a whole set of memory makers.
Apologies, I’ve kinda skipped a beat a little. Let’s wind the hour hand back a bit, as I also saw another miracle earlier this fair evening. More over L’Oreal, get out the way No. 7, for I have found the true cure to aging. And it goes by the name of Girlschool. On more than one occasion, Kim McAuliffe wasn’t backwards in coming forwards about over 50 years in rock. 50 years! That’s nearly like when Lemmy said ‘I remember a time before there was rock and roll’. What the absolute!!??
And Girlschool just tore apart the airwaves of this Grade II listed church like venue in the centre of college town. With thundering bass, and a ‘temporary dude on the drums’ (you had to be there), the music is as punk-metal as ever and sounded like it came off the press earlier that day. And as for stage presence, beauty and image, Girlschool, more relevant today than ever, have cemented yet again their stance in rock history and why they’re still able to play to packed venues 50 years after they started. Because they’re simply amazing at playing music.
Fortunate enough to be at the front, during a fitting and heartfelt connected cover of Motörhead’s ‘Bomber’, I glanced back at the crowd to see an entire unified group of diversity. Unified by a solid head bang, it was a glorious site to see a room full of joy – maybe something of a rare thing these days.
And also, to the guy who I met at Stonedead festival, who introduced himself to me again 4 months later in an entirely different town, I salute your memory and hawk like eyes to find me in a sea of hair and dry ice! So, after the final track, ‘Emergency’ draws the lights down into darkness and the crowd erupts into what looks like tears and cheers. A truly captivating performance, leaving the audience to wait patiently for the next performers to take the stage.
Who else is like me? Who else gets excited when they see the stage hand flash his torch at the sound desk? That double or possible triple blip of light. The indicator that the instruments are in tune. The cables are tied down. The drums are secure. The setlist is taped to the floor. The correct curtains are in place. The band are ready. The crowd are ready. Like a lighthouse warning a galleon out at sea, this simple torch beacon is warning the crowd that hell is about to be unleashed.
‘Crucify’ absolutely batters my ears with it’s opening percussion. I’m right at the front, and almost can’t stand still due to the vibrations. I can’t help but smile. I’m trying to resist it so I perhaps I don’t look quite so excited in front of the impending rock elite…. And then that bass…. The smile cracks into laughter and delight as Ricky and his pirate chums run onto stage. Probably only 10 feet in front of my face is Ricky Warwick’s battered old ‘punk infused’ Gibson SG. Sharp and articulate, the sound penetrates the ears of the moshers.
And mosh they continue to do, as ‘Destroyed’ follows the opener without interlude. ‘Do you understand?’ ‘Do you, do you understand?!’ is sung aloud by everyone, old and young in the crowd as the 3rd track of the 21 track set (I think it was 21 anyway!) is played perfectly.
I say old and young – one of the photographers next me at the front was only 14 years old! And doing work experience as a rock snapper! I mean?! My work experience was in a reception desk of a sports centre attached to my school! And they say the youth haven’t got the opportunities the older generation had. Jeez, what an experience this great young kid would have had. I also saw the quality of his snaps! Way better than mine! Fair play kid, good luck to you.
As the set list rattled on, it was one punk-metal blast after another, briefly interrupted by Warwick’s engagement with the crowd. As always, a consummate front man, looking the part, saying the right things, and whipping the crowd into a singular entity of gleeful noise. The mesmerising green and purple light effects, we’re half way into the set and it would appear the band and crowd have become at one. Is it that the crowd are an extension of the band, or is it that the band is an extension of the crowds desire to see and hear great metal music back on stage after many years of hiatus from the band.
What ever it is, who cares, because the 9th track in the set ‘Little Lost Sometimes’ continues to solidify the bands bond with their fans. One of the joys of rock music, despite the tough image of leather and studs, tattoos and chains, every rocker deep down loves an acoustic melody. All we miss is the the ability to hold aloft our lighters in respect for the more gentle side of metal! That said, don’t hold that acoustic chord for too long, make sure it’s balanced out with a solid distorted powerchord… Oh, you have! ‘Little Lost Sometimes’ ticks so many boxes this evening, as well as it did when crafted back in the day.
The Almighty proved they’re as much a force of nature as ever, delivering a blistering set that reignited the flames of their legendary hard rock prowess. The venue, packed with die-hard fans, reverberated with the raw energy and thunderous riffs that made The Almighty a staple of the rock scene in the late ’80s and ’90s. Performed with humility, I love bands that, even if they’ve made it, are still behaving like they just started. For instance, I noted Tantrum’s guitar is a modestly priced Epiphone. There’s an endorsement if ever a brand needed one! Needless to say, it sounded incredible!
The crowd was treated to an intense, high-energy performance, with Warwick engaging in plenty of banter between tracks, reminding everyone why The Almighty’s brand of gritty, working-class rock has always resonated. There was an undeniable chemistry between the band and the audience – fans were up on their toes from the first note, shouting, moshing, and fully immersing themselves in the heavy, unapologetic sound.
I recently saw a meme online, you’ve seen it right, about the man enjoying the concert but is also looking forward to going home? As a rocker myself, with a fair few gigs under my belt in the past 30 years, I am sympathetic to the meme. There are bands out there, that whilst a few tracks are moments in history, not to be missed, a lot of their work can be lost in a mind of aching backs, sore legs and alcohol delivered confusion!
But I can honestly say as the middle ten tracks of The Almighty’s triumphant performance whisked by, I was left wanting more. I didn’t want ‘Wild and Wonderful’ to indicate the set was nearly over. But, now my voice has gone horse, along with 1400 other rockers, it’s time for a brief pause before the traditional encore.
‘Jesus Loves You.. But I Don’t’ is always something to experience. Music and lyrics are always subjective, and unique to the individual. A real magic of music, as it can be all things to anyone. It’s therefore what ever you want it to be. And the penultimate track in the set is just a belter for me personally. A combination of sad experience, coupled with the unrelated humour of my friends own comedy band, where singing about Jesus and his opinions is run of the mill lyrical content.
The final few moments of the show were a cathartic release of energy, as The Almighty showed no signs of slowing down, neither did the crowd, during the much expected ‘Free ’n’ Easy’
In a music scene common with nostalgia, acts can often fail to deliver, The Almighty proved they’ve still got the power, grit, and passion that made them such a formidable force in the first place. Last night’s performance at the Cambridge Corn Exchange was a triumph – a reminder that rock ‘n’ roll, when done right, is timeless.
