Review & Photography by Paul Hutchings
It’s been four years since I last set eyes and ears on Fozzy. A wet and windy night in Swansea saw the wrestling star and his band deliver a set that had the near capacity crowd eating out their hands. They may not have a new album to promote, but that hasn’t stopped a healthy crowd show up for more of the same, almost two years to the day since the band last played the venue for tonight.
It’s Marissa and the Moths who have the job of opening the night. A band who has slowly gained traction, led by the talent of Marisa Rodriguez, who many will have seen with guitarist Sophie Lloyd. Buoyed by an appearance at Steelhouse Festival in 2025, there is recognition from the Welsh crowd that might otherwise not have been there.
It is, however, a subdued performance, due to the news, announced after their second song, that friend / tech / stand in bassist Dave Bowman has passed away. It’s evident that for all we put rock stars on pedestals, underneath that confident veneer lies vulnerability in ever shape and form.
Tonight, it’s a testimony to their work ethic, that the band can even finish their set. That they manage to get most of the audience on their side with their alternative sound is impressive.
It’s a short set, 30-minutes, and they pile through six tracks, including an emotional newie in Nothing Gets Better that sees tears in the audience as well as on stage. Rodriguez is still talkative, perhaps a little too much given their limited time, but it’s understandable in the circumstances.
Skin brings back their first single from 2020, whilst closing track Needy certainly catches the ear. As they take their bow, the applause they earn is certainly genuine.
No such challenges for Tailgunner, who continue their mission to bring back 1980s heavy metal. Their engine is running at full power following the release of second album Midnight Blitz, and the band are in the mood to try and steal the show.
They are tight, incredibly tight, and despite the small amount of stage afforded them, the four outfield players are, as usual, hyperactive. It’s bassist and founder Thomas Hewson who leads the charge, his usual Steve Harris’ poses in full flow from the off. Singer Craig Cairns is in fine form, his vocal performance tonight as strong as I’ve seen from him.
He’s developing as a frontman too, his interaction with the crowd a combination of Halford, Dickinson and Kiske, and with the image to match (maybe not the Halford part!).
They don’t have huge amounts of time but take the opportunity to open with the title track of the new release, and cram in three others from it alongside staples White Death and an elongated Guns for Hire, complete with extended audience participation.
It’s Barren Lands and Seas of Red that really catches my ear, one of the best from the new album and live it is excellent.
With more leather (no doubt faux these days) and studs on stage than in the entire audience, it’s certainly a modern trip back to a time when heavy metal came in one format, and when dual guitars were the mainstay of a successful band. Rhea Thompson continues her recovery from health issues but is ably covered by Jara Solís who provides solid back up to lead axeman Zach Salvini. Their duelling fretwork is delivered at frenetic pace throughout.
As they take their bow, and the queue forms at their merch stand, I reflect on their first Welsh show at Fuel Rock Club in October 2023. The band have come a long way already since that show to around 50 people, and this set will once again add to their already burgeoning reputation.
There are few in the metal world who have a reputation as large as Chris Jericho. The WWE wrestler has played everywhere in the world over the past 25 years, both in the ring and with his bandmates in Fozzy. Tonight, they are on imperious form, although they are as always, playing to a crowd that are already on side before a note has been played.
The line-up is solid, with founder members Rich Ward and Jericho (or Irvine to give him his proper surname) supported by Trixter bassist PJ Farley, drummer Grant Brooks and guitarist Billy Grey the current incarnation of the band all locked in tightly. They open with Fall in Line and pump out anthem after anthem to a rabid crowd.
Ever the entertainer, Jericho has more jacket changes than Elton John, whilst his sparkly cowboy boots (out of sight for most of the crowd) are blingtastic.
He may not be the best singer on the circuit, but you cannot help but admire a man who manages to get an impromptu chant of Slug and Lettuce which lasts several minutes from his adoring crowd, following his chat about walking around the city the day before. There are several moments when he pauses to soak up the chants of “Fozzy, Fozzy” and why not. He’s certainly put the work in.
Fozzy has always thrown in a couple of covers during their live sets. Tonight, it’s the ABBA classic SOS that gets the treatment, alongside closing song Crazy Train in honour of the Double O. With the band in fine form, even if you don’t especially enjoy the tunes on offer, there is an endearing feel to the smiles on stage.
Ward doesn’t stop dancing, his trainers obviously giving him an ability to bounce and glide across the stage as the crowd singalong to One Crazed Anarchist, I still Burn, Army of One (preceded by a rousing if cliché ridden speech) and Drinking with Jesus stoke the temperature higher.
It’s a triumphant return to Wales for a band who, unlike many, ensure that they return to the Principality time after time. Big songs with a big sound, it’s another successful evening for a band who will always receive a warm welcome in this part of the world.
