Before we get to that though, there was the not so small matter of Tax The Heat. A four piece band that, despite not having an album out, have been taking the rock world by storm. After listening to a few tracks before the show to get to know them a little it felt like they would really get the crowd going. When they first take to the stage the only real thoughts you have are 'well, they've certainly dressed for the occasion'. But this isn't a case of style over substance. Within a few notes of their first song you find yourself tapping your feet and trying your best to sing along. Their style is rock and blues smashed together and blasted out to musical perfection. After around 40 minutes on stage they had seemingly exhausted all of their material (plus one cover) and left the stage to one of the biggest reactions I've ever seen to a support band. These guys are already a tight outfit and will only improve from here. They really are a band to keep an eye, or more importantly an ear or two, on. They left me wondering whether or not they might show up the main attraction.

 

The main attraction were Black Star Riders though. These guys don't play second fiddle on their own tour. It seems that a lot of bands that came out of the 70's/80's and have lost members are happy to live off of the legacy for as long as the money comes in. For not doing this, BSR deserve a lot of respect. They have taken the Thin Lizzy name and out of it created a band that are suitable to both carry on with what already existed and develop the style whilst staying true to its roots. They have done just this through debut album All Hell Breaks Loose.

 

Live, they as solid a band as you could wish to see. You can feel the respect that the new members have for remaining original Thin Lizzy member Scott Gorham. This is for good reason too. He is truly a great guitarist and one of very few musicians that can get through a near two hour set in a boiling hot room without even nearly breaking a sweat. A true pleasure to watch and someone that should be an inspiration to the younger generation. Ricky Warwick, singer towards the end of Thin Lizzy's time, has the growly, Irish tinged vocals that sound as though they belong here, singing the songs that we all, including Ricky himself, loved whilst growing up. The set itself started with the title track from the opening album, All Hell Breaks Loose. A true Thin Lizzy song in all but name. The two hours absolutely flew by and the band enjoyed being up there.

 

The crowd, kitted out in various Thin Lizzy tour t-shirts from throughout the years, were there for the classic material, but they love the BSR stuff just as much now. That is a true testament to the band. The set took the crowd on a trip through various Thin Lizzy albums, but regularly jumped to the current outfit’s material which fits in to the set seamlessly. Towards the end it seemed like a couple of crowd favourites might be left out, but upon announcing they were starting the last song, up popped The Boys Are Back In Town. This was my 5th time seeing these guys but I will never tire of hearing this song live.  The entirety of the hot and sweaty crowd sang along to this legendary song, plus a few of the security blokes stood around the stage (nice to see some of them relax a little bit in such a good atmosphere). After a quick break, and a not so quick solo from one of the newer members, they ploughed into the only song you could possibly want to hear in an encore from these guys, Whiskey In The Jar. Another crowd singing session started and everyone was happy and ready to leave. But not just. Another crowd pleaser followed quickly in Rosalie and then the band departed. You'll struggle to find a better end to a set than this.

 

Overall, this gig will take a lot of beating. One band on the up that really could be destined for the top. One band with the backing of a whole load of history that are still trying to get their new name out there. Get to see both of these bands as soon as you can. They're both on the road over the next few months and are worth every penny.