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Diamond Head - The Witchwood Ashton 26th September 2002
Set list: Wild On the Streets / Shine On Me / Truckin’ / It’s Electric / Vanity Blues / Forever 16 // I Can’t Help Myself / Makin’ Music / Heat of the Night // Borrowed Time / Run / Home / Helpless // Am I Evil
God of Thunder here again. Before I get on to Diamond Head, let me just say how bad the support band was.
Carbon, they were called. Guys, if you’re reading this, kill yourselves. No, seriously, do it. Put us all out of your misery.
God of Thunder here again. Before I get on to Diamond Head, let me just say how bad the support band was.
Carbon, they were called. Guys, if you’re reading this, kill yourselves. No, seriously, do it. Put us all out of your misery.
I soon realised that, aside from being the band’s name, Carbon was also a general description of the band. The last time I witnessed anything so unutterably dull, so inexplicably bad, so mind-numbingly tedious, so excruciatingly painful, was at a Mike and the Mechanics gig. On that occasion you could actually see the life being sucked out of the room. This time, we were merely losing the will to rock. Actually, this was worse because at least Pauls Carrack and Young could sing, whereas the useless oxygen thief “singing” in this band was so flat, I dashed out to the local Halfords, for a puncture repair kit. Sadly, they had closed by the time I got there, so Mr Tuneless got to drone on and on and on and on, unabated. Their rendition of Tush was so lifeless that I’m sure I heard someone call for an ambulance.
Eventually, a light could be seen at the end of the tunnel, when they announced their last musical nightmare. This light, tragically, turned out to be an oncoming train, as what followed was one of the most criminal undertakings since The Great Train Robbery. If you listened carefully through the flat, nasal vocals, the ham-fisted drumming and the lack-lustre guitar playing, you could hear everyone from Joe South to Randy California and Jimi Hendrix turning in their graves as Carbon decimated a classic song with such a lack of talent and competence that it almost left me at a loss for pejoratives. Almost.
Eventually, a light could be seen at the end of the tunnel, when they announced their last musical nightmare. This light, tragically, turned out to be an oncoming train, as what followed was one of the most criminal undertakings since The Great Train Robbery. If you listened carefully through the flat, nasal vocals, the ham-fisted drumming and the lack-lustre guitar playing, you could hear everyone from Joe South to Randy California and Jimi Hendrix turning in their graves as Carbon decimated a classic song with such a lack of talent and competence that it almost left me at a loss for pejoratives. Almost.
Thankfully, someone had a word with someone and, following the worst rambling guitar solo in the history of man, the dullest band in Christendom vacated the stage and the pain began to subside. I’m sure the bar did great business though, especially the hard stuff.
But what about Diamond Head, Oh God of Thunder?
Well, Sparky, I shall get to DH in a minute. I’m in full flow. A brace of final words on Carbon.
I don’t really like attacking bands just because they are bad. I’ve seen some of my favourite bands have bad nights. One performance may not be an accurate reflection of their abilities, I realise that. What really hacked me off with Carbon was their unbelievable arrogance before and during a set, which was stultifying at best. Let’s face it, you can sing or you can’t. If you can’t, don’t get a job as singer in a band! The last word on this is for their bass player. You weren’t bad. Jettison that bunch of losers and get yourself a spot in a decent band.
But what about Diamond Head, Oh God of Thunder?
Well, Sparky, I shall get to DH in a minute. I’m in full flow. A brace of final words on Carbon.
I don’t really like attacking bands just because they are bad. I’ve seen some of my favourite bands have bad nights. One performance may not be an accurate reflection of their abilities, I realise that. What really hacked me off with Carbon was their unbelievable arrogance before and during a set, which was stultifying at best. Let’s face it, you can sing or you can’t. If you can’t, don’t get a job as singer in a band! The last word on this is for their bass player. You weren’t bad. Jettison that bunch of losers and get yourself a spot in a decent band.
Anyhoo, Diamond Head… The first time I ever saw Brian play live I knew he was one of the finest guitar players in the business. Same with Sean. His voice is as good as anyone else I can think of and better than most. He has a Paul Rodgers-like quality and musicality that few singers possess. Floyd is a hell of a lot more talented than anyone in the audience realises. Whilst he has been much more visible in this last series of gigs, he still hides his light under a bushel. Karl and Eddie are the anchors who keep the beat and provide a solid rhythm for the three at the front to do their thing to. Each is talented in his own way, but together they form a tight, focused quintet with a power that ultimately deserves a much bigger stage than The Witchwood.
The space available at The Witchwood is really too small for a five-piece band, but the crowd and the feeling in the room is good. You can get so much closer to the band and the atmosphere can become much more intimate, provided that a suitable rapport can be established. Sean is a good communicator and whilst a certain dynamic was lost due to lack of space, a good feeling was established early on and that, in part, made up for the compact and bijou dimensions of the room.
The space available at The Witchwood is really too small for a five-piece band, but the crowd and the feeling in the room is good. You can get so much closer to the band and the atmosphere can become much more intimate, provided that a suitable rapport can be established. Sean is a good communicator and whilst a certain dynamic was lost due to lack of space, a good feeling was established early on and that, in part, made up for the compact and bijou dimensions of the room.
The set, which has now been different for all three gigs I have seen on this tour, is a fine collection of songs that many, more successful bands, would sell their offspring for. Forever 16 and Shine on Me fit so well into the set that you would think they were old songs, but they aren’t. Run, Home, It’s Electric and the frenetic Helpless sound so fresh that you would think that they were new songs, but they’re not. Makin’ Music and Heat of the Night work so well acoustically that you would swear that they were always that way, but they weren’t. Am I Evil? is one of the all-time classic heavy rock anthems that 99% of all bands wish they’d written. This is precisely what makes Diamond Head such a quality act. A good song is a good song, no matter when it was written. Combine that with hard work to perfect the presentation of that song, and you should have a solid gold guarantee of fame, riches and recognition. Life isn’t like that though. Sometimes, bands like Carbon succeed.
Run into the street (obviously look for cars first) tell everyone how great Diamond Head are and how awful Carbon are. Spread the gospel according to DH. Tell me, do you feel it?
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder and Sparky!
28th September 2002
What sort of review do you call that then, Oh Thunderous one? Get out of the wrong side of the coffin this morning did we? So, you didn’t like Carbon much then, Your over-weightness?
Run into the street (obviously look for cars first) tell everyone how great Diamond Head are and how awful Carbon are. Spread the gospel according to DH. Tell me, do you feel it?
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder and Sparky!
28th September 2002
What sort of review do you call that then, Oh Thunderous one? Get out of the wrong side of the coffin this morning did we? So, you didn’t like Carbon much then, Your over-weightness?
About the photos...
OK. By this gig, I'd been to three DH shows in little more than a week. The band members know me and Lauren now - I guess we're sort of the band's pet stalkers! - they just let me take as many pics as I want.
I do like this one though...
