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Diamond Head - The Limelight Crewe 27th March 2002
Set list: Wild On the Streets / Lightning to the Nations / It's Electric / The Prince / Truckin' / Calling Your Name / Vanity Blues (To the Devil His Due) // Sucking My Love / I Can't Help Myself / Heat of the Night // Borrowed Time / Run / Makin' Music / Home / Helpless / Am I Evil /// Forever 16 / Don't You Ever Leave Me
Diamond playing an electric gig in 2002 is big news.
Playing a live electric set is something that they have not done in almost ten years and it is some twenty years since I last saw them do it. Oh, for sure, this gig (the second of four warm up gigs for a headlining appearance at the Metal Meltdown IV festival in New Jersey, USA) was very big news.
As I waited for the band to come on stage, my conscience tapped me on the shoulder and a little voice whispered in my ear ""Aren't you going to miss the acoustic set though?" I felt a little tear well up in the corner of my eye as I thought back to those halcyon days of yore, when Sean, Brian and Floyd would sit on stools mid stage, play acoustic rearrangements of their songs and it was so, friendly and intimate. I felt this little tug on my heartstrings and a lump in my throat…Wait a minute, that was a touch of indigestion and the whining in my ear was my Diamond Head gig-going-veteran daughter. Conscience? Acoustic? No, I definitely wanted this. I wanted Diamond Head to come out and rock us like I know they can. I remember how good they were. They made an impression on me that has kept me going for twenty years, after all. I was not disappointed in any respect. In fact, I actually got the best of both worlds. Let me explain.
Diamond playing an electric gig in 2002 is big news.
Playing a live electric set is something that they have not done in almost ten years and it is some twenty years since I last saw them do it. Oh, for sure, this gig (the second of four warm up gigs for a headlining appearance at the Metal Meltdown IV festival in New Jersey, USA) was very big news.
As I waited for the band to come on stage, my conscience tapped me on the shoulder and a little voice whispered in my ear ""Aren't you going to miss the acoustic set though?" I felt a little tear well up in the corner of my eye as I thought back to those halcyon days of yore, when Sean, Brian and Floyd would sit on stools mid stage, play acoustic rearrangements of their songs and it was so, friendly and intimate. I felt this little tug on my heartstrings and a lump in my throat…Wait a minute, that was a touch of indigestion and the whining in my ear was my Diamond Head gig-going-veteran daughter. Conscience? Acoustic? No, I definitely wanted this. I wanted Diamond Head to come out and rock us like I know they can. I remember how good they were. They made an impression on me that has kept me going for twenty years, after all. I was not disappointed in any respect. In fact, I actually got the best of both worlds. Let me explain.
The intro music was culled from the Gladiator soundtrack and provided the band with a powerful and impressive lead into the first track, Wild on the Streets. Then came a triumvirate of classics from the back catalogue with Lightning to the Nations, It's Electric and The Prince, the latter being an extremely welcome addition to the set, in my not so humble opinion. Really, by this point, I was feeling a little guilty because I'd already had more than my money's worth and whatever else they were going to play was just icing on the top of a rather rich cake.
Nevertheless, the set continued with Truckin', Calling your Name and Vanity Blues (a reworked version of To the Devil His Due) before Floyd and Brian swapped from electric to acoustic guitars, presumably to give the regulars from the last year or so, our acoustic fix. I was seriously impressed with this portion of the show and I consider it to be quite a brave move to slot three acoustic numbers - Sucking My Love, I Can't Help Myself and Heat of the Night - into the middle of an electric set. It shows creativity, diversity and imagination, not to mention guts, to do something so bold. What is more, it links the live shows from the last couple of years with the present and the future and, whilst the odd Neanderthal in the audience obviously found this a little to cope with, I hope that the acoustic portion (at least) continues.
Nevertheless, the set continued with Truckin', Calling your Name and Vanity Blues (a reworked version of To the Devil His Due) before Floyd and Brian swapped from electric to acoustic guitars, presumably to give the regulars from the last year or so, our acoustic fix. I was seriously impressed with this portion of the show and I consider it to be quite a brave move to slot three acoustic numbers - Sucking My Love, I Can't Help Myself and Heat of the Night - into the middle of an electric set. It shows creativity, diversity and imagination, not to mention guts, to do something so bold. What is more, it links the live shows from the last couple of years with the present and the future and, whilst the odd Neanderthal in the audience obviously found this a little to cope with, I hope that the acoustic portion (at least) continues.
Once more plugged into the mains electric supply, the band took the set to an inevitable conclusion with a fine selection of songs and a couple of very innovative arrangements. Borrowed Time was simply excellent and Run is possibly one of the best songs that Diamond Head has ever recorded. Makin' Music was electric, but played in the acoustic arrangement. Home is probably the second best song that Diamond Head has ever recorded and Helpless was just frenetic.
No prizes for guessing that the set was inevitably going to close with what everyone has been waiting years for, Am I Evil. I shall go out on a limb and risk fear of lynching to say that, honestly, and I told Sean this after the gig, I could have lived without them doing that. For me, it was not the high point of the show. Don't get me wrong, Am I Evil is a rock classic: I love it and have since 1979, but it is not the best thing that Diamond Head has recorded. I'm glad that they will always be remembered because of it, but inherently sad that they may also, only be remembered, by the majority, for it. Oh, they did an ass-kicking rendition all right but they may want to rethink the intro and play it all, rather than using the CD. Small, picky points though. Come on, if I didn't snipe at something, people might think I was biased!
Encores of Forever 16 and the quite stunning Don't You Ever Leave Me brought the evening to a most satisfactory conclusion and everyone except the prat in the corner, who was never going to be pleased whatever they played, went home chuffed as little chocolate frogs. What else could they have done? Have you got a couple of hours? One More Night, Knight of the Swords, Ishmael, Call Me, shall I continue? Maybe they'll play a three hour set one night and record it, because that is what they would need to do to please everyone.
No prizes for guessing that the set was inevitably going to close with what everyone has been waiting years for, Am I Evil. I shall go out on a limb and risk fear of lynching to say that, honestly, and I told Sean this after the gig, I could have lived without them doing that. For me, it was not the high point of the show. Don't get me wrong, Am I Evil is a rock classic: I love it and have since 1979, but it is not the best thing that Diamond Head has recorded. I'm glad that they will always be remembered because of it, but inherently sad that they may also, only be remembered, by the majority, for it. Oh, they did an ass-kicking rendition all right but they may want to rethink the intro and play it all, rather than using the CD. Small, picky points though. Come on, if I didn't snipe at something, people might think I was biased!
Encores of Forever 16 and the quite stunning Don't You Ever Leave Me brought the evening to a most satisfactory conclusion and everyone except the prat in the corner, who was never going to be pleased whatever they played, went home chuffed as little chocolate frogs. What else could they have done? Have you got a couple of hours? One More Night, Knight of the Swords, Ishmael, Call Me, shall I continue? Maybe they'll play a three hour set one night and record it, because that is what they would need to do to please everyone.
Personally, I was happy with both the performance and the choice of songs. The set was well balanced, the band was tight and sounded powerful. Bassist and drummer, Eddie Moohan and Karl Wilcox respectively, fit in seamlessly, whilst Floyd Brennan is already an established part of the line up, his guitar work complimenting Brian Tatler's playing beautifully. Sean Harris is still very much the focal point for the live band and if ever a man was born to be a rock star, it is he.
Now, I realise that the following ending is really unimaginative, but I'm still going to use it anyway. If they come to your neck of the woods, go and see them because, after all, It's Electric!
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
28th March 2002
Now, I realise that the following ending is really unimaginative, but I'm still going to use it anyway. If they come to your neck of the woods, go and see them because, after all, It's Electric!
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
28th March 2002
About the photos...
Well, I wasn't unpleased with this lot. The band is actually quite used to me now and have even used three of my photos on their Acoustic First Cuts CD EP - one from theRockshield Festival and two from the previous Limelight gig.
As it turned out, when I was laying this page out, I placed the pics in alphabetical order. So, you get pics of Brian, Diamond Head, Eddie, Floyd and Sean, in roughly that order. I didn't mean to leave out Karl but drummers are usually in the dark and way at the back of the stage where no one can see them.
I am still finding life difficult with the camera as it has a delay between seeing the shot you want, pressing the button and taking the photo. It was a good camera when it came out, but that was a few years back and compared with the current models it is a piece of horse shit! Mind you, beggars can't be choosers and it is the only camera I have access to (did I mention that it is the work's camera?) so I do the best I can. Personally, I think that considering the limitations, I'm doing all right. Just think what pictures I could take with a good camera!
I'm whining, aren't I? I do hate that. I also think I'm repeating myself...repeating myself...repeating myself..repea... Oh, I know that was cheap but I'm trying to fill space on the page when I have absolutely nothing else to say that hasn't already been said, but I like things to be organised and tidy and I don't like huge gaps at the bottom of the page.
Now that I have filled a couple of lines with inane banter, I should point out that I also went along to the gig at JB's in Dudley but got there just in time to see the end of Don't You Ever Leave Me, so no photos and no review from there. Hey, I was on my way back from London, jeez, give a guy a break!
As it turned out, when I was laying this page out, I placed the pics in alphabetical order. So, you get pics of Brian, Diamond Head, Eddie, Floyd and Sean, in roughly that order. I didn't mean to leave out Karl but drummers are usually in the dark and way at the back of the stage where no one can see them.
I am still finding life difficult with the camera as it has a delay between seeing the shot you want, pressing the button and taking the photo. It was a good camera when it came out, but that was a few years back and compared with the current models it is a piece of horse shit! Mind you, beggars can't be choosers and it is the only camera I have access to (did I mention that it is the work's camera?) so I do the best I can. Personally, I think that considering the limitations, I'm doing all right. Just think what pictures I could take with a good camera!
I'm whining, aren't I? I do hate that. I also think I'm repeating myself...repeating myself...repeating myself..repea... Oh, I know that was cheap but I'm trying to fill space on the page when I have absolutely nothing else to say that hasn't already been said, but I like things to be organised and tidy and I don't like huge gaps at the bottom of the page.
Now that I have filled a couple of lines with inane banter, I should point out that I also went along to the gig at JB's in Dudley but got there just in time to see the end of Don't You Ever Leave Me, so no photos and no review from there. Hey, I was on my way back from London, jeez, give a guy a break!
