Diamond Head - The Sugarmill Hanley 15th September 2002
Set list: Wild On the Streets / Shine On Me / It's Electric / Forever 16 / To the Devil His Due / Truckin' / Calling Your Name // Such Was My Love / I Can't Help Myself / Heat of the Night // Borrowed Time / Run / Home / Helpless // Am I Evil / The Prince
What was the Mona Lisa smirking at? Who was Jack the Ripper? Where was Atlantis? Why has Gail Potter/Tilsley/Platt/Hillman got no chin?
These are just some of the great unanswered, nay, I'd venture further, the great unanswerable questions, of all time. N'est-ce pas mes petites pains au chocolat?
Well, let me whip you all up into a frenzy of frothing lips by adding one more to that bubbling cauldron of ennui and vexation: Why is Diamond Head not one of the biggest rock bands of all time? Every time I see them play live the same thought goes whizzing through my mind. No more than I can tell you the secrets of the ancients, can I place before you, an unravelling of this veritable Gordian knot. This time, however, I am even more unable to fathom the answer, due to a series of circumstances, which I shall relate in due course.
Yes, the time has come around again for another series of eagerly anticipated Diamond Head live shows. Electric live shows, no less, with a little acoustic sprinkling here and there. I was unable to get to any of the initial shows because I was at a punk festival in the US, believe it or not, so this was my first chance to see the late 2002 version of this superb band. As usual, there is nothing wrong with the choice of songs, the band's ability to perform them, or the sequencing of the set. Diamond Head is always top rate entertainment and every song is a top quality slice of musical excellence. If anything, the band seemed much tighter than earlier in the year. A few live shows have certainly sharpened everything up and Sean was running around the stage like a whirling dervish, at one point even jumping into the audience and walking amongst his people. However, having examined my photographic evidence, I'm not entirely sure that many actually noticed - but that's the Potteries for you.
What was the Mona Lisa smirking at? Who was Jack the Ripper? Where was Atlantis? Why has Gail Potter/Tilsley/Platt/Hillman got no chin?
These are just some of the great unanswered, nay, I'd venture further, the great unanswerable questions, of all time. N'est-ce pas mes petites pains au chocolat?
Well, let me whip you all up into a frenzy of frothing lips by adding one more to that bubbling cauldron of ennui and vexation: Why is Diamond Head not one of the biggest rock bands of all time? Every time I see them play live the same thought goes whizzing through my mind. No more than I can tell you the secrets of the ancients, can I place before you, an unravelling of this veritable Gordian knot. This time, however, I am even more unable to fathom the answer, due to a series of circumstances, which I shall relate in due course.
Yes, the time has come around again for another series of eagerly anticipated Diamond Head live shows. Electric live shows, no less, with a little acoustic sprinkling here and there. I was unable to get to any of the initial shows because I was at a punk festival in the US, believe it or not, so this was my first chance to see the late 2002 version of this superb band. As usual, there is nothing wrong with the choice of songs, the band's ability to perform them, or the sequencing of the set. Diamond Head is always top rate entertainment and every song is a top quality slice of musical excellence. If anything, the band seemed much tighter than earlier in the year. A few live shows have certainly sharpened everything up and Sean was running around the stage like a whirling dervish, at one point even jumping into the audience and walking amongst his people. However, having examined my photographic evidence, I'm not entirely sure that many actually noticed - but that's the Potteries for you.
I only have two comments about the set and I voiced these to anyone who'd listen at The Sugarmill. Firstly, bring back 'Makin' Music' and secondly, please put 'Call Me' in the set before my firstborn child explodes. Sean, Brian, you've met her, do you really want an exploding teenager on your conscience?
Anyway, enough of the actual review of the show interrupting my ramblings, there are more urgent things to talk about. You see, I have been a Diamond Head fan for, well, a long time - long before I met Mrs God of Thunder anyway. In all those years one thing has remained constant, Mrs GoT has always hated Diamond Head. Not merely a "I don't like that shit!" kind of way but a "Play that again and I'll wait until you're asleep and rub Fiery Jack on your balls!" kind of way. We're talking major dislikeage here. It was a situation I was used to. She had her musical tastes and I had mine. We both knew where we stood on such matters. Never the twain should meet. Until a few weeks ago, that is. That was when she heard firstborn playing a copy of 'Death and Progress'. Now we can't even prise the Diamond Head CDs from her grasp. She has taken them and hidden them away. We get to hear them when she is making dinner and such like, but it's not the sort of place you want to get too close. I mean, there is always the possibility that you could get roped into potato peeling, table laying, or even worse, washing up!
The vinyl is still safe, thank God, but for how much longer? Someone, please think of the vinyl!
Anyway, enough of the actual review of the show interrupting my ramblings, there are more urgent things to talk about. You see, I have been a Diamond Head fan for, well, a long time - long before I met Mrs God of Thunder anyway. In all those years one thing has remained constant, Mrs GoT has always hated Diamond Head. Not merely a "I don't like that shit!" kind of way but a "Play that again and I'll wait until you're asleep and rub Fiery Jack on your balls!" kind of way. We're talking major dislikeage here. It was a situation I was used to. She had her musical tastes and I had mine. We both knew where we stood on such matters. Never the twain should meet. Until a few weeks ago, that is. That was when she heard firstborn playing a copy of 'Death and Progress'. Now we can't even prise the Diamond Head CDs from her grasp. She has taken them and hidden them away. We get to hear them when she is making dinner and such like, but it's not the sort of place you want to get too close. I mean, there is always the possibility that you could get roped into potato peeling, table laying, or even worse, washing up!
The vinyl is still safe, thank God, but for how much longer? Someone, please think of the vinyl!
Now Mrs GoT is demanding to be taken to see them live, which creates its own problems, because then someone has to stay behind and watch over secondborn, who is too young to go to any of these dens of iniquity. So, that means that firstborn can't go to one of the gigs… The stress that I have to deal with, people, you just wouldn't believe it.
But, think about it people, there is a major point here. If Diamond Head can change Mrs God of Thunder's mind then they have unearthly powers that should be venerated, celebrated and lauded above all other bands. I'm not saying that you should go and sacrifice the first goat that you encounter (and I've been to enough gigs to know that some of you are more likely to encounter goats more readily than others) but drag a friend or two along. Spread the word amongst the heathen and the non-believer, preach the gospel according to Sean amidst the ignorant and the fallen, let the music of Brian lead them into the light!
Firstborn and I will see you at The Limelight… and if you're not there, we know where you live… we'll come to visit…
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
29th March 2002
But, think about it people, there is a major point here. If Diamond Head can change Mrs God of Thunder's mind then they have unearthly powers that should be venerated, celebrated and lauded above all other bands. I'm not saying that you should go and sacrifice the first goat that you encounter (and I've been to enough gigs to know that some of you are more likely to encounter goats more readily than others) but drag a friend or two along. Spread the word amongst the heathen and the non-believer, preach the gospel according to Sean amidst the ignorant and the fallen, let the music of Brian lead them into the light!
Firstborn and I will see you at The Limelight… and if you're not there, we know where you live… we'll come to visit…
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
29th March 2002
About the photos...
Yeah, I went a bit overboard on these really.
I'd just come back from the US and I was a bit trigger happy, having taken hundreds of pictures over there. Some of these aren't bad and one or two are pretty good. Simple as that.