Diamond Head - The Robin Wolverhampton 19th April 2007
Setlist: Mine All Mine / Lightning To The Nations / I Feel No Pain / The Prince / Give It To Me / Borrowed time / This Planet And Me / To The Devil His Due / Heat Of The Night / Skin On Skin / Sucking My Love / It’s Electric / Helpless / Am I Evil? // Wild On The Streets / Streets Of Gold
This is a weird review to write. I’ve been a DH fan for so long, I just feel so weird about the whole thing. Weird, huh? Overused word of the day? Weird. Weird! And, before you ask, whether, or not, I have been smoking anything is no concern of yours! Cheeky young scallywag!
Scallywag. Interesting word that. It is a contraction of the old phrase ‘scurrilous vagabond’. It became ‘scurrivag’ and, later, ‘scallywag’. Interesting, eh? Let me see if I can transfer some of the weird onto you…
This is a weird review to write. I’ve been a DH fan for so long, I just feel so weird about the whole thing. Weird, huh? Overused word of the day? Weird. Weird! And, before you ask, whether, or not, I have been smoking anything is no concern of yours! Cheeky young scallywag!
Scallywag. Interesting word that. It is a contraction of the old phrase ‘scurrilous vagabond’. It became ‘scurrivag’ and, later, ‘scallywag’. Interesting, eh? Let me see if I can transfer some of the weird onto you…
A small digression before we begin...
Now, normally, I never use anyone else's photographs on my website. It has only happened twice before, and one of those was my eldest daughter Lauren's awesome photo of Simon Lees, at a Budgie gig.
However, I must make an exception once more. I had taken along my shortest daughter, Hannah, to see Demon and Diamond Head. She asked if she could have a go at taking some pics. I handed her the camera, which she was completely unfamiliar with, showed her how to take a photo and she took these...
However, I must make an exception once more. I had taken along my shortest daughter, Hannah, to see Demon and Diamond Head. She asked if she could have a go at taking some pics. I handed her the camera, which she was completely unfamiliar with, showed her how to take a photo and she took these...
I first saw Diamond Head live on 22nd June 1980. Bradford, St. George’s Hall. Supported by Silverwing (whose drummer I bumped into in a mobile phone shop in town a few months back).
I had heard Tommy Vance play their stuff on his Friday Rock Show radio program. I was blown away by several factors:
- Brian Tatler’s phenomenal guitar playing
- The quality of the songs
- The tightness of the sound of a self-released production
- Sean Harris’s vocals.
And this is where the weird starts to filter in...
On record, Diamond Head had a powerful sound. Brian’s guitar work stood out as being a cut above the rest and Sean Harris possessed (still possesses? Not sure what Sean is up to these days!) the best set of sweet-sounding pipes this side of Paul Rodgers. Live, they were simply awesome. Brian’s white Flying V and black outfit looked way cool. He had a lot of flash but the skill to back it up. Sean’s vocals were as strong live as in the studio, and he had muchos charisma and a cheeky face. Colin and Duncan pounded away and kept it tight and, although they were just as significant to that line up, Brian and Sean were undoubtedly the twin focal points.
Seemingly, Diamond Head had everything going for them and were destined for greatness; someone even touted them as the next Led Zeppelin, as I remember. However, they never quite managed the leap to the next level, for whatever reason, but they have achieved a lot more than most. When Brian and Sean reformed with Floyd Brennan a few years ago I went and saw them more times than I had done twenty years earlier. Then, shockingly, Sean was replaced by Nick Tart, once again, for whatever reason.
Seemingly, Diamond Head had everything going for them and were destined for greatness; someone even touted them as the next Led Zeppelin, as I remember. However, they never quite managed the leap to the next level, for whatever reason, but they have achieved a lot more than most. When Brian and Sean reformed with Floyd Brennan a few years ago I went and saw them more times than I had done twenty years earlier. Then, shockingly, Sean was replaced by Nick Tart, once again, for whatever reason.
Nick has a great voice, I cannot argue with that. It has everything you could want, and then some. What's more, he fits in Diamond Head seamlessly. Diamond Head is a bloody good band on CD and live. But, to me something is weird. And, hang on to your socks cos this is where the major weird comes in …
You see, I managed to get over the fact that Steve Morse replaced old-baldy-lute-boy, in Purple, quite easily. I was ecstatic when Steve Hogarth replaced Fish, and never even thought twice when I heard that Janick Gers had replaced Bernie Torme in Gillan, or that Ian Gillan had joined Black Sabbath; I still can’t see why everyone was surprised at any of those changes. But, as good as Nick is, for me, Diamond Head just isn’t Diamond Head without Sean.
I watch this band and I enjoy them because they’re bloody good and they’re great guys, playing some fantastic material. I have to pretend it isn’t Diamond Head though. Think of it in Maiden terms. It’s the whole Bruce Dickinson/Blaze Bailey situation. As good as Blaze was, his tenure in the band was so wrong, on so many different levels. That’s how I feel about DH. I can’t fault the band in any way whatsoever.
Can’t help myself…
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
26th April 2007
You see, I managed to get over the fact that Steve Morse replaced old-baldy-lute-boy, in Purple, quite easily. I was ecstatic when Steve Hogarth replaced Fish, and never even thought twice when I heard that Janick Gers had replaced Bernie Torme in Gillan, or that Ian Gillan had joined Black Sabbath; I still can’t see why everyone was surprised at any of those changes. But, as good as Nick is, for me, Diamond Head just isn’t Diamond Head without Sean.
I watch this band and I enjoy them because they’re bloody good and they’re great guys, playing some fantastic material. I have to pretend it isn’t Diamond Head though. Think of it in Maiden terms. It’s the whole Bruce Dickinson/Blaze Bailey situation. As good as Blaze was, his tenure in the band was so wrong, on so many different levels. That’s how I feel about DH. I can’t fault the band in any way whatsoever.
Can’t help myself…
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
26th April 2007
About the photos...
I quite like some of these, really. Pretty colours :-)
