Only in England could months of drought end with an indoor gig being affected by rain. Yet that is precisely what happens as biblical storms hit the Black Country and, more specifically, KK’s Steel Mill.
The venue floods, and only through the extraordinary efforts of its staff can the doors open a couple of hours late. There is surely something fitting about that. Metal was invented just down the road, this venue is owned by Judas Priest legend K.K. Downing and not even a flood can stop heavy metal.
Tailgunner have had some issues recently but their music underline the point immediately: they are very, very good. Singer Craig Cairns arrives for “Midnight Blitz” carrying an umbrella, but there is nothing damp about their performance. Instead, this is pure, unashamed heavy metal played by a band who believe in it completely.
“White Death” is just about the perfect metal song, packed with soaring vocals, razor-edged riffs and the sort of twin-guitar attack upon which the entire genre was built. “Tears In Rain” slows the pace, but feels special, allowing the melodies room to breathe before “Barren Lands And Seas Of Red” sets off at a proper gallop.
There is a mark of class about “Eulogy” that confirms Tailgunner as perhaps the best new – definitely not nu, to be clear – metal band around. The title track of their debut album, “Guns For Hire”, reinforces the thought. Plenty of bands have tried to carry the torch for traditional metal, but few have waved its flag with this much conviction.
Accept, though, are among those who made the flag worth waving in the first place.
They begin with “Metal Heart”, and no one is ever going to break it. Simply put, these are the masters. “Teutonic Terror” follows as confetti falls, fists rise and flames shoot even higher. The weather outside has already provided the thunder; Accept supply everything else.
“Restless And Wild” slashes and burns, and the solo is enough to prompt a simple response: good grief. “London Leatherboys” anchors itself to a slower, heavier groove, while “Midnight Mover” adds sleaze to the equation. “Run If You Can”, meanwhile, is all about huge choruses and those glorious twin guitars.
The first rapid-fire medley brings together “Monster Man”, “Aiming High” and “Wrong Is Right”, providing a reminder of the sheer depth of the catalogue. “Love Child” still sounds raw and dangerous, while Wolf Hoffmann, Flying V in hand, presides over “Up To The Limit” like heavy metal royalty.
“Breaker” finds the entire band ready for attack, but it is “Princess Of The Dawn” that produces one of the evening’s defining moments. “Who’s gonna fuckin’ sing?” asks Mark Tornillo. It turns out that plenty of people are more than willing.
Another medley combines “Demon’s Night”, “Starlight”, “Losers And Winners” and “Flash Rockin’ Man”. Tornillo calls it “a medley of some of the finest metal riffs known to metal man.” That sounds like a bold claim until you hear it.
For all the celebration of Accept’s history, “Pandemic” sounds timeless and magnificent. It is one of the newer songs in this company, but it belongs beside anything from the supposedly classic years.
“Fast As A Shark” would ordinarily begin the encore, but there is no traditional break tonight after the weather-enforced delays. Still, someone has brought an inflatable shark, so everything is fine. The song itself remains a blur of speed metal brilliance.
“Son Of A Bitch” is delivered with the same spite it has always possessed, and when Tornillo tells everyone to kiss his ass, he means it. Then comes “Balls To The Wall”. It helps, naturally, when you have one of the greatest metal anthems ever written sitting in your back pocket.
“I’m A Rebel” brings the cannons, the party and the final reminder that Accept have been doing this for half a century.
Floods, delays and disruption cannot disguise the skill, passion and sheer brilliance of both bands. Tailgunner represent metal’s future; Accept embody its enduring legacy. Inside a venue carrying the name of one Metal God, the old and new guard come together to prove something beyond dispute.
Heavy metal will never die.
