Hard rock future and hard rock past meet
You’d have to have to worked hard to miss Inglorious this year. It is, as singer Nathan James notes, the fourth time they’ve been in this area in 2016. The net result of all this is that where they were once some young band (they only released their debut album back in February) with potential, they are now a road tested one with a fanbase. For all the talk about how they formed Inglorious have gone out and done things exactly the right way. There’s an old-school element to the sound too, as is shown throughout as they play largely the same set they’ve been doing for 12 months – one that starts with “Until I Die” ends with “Unaware” and in between rather reaffirms the thought that MV had when we first heard them. First, that they are a young Whitesnake in waiting (this is not just because they play “Fool For Your Lovin’) and second that they are destined for the top. 2o17 is going to be a another big year for them, with their Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Joe Bonamassa, BSR) mixed second album due. They play a new song from that tonight, and it’s one that suggests that collection could be a cracker too. Arena rock in waiting? Don’t Bet Against It.
A band that was born out of tragedy, Last In Line have had to overcome one of their own too, with bassist Jimmy Bain passing away just before the release of their debut album (the brilliant “Heavy Crown”) in a tribute to him tonight, the band play one of it best songs “Starmaker” in the encore. But then the band that were made up of Ronnie James Dio’s bandmates are used to overcoming problems. In that context tonight is celebratory. Both of the music of RJD (most of the 70 minute set is classic Dio) but also of his legacy. To that end. Andrew Freeman (the man with those vocal shoes to fill) does a manful job. It helps, of course, that he’s got such great songs to sing and “Stand Up And Shout”, “Don’t Talk To Strangers” and “Holy Diver” are as good as it gets.
There’s a smattering of “….Crown” material too, and it belongs in this company. “Devil In Me” is a wonderful song, “Already Dead” like all the others benefits from some magnificent guitar playing from Viv Campbell and with Vinny Appice also here there are enough Dio cohorts to make this a little more than the norm.
“Rainbow In The Dark” ends the main set and “We Rock” ends the encores, but the magic of Ronnie James Dio is never over. Arguably the voice of metal, he is all over this evening and he is in the fabric of far more besides. Last In Line are proof positive of that fact.
PLEASE NOTE THE PHOTO IS NOT OURS, AND WAS TAKEN FROM THE LAST IN LINE FACEBOOK PAGE
