On this Girls Night Out, the pre-drinks—if you will—are sparkling. Chez Kane, from the moment she arrives, bubbles with energy and skill. And a phenomenal voice, too. Indeed, that’s the first thing you notice about her as she plays “All Of It”: just how powerful she is. The rest of her set underlines not just that, but also the quality of her songs.
AOR, glam metal—call it what you like (except hair metal, I’m not having that term)—whatever it is, Kane is exceptional at it. “All Of It,” “Nationwide,” and “Love Gone Wild” are the sort of songs that, in the MTV era, would have had the Welsh woman on magazine covers. But in any era, they’re excellent hard rock tracks. Indeed, as “Rocket On The Radio” and the superb “Powerzone” close her set, it’s hard to imagine anyone happier to be on stage—or a more perfectly suited opening act.
In the summer of 1990, a Minnesota rock band released an album called Rev It Up. Being tagged as the female version of Bon Jovi was all it took to get the almost-15-year-old me on board—and the album was sensational. A genuinely supreme hard rock record.
Thirty-five years on, and Vixen are on stage. It’s a rare appearance in this country and the first time MV has seen them—and it’s every bit as good as that 14-year-old in me would have dreamed. Like so many of those bands, it’s incredible how well you remember the songs. “Rev It Up,” “How Much Love,” the power ballad “Cryin’”—it almost doesn’t matter that you haven’t heard them in a quarter of a century; they’re being belted out by pretty much everyone here.
It also doesn’t matter that there’s only one member of the band from that era—drummer Roxy Petrucci. This is all about the songs. And anyway, guitarist Britt Lightning and relatively new singer Rosa Laricchiuta (also in Trans-Siberian Orchestra) keep the spirit alive, exactly as intended. All of which means that when they play the insanely catchy “Not A Minute Too Soon” or set closer “Edge Of A Broken Heart,” it’s more than a nostalgia trip. Vixen are simply a wonderful American hard rock band. Nothing less.
When Lita Ford does “Cherry Bomb” by The Runaways, she brings Vixen and Chez Kane back on stage to join her. “I’m not here for the feminine talk,” she says, “but how can you not with these bad-ass bitches on stage? The Runaways opened a lot of doors…”
“Cherry Bomb” might be her one nod to her genesis, but the whole night feels like a trailblazer returning to where she belongs.
From the minute “Gotta Let Go” kicks off her 90-minute set, watching Ford is to witness someone with total command over all she surveys. “Larger Than Life” might as well be her anthem, never mind “Relentless.” Her take on “The Bitch Is Back” is perfectly chosen. “Hungry” still drips with the sleazy menace it always had, and she’s got an exceptional band behind her—as Patrick Kennison proves with his solo on “Playing With Fire” (Ford urges him: “play it like Keith Richards”).
She turns “Back To The Cave” into a jam, and Bobby Rock relishes his drum solo. But you don’t stay at the top of your game this long without a stack of hits. After a gritty cover of the Pistols’ “Black Leather” comes Alice Cooper’s “Only Women Bleed” (which Ford originally appeared on), followed by a poignant “Close My Eyes Forever” dedicated to Ozzy.
That leaves only one possible finale, and “Kiss Me Deadly” performs that role marvellously.
A celebration of power, trailblazing, and—more than anything—great rock ‘n’ roll. For those who started (female) rock—we salute you.
