As I get older I tend to get confused or mistaken as to whether i`ve seen a band or not but I used to head to the Railway in Curzon Street near the neo-classical Curzon Street station which may be the HS2 connection if it`s ever completed. I saw bands like Shy, Briar, The Handsome Beasts, Jameson Raid and i`m sure Quartz there. It seems like a lifetime ago but they`re back and playing at The Billesley Rock Club in the leafy suburb of Kings Heath in Birmingham. A venue that hosts gigs by some of the best rock tributes and original unsigned rock bands in the country.
First up tonight are General Jack who hail from the market town of Nuneaton, around thirty miles away which is famous for its connections to Victorian novelist George Eliot. This quintet comprise of Scott Gregory, Patrick Jackson, Darren Joyce, Drew Poxon and Shaun Stain. The fellas have released two albums with `Save Your Soul` and last year`s `Last Soul Standing`. Their set is a mix of cuts from both albums with the blistering `Fugitive`, pounding `Funeral From Above` and anthemic slow burn of `Original Sinner` leading us in. `Save Your Soul` has a driving rolling beat while `The Reaper Calls` is immense. One of the latter tracks `Show no Mercy` epitomised all that is good with metal. I have to admit I wasn`t expecting much from this band but they blew me away with their heavy riffs and hard melodic sound. I`d say their influences were Lizzy, Sabbath, and Maiden. A band that I definitely can`t wait to see again.
Next up were Witchunter from Villa Rosa/Martinsicuro (Teramo), Abruzzo, which looks like a beautiful seaside area on Italy`s east coast. This speed metal band are another quintet with Steve Di Leo (vocals), Federico “Ace” Iustini (lead guitar), Silvio “Chuck” Verdecchia (rhythm guitar), Luca Cetroni (drums), and Fabrizio Rosati (bass).Their last album was `Metal Dream` and they opened the set with the searing title track where the strap line of “Aware! Beware!” is nigh on spat out. The band shared tracks from throughout their career with the throbbing `Crystal Demons`, `Witchunter`, thumping `Lucifer`s Blade` and the scorching `Hell For Leather`. The final number was the monumental `Hold Back the Flame` but their set was also a real theatrical show with lead vocalist Steve wearing devil or rams horns, tying on a cloak, and drinking what was supposed to be blood from a ceramic skull which dripped from this mouth, over his chin and down this chest and stomach. It was a cracking show from a band that travelled such a distance and as their publicity says shared `Heavy Metal.. in the best tradition!!!`
Quartz are an English heavy metal band active during the new wave of British heavy metal. Their origins can be traced back to the mid-1970s when they were known as Bandy Legs. These days the band are the quartet of Geoff Bate Mick Hopkins , Derek Arnold, and Malcolm Cope.
There`s little fuss as the band kick off with a couple of cuts from 1980`s `Stand Up and Fight` album with the title track and `Wildfire` with the grinding but melodic `Bloody Fool` sandwiched Inbetween. There`s a real taste of the history of the band with the rhythmic `Street Fighting Lady` and `Around and Around` from the 1977 debut album and `Silver Wheels` from the `Against All Odds` release. We also enjoyed the aptly named `I`m A Survivor` and `Come Hell or High Water` which was released last year. But as they say all good things come to an end and the band left us with an excellent cover of Dio era`s Black Sabbath`s `Heaven and Hell` a fitting tribute to former longtime Quartz member and friend Geoff Nicholls.
Its kind of hard to describe what a night it was as it brought many emotions to the surface but with three excellent bands it was a real value for money evening. Quartz have played at the Billesley Rock Club the last couple of years and with a bit of luck we`ll see them again next year. If it happens I guarantee it`ll be, once again a night to remember.
