06 May 2018 (gig)
07 May 2018
A 5.30pm start is pretty early for a night of music but this Brit Rock Must Be Destroyed gig was pulling no punches. Even though it was a blissfully sunny Sunday afternoon there would be music to delight inside.
Dodgy were already plying their trade as I walked in shortly after 5.30, all four sporting black t-shirts in a bid to hide the aging spread but delighting in their forever youthful sound. A quick dig at not being mentioned on the poster as late but welcome additions and it was time to close on the wonderfully catchy 'Good Enough'. Dodgy were always adept at penning a pop earworm and this one turned out to be mine.
In contrast Terrorvision were mainly in white and clearly all had gym memberships. No one can ever accuse them of not giving it all, they always were a great live band. 'Alice What's The Matter' the classic opening track from the memory stirring 'How to Make Friends and Influence People' back in 1994 was my personal favourite.
A surprise 50th birthday cake for lead singer Tony Wright, who pranced around the stage like a man half his age, and a crowd led Happy Birthday was a nice finishing touch and as he blew out the candles I hoped his wish was to be back next year.
Ginger and his three Wildhearts cohorts took to the stage and after a technical glitch or two were in full flow dispensing their home grown brand of hard rock peppered with pop overtones to the delight of the moshers. The guiding light of the band Ginger knows how to hold the stage and those in front of it, a true rocker in every sense of the word.
Reef were the last act to grace the stage and after knocking out 'Place Your Hands' almost immediately they settled into a joyous soulful rythmn which had you questioning whether they had come by way of Louisianna. New album song 'My Sweet Lord' a duet with Sheryl Crow performed magnificently by their backing singer, strengthened the religious theme. In between Gary Striger's falsetto I half expected to hear the odd 'praise the Lord' shouted gleefully looking skyward but a rockier vibe soon took hold bringing the nostalgic night to a climactic close. A welcome chance to turn back the clocks and remember some sing-a-long classics from yesteryear.
