Artist: Saxon & Doro

Venue:  02 Academy, Sheffield

Date:  30 April 2009 

Following on from their hugely successful support slot to Motorhead a few months ago, it was high time Yorkshire’s finest exports since the Black Pudding, Saxon took to the stage once more, and this time a home coming show in Sheffield. 

But first the guest slot which was filled by none other than the Metal Queen herself Doro Pesch, the Dame from Dusseldorf.  I’ve been a great fan of Doro's since her Warlock days and have always looked forward to the any shows she does in the UK and tonight was no different.

As the lights went down and the fists and horns were raised as Doro’s band came on stage, but the biggest cheer was for the little lady herself as they got straight down to business with ‘Earthshaker Rock’ and instantly the Metal Queen was in full flow raising the horns and pushing her tiny frame to the limits with head-banging salutes to the near capacity crowd.

To be honest the crowd seemed a little wary of the band, with only a few down the front really going for it from the beginning, I hoped this was just a lull as the band were giving 110%.  The crowd at least should have been behind the band from the off. But I wasn’t here to observe 

the crowd, my eyes were firmly pointed stage-ward as Doro and the boys belted out a classic in ‘I Rule The Ruins’, this song might be over twenty years old but it still rocks big style.  

Over recent times Doro released the album 'Warrior Soul' and the only track to feature in tonight's set from that album was the next one 'My Family', Doro’s own tribute to her fans who have stayed behind her for some 25 years and she's still rocking hard.  This one song that did seem to warm up the crowd a little as they clapped along with the rest of us on this one.

Then it was time to really roll back the years to the first Warlock album for ‘Burning The Witches’.  This was the turning point in the set as the crowd were well behind her from this point on and rightly so.

The band rocked big style as ex-After Forever guitarist Bas Maas just exploded around the stage, which was quite amazing as he had only three weeks to learn the songs before the tour started. The rest of the band weren’t too shabby either as old stalwarts of the band Johnny Dee and Nick Douglas just thumped out the monstrous back beat.  It was time for another from the 'Fear No Evil' album, this time ‘Night Of The Warlock’.  A real monster of track, and after the band introductions it was time for a new song of her current 'Fear No Evil' album, the wondrous ‘Celebrate’, which really rocked the venue.

But it was clear the old rockers around the crowd wanted to hear some more of the classic Warlock and more they got with the excellent ‘True As Steel’, before an outstanding version of Judas Priest’s ‘Breaking The Law’, on which Doro has put her own twist to it.  Tonight Doro started it off slowly before unleashing the full might of the band onto the song.  The set was rounded off with what else but ‘All We Are’ which really got the crowd going as they sang along, this was Doro at her very best whipping up the crowd to fever pitch.

Let's hope that this will be the spark that starts the wheels turning for a headline tour later in the year or early next because forty five minutes is just not long enough for a band of this caliber and stature.

Now to Saxon, a band that needs no introduction in these parts, this being a hometown sort of show, I was expecting something special tonight, not only from the band but the crowd as well.  The band kept up their end of the deal but I’m afraid the crowd were sadly lacking in signs of life parts.  The lights went down and the show got underway (I say show because that’s what you always get from Biff and the boys, a show).  Things got underway with 'Battalions Of Steel’ which is taken from the bands latest album ‘Into The Labyrinth’ and from the off the band were really up for it as they pummeled through a monstrous set full of something for all, something new and something old, and a few surprises along the way.

It was straight into the classics with ‘Heavy Metal Thunder’ and Biff, Nigel Glockler, Paul Quinn, Doug Scarratt and Nibbs Carter were simply electrifying, with Nibbs and Doug just riding high on pure adrenalin from the word go.  It was back to the new album for ‘Demon Sweeney Todd’, a track that started off simply but just exploded into a flurry of guitars licks from Paul and Doug, with a double kick explosion courtesy of Nigel and a bass pummeling from Nibbs.  It's a great track on album, but live it's a monster.

The first of the surprises in tonight’s set was ‘Ride Like The Wind’, a track I haven’t heard live for a dog’s age, and one that was just terrific to hear it played again where it belongs on the live stage.  Biff then introduced the next one as a love song, which somehow seemed too unlikely for the band and true to form they pummeled out the metallic monster ‘Witchfinder General’, before quickly following it up with another classic in the shape of ‘Strongarm Of The Law’.  At this point Nibbs was standing aloft the drum riser pounding out the big bass lines, much to the joy of the crowd who were finally starting to get into the show.

The new album was going to picture heavily in tonight set and again we were back for one of the songs of the album for me ‘Valley Of The Kings’, a stirring metal masterpiece that will become a modern Saxon classic for sure along with 'Battalions Of Steel’.

The hails of "Saxon! Saxon!" bounced around the venue as the band rolled out the classics once more with ‘And The Bands Played On’ before the fantastic up tempo rockfest that is new song ‘Hellcat’, which again saw Nibbs just melt the bass strings on this one as Doug and Paul exchanged licks.

The second surprise of the set was next as Biff told us that this is where the crowd could pick the next song.  He then went on to say that the band had played 'Dallas 1pm' at Glasgow and the room absolutely went up.  So 'Dallas 1pm' it was then!  I was so shocked at hearing this song again I text fellow writer Dave who was just a little peeved he wasn’t here to hear it, but who knows maybe tomorrow night when the band play Newcastle they might play it and Dave would be there to hear it for himself.

After the splendor of 'Dallas 1pm' anything else on the set would be a bonus for me and I got just that later in the set.

But before that it was good time rocking all the way with ‘Come Rock Of Ages’, the classic ‘Never Surrender’ and what else but ‘Wheels Of Steel’, which sent the crowd into a virtual frenzy of activity.  This rounded off the first part of the set, but the band weren’t away for long as the chants of "Saxon! Saxon!" rang out once more.  

The band's encore was a corker, starting off with ‘Live To Rock’ with 'Motorcycle Man’ and the tremendous ‘Crusader’ 

sharp to follow before we saw the band leave the stage once more.  Only the night wasn’t finished just yet and they soon headed back on stage to rock out with ‘Denim And Leather’ and the final surprise of the night ‘747 (Strangers In The Night)’, which saw the return of Doro Pesch to sing along with Biff and the band.  This was definitely one of the many highlights of tonight's set.  A set which had to sadly come to an end sometime and if you're gonna go out, then go out on a high and high they did as they rampaged through ‘Princess Of The Night’ before finally coming to a show end.  This ended one of the finest Saxon shows I've seen in many a year, although I can't help but wonder what the Newcastle show tomorrow night might bring!
 

 

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