Artist: Saxon, Anvil & Suidakra

Venue:  The Empire, Middlesborough

Date: 5 November 2009  

In a world of uncertainties there are still a few things that come to pass that still retain that sure thing quality, and one of those is a Saxon show to remember and tonight was one of those shows. 

The Middlesborough Empire is a new venue to us, this charming old world theatre may not be the biggest venue around but is sure the prettiest I’ve been to in a while, with all those gorgeous theatre trappings of carvings and high ceilings that there was, giving the venue that wonderful old days gone by feeling about the place.  It’s not on the grandiose scale of Hammersmith, but it has an intimacy about it without feeling squashed. 

Opening tonight were German Folk Metallers Suidakra who's set got underway just after the doors opening and so the punters were still coming in well into the bands set.  

The bands mix of Metal and Folk styles seemed a little too different for the older Saxon fans who witnessed their set but the young  uns down the front were well into it as their chanted and raised the horns to the band throughout their impressive, but oh so short set.  

Next up were a band that have gained a new lease on life after their Rockumentary ' The Story Of Anvil'.  I am of course talking about the Maple Leaf Metallers Anvil.  A band that powered through their set as if the last fifteen years in the backroom of Metal was just a dream.  With Steve “Lips” Kudlow his usual manic self who first appeared down in the photo pit before climbing up on stage grinning from ear to ear.  It was clear the band was glad to back in the UK and touring once more, and along with stalwart drummer Robb "Geza" Reiner and relatively new boy Glenn "G5" Five on bass, (he’s only been in the band for fourteen years), the band unleashed what can only be described as a true metal set.  

Opening up with ‘March Of The Crabs’ it was clear from the off that the boys were gonna mix metal with mirth.  The set included some classic Anvil moments like ‘666’, ‘School Love’ and the titanic assault of ‘Winged Assassins’.  But it was the new track ‘This Is Thirteen’ taken from the band latest opus and the infamous ‘Mothra’, with the just as infamous dildo guitar solo that rocked the crowd, whom I would say a good quarter had come just to see these Canadians rock once more.

The band wrapped up their monster metal set with what else but ‘Metal On Metal’, which saw Lips get up close a personal with the crowd as he climbed off the stage and entered the photo pit, which incited a roar of approval, especially from those down the front.  This was a true old school metal performance from the band that will no doubt be back on these shores in the New Year on a tour of their own making. 

Now for the main event Saxon.  What can I say about this band that hasn’t been said before?  Yes there are two incarnations of the band but for most this is the true Saxon and as long as Biff Byford remains frontman this will always be so.

I've seen the band on numerous occasions over the years from their humble beginnings to their heyday and even when there seemed to be a slump in the metal community in the UK, the band continued to tour throughout Europe, where their popularity has never faltered.  Even when the band didn't tour the UK they still always had a place in mine and many others hearts.

Tonight was always going to be top notch show because all of the shows I’ve seen by Saxon have been just that.  However, tonight the band slipped a few extra special moments into their set which even surprised even me.

Opening up with the now expected sound of ‘Battalions Of Steel’, the crowd just erupted into one metal mass of excitement, I mean guys older than Biff just acting like teenagers once more, which was an absolute joy to see.  Not only that but they'd not come alone and this time they’d brought along not only their sons, but also in some cases their grandsons to see one of the finest Heavy Metal bands of all time do what they do best.

Rocking through a greatest hits set list with just one track off the new album with such classics like ‘Heavy Metal Thunder’, ' Dogs Of War’ and ‘Power And The Glory’.  It was the inclusion of the likes of ‘Rock The Nation’, 

'Solid Ball Of Rock' and ' Back On The Streets’ that really rocked, ‘Traveller In Time’ and even ' Iron Wheels’ where included in the set.  

Biff was at his usual vocal best with Doug and Paul Quinn just superb as they traded licks all night, whilst the powerhouse rhythm section of Nibbs Carter and Nigel Glockler just powered through the night like a couple of prize fighters delivering punch after relentless punch. The set continued with the excellent ‘Lionheart’ although it was the likes of 'And The Bands Played On’ and 'Dallas 1pm’ that really saw the crowd just erupt and made this old magnificent building shake.

The set just oozed classics from this point on and even after a massive sixteen song set, the band came out for two encores, yes two! with ‘Sea of Grace’ and ‘Denim & Leather’, before the second encore of ‘Crusader’, ‘747 (Strangers in the Night)’ and rounding of the night with ‘Princess of the Night’.  Not many bands today get such a fantastic crowd reaction to come back on stage twice, but Saxon aren’t just any band to their fans, they are iconic reminders of when Metal was Metal.  Saxon fans just adore Biff and the boys and tonight was no different. 

 

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