Artists: Sebastian Bach & Falling Red

Venue: Legends, Newcastle

Date: 16 October 2010   

Well just for a change I’ve decided to see a band without having to book a train and hotel lol!! I found out Seb Bach was playing Legends by accident.  This was one of only two low key dates he would be playing in between supporting Guns n' Roses in aircraft hangers across the UK and Europe. 

As it was billed as doors 7.30 pm I decided to get to the TOON for 6 pm and enjoy a coupla voddies n' coke before having to pay exorbitant nightclub prices.  Venturing around to Legends at 8 pm I was gobsmacked to see the queue was halfway down Grey Street and the doors weren’t even open.  Being a chilly night I ventured back to Wetherspoons and decided to have another coupla stiff ones to keep out the chill.  Heading back at 8.45 pm the queue was even longer and the doors still weren’t open!!!  

Deciding to brave the cold it was another 10 mins before the queue started to move into the venue.  At this point I was already slightly peeved, only to find out that those people in the queue who were paying on the night, were getting in before the people who’d took the time to buy their tickets in advance, starting to get annoyed now.  Moving into the venue it was plainly obvious I wasn’t going to get a drink before 9.30 pm as there seemed to be a lack of bar staff and they were being choosy about who to serve first, getting angry now. 

Positioning myself next to the mixing desk, as there was no space near the stage and it was an elevated position anyway, I watch as the support band stand on stage looking like they’re waiting for a bus.  At 9.05 pm Falling Red from the LA part of Cumbria launch into their set, all sleaze and attitude, and I’m thinking Johnny Thunders is onstage, but he’s dead so it’s just a lookalike and they also have a Cliff Burton lookalike on bass. 

The sound wasn’t brilliant and the band can barely move on the cramped stage but they were trying their best to win the crowd over. By the time they launch into their 3^rd song I’m looking at my watch and thinking Bach ain’t gonna get on before 10 pm and I’m catching the last bus at 11 pm.  As they introduce the fourth and final song I watch aghast as Bach’s Sound Tech pushes the local tech out the way and drops the faders…..end of set then!!!   

I’d like to say at this point that whoever organised tonight did a fucking piss poor job, whether that be the club themselves or outside promoter’s.  By the way, still can’t get to the fucking bar!! As the changeover takes place I know in the back of my mind I’m not going to see the end of the set. 

The intro kicks in just after 9.40 pm and the band hit the stage and launch into 'Slave To The Grind', the crowd going wild when Bach makes his appearance.  It’s obvious the six foot five metal maniac is constrained by the small stage, as he tries to swing his mic and realises he’s gonna take out his drummer and most of the first few rows!  The sound ain’t great but then again the sound guy is trying to get an arena sound in a venue the size of a fuckin’ toilet! 

The crowd are lapping up the spectacle of the former Skid Row man playing such an “intimate” venue.  Second song in and they’re attempting to do justice to Aerosmith’s 'Back In The Saddle'!!!  It’s coming across like Pantera with Vince Neil on vocals, not a happy sound to these ears but this crowd are loving it!!  

Now Seb Bach is first and foremost a frontman with attitude and he really gets the crowd going for 'Big Guns' and they go crazy for it.  He goes on about Sting seeing Jimi Hendrix play a small club in Newcastle in the 60’s and says it may even have been this one….sorry to say Seb, it wasn’t.  Tells the crowd that this is the smallest stage he’s ever played and has a moan about the PA. Says that if we wanna see a good show with a great sound we should get along to Birmingham when they support Gn'R…sorry Seb but that’ll be another NO!!  

They play 'Live The Life' which sounds just like Black Label Society with a bit of Ozzy thrown in.  Bach introduces his guitarist Nick Sterling, 21 years old and not even a twinkle in his fathers eye when Bach was laying waste across the globe with Skid Row all those years ago.  They play the old Skid Row number 'Here I Am', this is what the crowd have come to hear and Bach works the crowd like he’s playing an arena.  The crowd are loving every minute of this.  Seb introduces 'Love Is A Bitch Slap', name checking Axel cos he sang on it but the guitar keeps cutting in and out and Bach sounds like a f**ked Vince Neil on the screams but this crowd ain’t bothered cos it’s SEB BACH!!! 

The crowd are only really here for the Skid Row shit and Bach gives it to em, '18 and Life' and they sing it louder than he does!!  The band are a tight unit and they play a few SB originals and I notice time is moving on and after a few more tunes I check my watch as they play 'I Remember You' and realise I’ll have to leave. 

In conclusion, I have to say that the organisation around this event was piss poor and Legends is not a good live venue for the bigger bands, locals maybe.  The band gave their all and other than a few moans from Bach the crowd were loving every rock n’ roll minute and I wish I could’ve seen it through to the end. 

Review by: Brassy

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