 | Review by Jason Guest
That The Rods frontman, David “Rock” Feinstein, is Ronnie James Dio’s cousin who played alongside him in Elf (the reunion of which had been discussed in 2009) makes this band a more than fitting support to this evening’s headliners. Having played arenas with the like of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest in the early 80s, The Rods know how to get a crowd moving. Playing the Slade Rooms as if it was an arena – with possibly the best sound heard at this venue for a while – their performance was astounding. Opening with their 1983 hit ‘Hurricane’, they followed with ‘I Just Wanna Rock’ from their new album (and first since 1986) ‘Vengeance’, an anthem of a track that, judging by the crowd response, looks set to becoming permanent feature of their set-list. With titles like ‘Let Them Eat Metal’, ‘Born to Rock’, and ‘Wild Dogs’, you can’t get any more rock than this. And for a three piece, they are gigantic. Carl Canedy’s drums are colossal, his masterly fills are fluid, and his solo is remarkable. Garry Bordonaro’s solid, hard-hitting basslines holds the rock grooves down. David’s riffs are mighty and his lead work, a combination of Hendrix blues and Bay Area Thrash (which, incidentally, David was doing before it existed) is inspired, not one note overplayed. And trading lead vocals and combining to produce some pure rock harmonies, David and Garry are an untouchable pairing. Together, the band work for the music and the spotlight is on all of them. The Rods are the consummate rock band and they control the stage and the crowd better than many modern bands that play much bigger venues than this.
www.therods.com
You know what this gig is gonna be like even before you enter the venue. With Simon Wright on drums, James Lomenzo on bass, Scott Warren on keys, and Craig Goldy on guitar, it’s gonna be supreme musicianship and flawless renditions of fantastic songs from start to finish. Add Tim “Ripper” Owens and Toby Jepson to the line-up on vocal duties and you’ve got an evening of heavy metal the way it should be done. Ripper is in fine voice for ‘Stand up and Shout’, ‘Holy Diver’ and ‘Don’t Talk to Strangers’, pouring his soul into his performance, his voice sounding more akin to Dio than Judas Priest. For ‘Egypt’, Ripper introduces Jepson, a singer that many may have thought an odd choice, but any doubts are soon abated. His voice has deepened over the years and he fits the heavy metal mould completely, and Dio’s material. Trading vocal duties for part of the set, it’s when they combine forces for songs such as ‘Catch the Rainbow’ and ‘Children of the Sea’ that the gig is shifted into even higher heavens. Whether it’s friendly competition or the need to do the songs justice, they bring out the best in each other and the crowd are spoiled by two stellar performances. Though he bears a modest stage presence, Goldy’s guitar work is astounding, his leads breath-taking in their sophistication. His command of the instrument is matched by his command of the material, everything from Dio to Sabbath to Rainbow sounded as recorded. Lomenzo’s bass-lines are fluid and his bass sound is enormous. Scott Warren’s keys swirled majestically in, out and through the songs, the organ intro to ‘Killing the Dragon’ greeted with huge cheers. And Simon Wright’s drum work (and solo) was the embodiment of the over-used term “powerhouse”.
The frequent “Dio! Dio! Dio!” chants this evening stand as testament to the quality of the show. Everyone on and off stage was there for a reason and those that have been disparaging toward what the Disciples are doing should witness this for themselves. Their performance – individually and collectively – was a fitting tribute to the man that we all would have preferred to be seeing. What better way to keep Dio’s legacy alive than having a bunch of dedicated and devoted musicians perform his music with such passion and fervour.
Set List:
1. Stand Up And Shout
2. Holy Diver
3. Don’t Talk To Strangers
4. Egypt
5. King Of Rock ‘N Roll
6. Catch The Rainbow
7. Stargazer
8. Neon Knights
9. Straight Through The Heart
10. Children Of The Sea
11. Killing The Dragon
12. Last In Line
13. Long Live Rock ‘N Roll
14. Man On The Silver Mountain
15. Heaven And Hell
Encore:
1. Rainbow In The Dark
2. We Rock
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