Lillian Axe returning to the UK. That's a long time and I saw that tour in 1993 as well, as the European leg started in my hometown The Hague. I was massively into the band at the time (and still am) as I loved all their albums (still do) . I remember how at the time they had the year before a tiny hit with Promised Land, which was played on the radio. Now they came to promote Psychoschizophrenia and not Poetic Justice. So they skipped that song, which I appreciated at the time. Don't let ballads determine your setlist as you have new ones to pick.from. After that tour also Lillian Axe struggled with the grunge and nu-metal nineties where lots of great music died. The 1999 release Fields of Yesterday I missed completely as it was in my Brazilian years and internet would not tell you all releases like today. Years later I would get that album of sort of left over demos. In 2007 I did get their return album Waters Rising and three albums would follow until 2012 XI The Days Before Tomorrow. The best news was that contrary to some bands Lillian Axe managed to release upon returning albums that could proudly stand next to the classics from their early years. In my ranking of Lillian Axe albums I put their last album on #3 and Deep Red Shadows would be competing for that position if a full album of new songs. What made things even much better in 2012 Lillian Axe would come back to Europe. Maybe not to the UK, but they came to Amsterdam and I was there. Unfortunately a very weird venue, making no promotion whatsoever and never heard of any shows thereafter. Still I loved the band on stage again and they maintained for me the favorite band in this melodic metal range. or how you want to call it. So when Lillian Axe announced a return to Europe, but UK only I quickly started making plans. Magchiel usually is in for a trip like this as each year we plan one show abroad. Now that I could not plan the weekend due to obligations and he is already eating his first 2023 holidays, a joined trip would not work and I travelled alone to Bradford. This only days after a weekend with only musical highlights in Dynamo Metalfest on Saturday and Angel & Picture on Sunday. That last one especially in a loud and sold out Baroeg was one to remember.
This trip meant flying into Manchester. Arriving at that airport I wondered why Anthony would like to swap Schiphol for that. The trip by train was interesting as for a flatland Dutchman these hills are nice to see, with their villages build against them. I decided here that my 2023 Pedal to the Metal bicycle ride might come to England. That is of later care and when arriving in Bradford my room was not yet ready so a small walk through the centre of town was best. The Tourist Office had a sign calling Bradford the Capital of Curry. So lunch was sorted and good, even if the fairly loud Bollywood music was sort of annoying. The city had a nice centre with some cobble stone streets and a HMV. Not fiding any discounted CD's I saved my pounds for later that evening. I did check out where Nightrain was and that was very close as well. So all sorted I entered the queue at Nightrain at 19:10. Not a line as in very busy, but more as in, not yet open due to ongoing soundcheck. Entering the venue all seemed fine, a good bar wit own lager and bitter beers. A decent merch stand at the side and a room to play darts, snooker or tablefootball. Only tiny detail, who ever thought that a pole in the middel front row before the stage would be a good plan. Must be a contruction necessity with enhanced rooms or so, but it did block views over the evening. That made me decide to stay on the left, watching the guitars from all three bands up close without sight issues.
Opening band of the evening would be the only brits of the night Kaine. I saw them before at the legendary Mearfest in Borderline London. I picked up their Waystone album after that show and remembered a band playing heavy metal in a style which made me love the genre over 40 years ago. Nowadays the band is completely renewed apart from vocalist/guitarist Rage Sadler. Welll they still play good old heavy metal at times of the fast kind. I liked their half hour set again and got their latest CD Reforge the Steel. Over the past years I saw many young bands in England, proving that if younger, you do not need to play metalcore or death metal. Good old heavy metal works as well. A great opener they were and I was warmed up for a dive in musical history.
Next band would be Riot Act. Riot is one of those bands who nowadays have two versions touring and recording: Riot V and Riot Act. The latter and thus band we would see tonight holds Rick Ventura on guitars who played with Riot late seventies -early eighties. A set with old classics was promised and opening with Rock City and Road Racin' that is what we got. The set further was mainly build around Fire Down Under with none less than four songs and Swords & Tequila early in the set. Now Riot Act also released an album under their name. Closer to the Flame was released this year and we got two songs from that album. The band turned out to be very comfortable on stage, where Rick Ventura in a nonchalant way presented all those classic songs to us. While the rhytm section is solid, the attention mostly goes out to vocalist Don Gaffin. Foremost he sung the old songs worthy to their class, but he also turned out to be a great frontman. He actually used to pole to his advantage hanging over the crowd. the 40 miutes Riot Act had, flew by and I was more than a bit impressed, picking up the double CD afterwards. No critics, but suggestions, I would have loved the inclusion of songs from the Restless Breed album. Especillay Loanshark and Loved By You are among my favorite Riot songs. Unfortunately their T-shirts were not available in Dutch size, as their logo is nice with a flying V being the I and A of Riot Act. Riot Act one to follow.
And then we were waiting for the return of Lillian Axe. Lillian Axe to many means Steve Blaze. The guitarist songwriter and promotor of anything Lillian Axe. Even if original bassist Michael Maxx Darby is back in the band and guitarist Sam Poitevent is there for ages already as well. Really new are drummer Wayne Stokely and vocalist Brent Graham. Lillian Axe and vocalists does not yet reach the level of drummers at Spinal Tap, but I've heard a good few over the years. What is interesting is, that no matter who it is, they never deviate from the Lillian Axe vocal style and all can bring the old songs in a way that they still sounds very familiar. Brent proved tonight that he also can follow up on all his predecessors. So when Lillian Axe came on a tape was played from the opening track of their new album From Womb to Tomb, which was released last Friday. Now I still don't do spotify or the likes, so I only heard the song they released a clip for I Am Beyond. That was the first played song and immediately Misery Loves Company followed. So with last and first album covered we would be treated on an overview of greatest hits, with a clear focus on the early years. The last album is too recent to play a lot from, so we only got one more song No Problem. Overall again to me Lillian Axe proved to be a metal band, with lots of guitar solos. I wonder why Steve Blaze is not often mentioned among listings of guitar heroes. Almost during every song he gave us two amazing fast and melodic solos. During one of their best Ghost Of Winter he even took a full solo spot and made that already great song even better. Further highlights to me World Stopped Turning, Deepfreeze and Death Comes Tomorrow, which proved to me more recent songs could be included next tour. Under the Same Moon would be number one on my wishlist. Further I realized during Hard Luck that in spite of the uplifting songs, their debut was very dark, if not depressive. Hard Lucks Gotta Hold on Me, we heard after Misery Loves Company before. Even the ballad Nobody Knows if you're Down and Out, Nobody Cares What's it all about is hardly uplifting. Maybe that's why they decided to skip that one tonight. The evening closed with Show a Little Love and that was one hell of a closer again. Lillian Axe were for me in topform in this new setup, with both newest members shining at times. I read today a comment on the sound being too loud, but with my earplugs in I found all sounding perfect this evening. It could have been busier and louder from the audience maybe, but on a Wedensday night you can't expect that. I also have come to terms, that while I love Lillian Axe and put Love + War on my list of 16 favorite albums some years ago, the world does not get them. Musically speaking they should be huge, but music and fair is not often seen in the same phrase. I loved them again and do hope they will come to Europe later on to promote the new album. Being released on a British label, who knows. I picked up From Womb to Tomb and will have multiple listens the coming days or weeks.
So I saw three good bands in Bradford, enjoyed sightseeing a to me new area of England, some good food and Nightrain Lager and Bitters. Not a bad score, with now CD's of all bands playing and a Love+War T-shirt to show off when Alcatrazz and Girlschool hit town next week. Life is good from womb to tomb.
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