Fuck Harvey Goldsmith! If he thinks Saxon are pedestrian, then the man needs a fucking lobotomy. Saxon have been alive for 31 years now and they still play with the enthusiasm of a band just starting out. Whatever Biff and the boys possess to make them so full of energy, then I want some as I was so knackered the day after this gig.
Running around the photo pit for the glorious opening trio of State of Grace, Let Me Feel Your Power and the wonderfully heavy Motorcycle Man sent the adrenaline rushing through my veins.
After another song off the Inner Sanctum, If I Was You, it was time for a set of classics. Strong Arm Of The Law was followed by Never Surrender, which the band had rehearsed that day especially for Nottingham and then The Thin Red Line.
As predictable as ever, but still great fun, Biff asked the crowd if they wanted a fast one, or a slow one. As usual, the fast one won and one of my favourites Saxon songs, 20,00 Feet saw the place explode and to my right, a group of young kids were headbanging as if their life depended on it. Are We Travellers In Time made way for Witchfinder General, which was followed up by To Hell And Back Again, which is also to be the title of Saxons forthcoming DVD. Another newie, Red Star Falling saw the stage bathed in red lights and I have to say, all of their new songs have fitted in with Saxons older material very well. The crowd were
baying for Dallas 1PM, but there were no complaints when Princess of the Night exploded from the extremely loud PA. Crusader followed before I’ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive) brought the main set to an end.
First of 7 encores was Attila The Hun, which I have to admit I prefer on cd, because it didn't really hit home live. 747 (Strangers In The Night) went the same way for me and wasn't as good as I've heard it in the past. Normality was restored with Heavy Metal Thunder. Doug Scarrat seemed to attempt a solo just before And The Bands Played On, which he seemed to abort very quickly, I think due to a broken string. But he got his chance to shine just before Wheels Of Steel, which saw Biff finally remove his long coat for the first time tonight. How he coped with the heat on stage I'll never know.
Saxon left the stage briefly, but Biff was caught trying to sneak back on stage in the dark and it was time for the anthemic Denim and Leather. I'm not sure why, but Ashes To Ashes closed the set. Which for me is a strange choice as Saxon have so many barnstorming anthems that didn't get played tonight (Power and the Glory + Lionheart being the most obvious omissions) but hey, I'm not going to nitpick after such a great concert.
Saxon are probably the best band ever to come out of England and yes, that means better than Maiden and to see them once again this close and personal does it for me every time. With Saxon, you know exactly what you are going to get. A set of classic Heavy Metal and lots of fun from Biff Byford. Yes, he churns out the same corny jokes and one-liners on every tour, but would you honestly want it any other way? Saxon are the perfect live band and epitomise just why we all Live 4 Metal. The interaction between band and their audience at a Saxon gig is second to none and this feels like a gathering of old friends rather than a concert. Once again, this was one of the best gigs I've ever been to and it rivals last years St Georges day bash at the Astoria. Breathtaking.
Mrzi me i da negiram ociglednu glupost