There’s no denying that the classic metal banner is being waves high this evening, with former members of two of the world’s most recognised bands playing in Glasgow. SWG3 is busy, though not packed, when I arrive leaving plenty of space to headbang to openers Burning Witches.
They certainly fit the bill, throwing out trad-metal riffs and beats alongside appropriately angry vocals from Laura Guldemond. She prowls the stage, posing and engaging with the crowd while flinging out lyrics at all ends of the vocal scale. The audience react appropriately with fists raised and heads banging as the all-female troupe put on quite the opening show.
Only four-fifths of the band are in attendance, guitarist Larissa Ernst is on maternity leave and her spot is more than ably covered by Courtney Cox (no, not that one) , a former member of the Iron Maidens where she went by the name of Adriana Smith. She and fellow six-stringer Romana Kalkuhl trade places and guitar licks like seasoned pros, while Jeanine Grob keeps the low end flowing with her bass notes (and bank notes when she was looking after the merch table later!). Hidden behind the drum kit, Lala Frischknecht was an absolute beast and kept everything tightly in rhythm.
I’m not going to say I recognised the songs, as this was my first time really hearing Burning Witches, but what I will say is that they are a hell of a metal band. Sure, they don’t bring anything new to the table musically, but… they’re a band who are writing and recording music heavily influenced by the NWOBHM and they perform it bloody well on stage. They’ve already got quite the following on the continent (they’re based in Switzerland) and I’m sure this run of dates in the UK with the perfect audience for their music will result in a bunch more fans.
Burning Witches are a new(ish) band flying the metal flag for a new generation, and they’re flying it very high indeed.
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After a short break, and a chat with some friends, the act I was most looking forward to was wheeled onto the stage. Paul Di’Anno, for those who don’t know, was the original vocalist for Iron Maiden. He’s also a man with some serious health issues, and many (including the man himself) thought that his musical career was over a couple of years ago. Beermageddon had his swansong performance in 2020 lined up (but, erm, 2020…), but the man is back.
His set on this tour consists solely of tracks from Iron Maiden’s first two albums, a chance to hear songs that Maiden may not play live and more and – more importantly – by the original singer. For many, like me, who jumped on the Maiden bandwagon well into Bruce Dickinson’s reign this is a chance that may not have been expected. He’s managed to fill his touring band out with a bassist who could pass for Steve Harris at a glance (and a guitarist who could double for Bill Bailey, as a bonus).
One thing is for sure, Di’Anno is a character. I was fairly near the front, and wearing earplugs, and I could still hear him shouting without his microphone! His gallows humour is constant. This certainly seems to be a man who has come close to meeting the Grim Reaper and has decided to stick two fingers up at old skeleton-face and live each day like it may well be his last.
Despite being wheelchair-bound, he certainly can still belt the songs out. Obviously he doesn’t have the energy he had years ago, but his performance is both passion- and humour-filled, though also not problem-free. The sound isn’t great, nobody thinks to supply him with water, the drumkit breaks and there is no drum tech on hand to fix it (though Burning Witches’ Lala, it’s her kit, rushes on to assist with repairs)… but this is a metal show and it must go on.
The drum issue means that a song has to be cut, so the audience vote to skip “Transylvania” in favour of “Phantom of the Opera” which I’m very glad about. Memories of Lucozade adverts featuring Daley Thomson come flooding back as that insane riff rings out and Di’Anno is seen off stage to a huge cheer and round of applause once the song ends.
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From one former-member to two more. KK Downing and Tim “Ripper” Owens are very well-known former members of Judas Priest, so it was interesting to see them recombine to form KK’s Priest, an act mixing original material alongside classic Judas Priest numbers. Ripper was always a good stand-in for Rob Halford, and Downing has every right to perform the material he helped make lengendary. As a bonus, their new stuff isn’t half bad, either.
Having caught the band filling in for Helloween at Bloodstock in August, I knew what to expect but this didn’t make the show any less enjoyable. A couple more new songs made an appearance, tagged on as an encore, but otherwise the setlist was the same as the one we heard at Catton Hall. With a smaller venue and a crowd just as passionate, though, it made for a great way to spend 90 minutes. Ripper and KK engage with the audience like the pros they are, but it’ so easy to focus on them and forget the other three members of the band who are bloody good as well.
A.J. Mills pairs up with KK with ease, the two swinging guitars in rhythm, trading riffs and playing harmonies. It’s everything a metal duo should be. Tony Newton prowls around and grins at the audience while hitting his bass strings, and Sean Elg lords it over all on his elevated platform while hitting things with sticks. Fortunately, his things don’t break…
An impressive light show accompanies the music and fans get to hear a great variety of classic songs, and new ones which follow the metal template. This was a friendly, loud, by-the-numbers metal gig which proves that some things do get better with age. Having said that, I’d like to see a third album out, and their setlist showcase the original material a little more. While I love the Judas Priest songs, the KK’s Priest ones very much deserve more of a chance.
Photos by Andy D
