Spinal Tap Lives!

Spinal Tap lives and its name is Diamond Head. I just saw my loudest ever metal band - these guys Really went up to eleven! Their sound was tangible as well as audible! But I couldn't help laughing at them as they rolled out every rock cliche in the book. Just add an 18" model of Stonehenge and a dancing dwarf and the picture would be complete. And, as they asked, before performing the song of the same name, "Am I Evil?" I had to respond "Sure. Shrink-wrapped evil to go with that corporate cookie-cutter rebellion you're hawking!" I have to admit they were musically very good, but, as Huey Lewis said in 'Back To The Future', "too darn' loud". (Old fogey.)

But the band whom DH were supporting and whom I went to the Hammersmith Apollo (nee Odeon), that veritable temple of UK rock, to see were the exhumed remains of Thin Lizzy, namely John Sykes and Scott Gorham (who both played with Phil Lynott), Tommy Aldridge (who replaced original drummer Brian Downey in '97) and Francesco DiCosmo (who seems to have been a session player until recently) and I can certainly say they didn't disappoint. Much. Sykes gamely stepped up to the plate to give Lynott's vocals a run for their money in a set that contained the usual supects, including Jailbreak, Rosalie, Waiting For An Alibi and The Boys Are Back In Town, whilst the instrumentals were, to my relatively unfamiliar ear, as good as the originals (Aldridge taking us back to the heyday of heavy rock with a fine skilled, athletic drum solo, though one not quite in Carl Palmer's league!) But here I must mention my one disappointment - they didn't perform Whisky In The Jar. Why not? Was it in deference to the late Lynott? Surely not, as Sykes was willing to risk dancing on the grave of a rock legend by attempting the other classics. But, it would be churlish to focus too heavily on this omission. I would be happy to go to see them again (provided they guaranteed to serve a large shot of 'Whisky' on the night!) 7/10.