13

Heavy Metal Thunder

As the saying goes you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and if you're Saxon why should you learn anything knew when what you're already doing is so goddam fantastic? A full Manchester Academy 2 welcomed the old school rockers, and if support act Blitzkrieg had already warmed the crowd up (and from what I saw this could have been the case) then the opening chords of 'Motorcycle Man' raised the temperature.

This was my third time watching Biff and the boys, and I have to be honest and admit that Saxon have never blown me away on record. Their early works were always hampered by weedy production which, when you were listening to Iron Maiden on a regular basis, didn't quite cut the mustard. Live however they're a different prospect, with a huge sound, big guitars, thumping drums and Biff's wails, the magic of their back catalogue can't fail to impress. The sound tonight was as good as I've heard at any show, every instrument was loud yet audible and not too ear bustingly screechy.

Saxon know they've been around for almost twenty-eight years, and Biff hammed up this fact whenever he could. "This is just like 1982" he cried, and he was right. The fans were ninety-five percent male, mostly balding, but there were a few die hards still wearing stonewashed denim, hi-tech trainers and a biker jacket as if the last 24 years had never happened. Whatever they'd gone through in their lives over the last quarter of a century, their love for Saxon and metal was still with them.

The band really does have a barrel full of quality songs, a set of over one hundred minutes and there wasn't a single dull moment. Great cuts such as 'Stallions of the Highway,' 'Princess of the Night,' and the awesome 'Strong Arm of the Law' created a fervour (and surprisingly a pit) amongst the aging crowd. Biff announced they have two sets to choose from; one full of the old school classics, and the other mixed more with the best from the latest albums. Thankfully, for this reviewer and perhaps 100% of the rest of the crowd, they kept it classic which just excited the wall-to-wall fans even further. '20,000 Feet,' 'Redline,' 'Dallas 1pm,' the hits just kept on coming. Guitarist Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt were on top form chocking out wonderful pieces of musicianship.

Who gives a shit if Saxon aren't fashionable, are not trendy, considered old school, they've got an incredible discography behind them, and I think every young kid should be made to go and see this band as part of their metal education. Not only to see one of the bands who were the cornerstone of the new wave of British heavy metal, not just to see a part of metal heritage, but to witness how metal should be played. There was even time for a sing-a-long with the crowd, arguably a lost art these days. The sing-a-long is a rare commodity for the simple fact that up and coming bands rarely sing, and the prospect of having a shout or a growl-a-long doesn't have the same kind of appeal.

We had to wait until the encores for 'Wheels of Steel,' 'Denim and Leather,' 'Heavy Metal Thunder,' and '747 (Strangers in the Night)', but they're timeless classics worth waiting for. For the third time Saxon had blown me away, they truly are a class act and I hope the band plays on for many years to come.