Friggin brilliant
H.E.A.T. looked like the first band that really believe their own hype, and rightfully so as they look and sound the part, and since getting in singer Eric Gronwall (ex Swedish Idol Winner - the UK winner disappears in matter of weeks!), they have taken their quality up quite a few levels. Here to promote the excellent (and album of the year for many an AOR fan) Address The Nation, they opened with Breaking The Silence, a song that Bon Jovi haven't made the likes of for over ten years. Make that 20! It has got the punch and welly of anything written in the AOR heyday of the 80s and rightly so. An immense opener, with Gronwall constantly on the move on the stage boxing his way thru the songs like a feral fighter!
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Judging by the audience a fair few had ploughed into the main hall to watch and they were correct in their estimation. I haven't heard 1000 Miles for so long I though they were going to play Dio's Caught in the Middle as the opening riffs are identical.
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H.E.A.T. were definitely one of THE best bands of the whole weekend, and, as the first six piece of the day certainly made a huge difference, as their wall of sound filled the arena, particularly, Living On The Run, catchy as baseball glove covered in superglue, and Its All About Love Tonight. If the US had a band like H.E.A.T. they would be huge; these Swede's will get to the same place but it may just take a little but longer. They are definitely on the path to greatness.
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Setlist
Breaking The Silence
Better Off Alone
1000 Miles
Late Night Lady
Straight For Your Heart
Beg Beg Beg
Downtown
Falling Down
Heartbreaker
Danger Road
In And Out Of Trouble
Living On The Run
Its All About Tonight
Keep On Dreaming
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 5 available.