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Thin Lizzy,Diamond Head Live Review @ Apollo (Manchester) - 05 Dec 2007

John Sykes + Scott Gorham

Live Review

For anyone who believes the modern day Thin Lizzy without the late Phil Lynott is effectively nothing more than a tribute band then think again. Based on their live performance at the Apollo in Manchester on their Live and Dangerous Tour, this classic rock four-piece certainly have retained the polished stage presence and the spirit of the past while also reinventing themselves for the new era to keep the legend of the much loved Lynott alive.

Before reflecting fully on the main eventers, we can't ignore the support act for the night Diamond Head, who stepped in because had Queensryche previously pulled out of the tour. With the obvious disadvantage of not having their own fans in attendance, the enthusiastically energetic band of five gave their all to the impressed crowd, who were warming themselves up for an explosive night of rock. For me the highlight of their set was In the Heat of the Night, performed superbly by lead singer Nick Tart while the rest of their set was predictably wild, loud and pulse racing.

Now the all-seated arena was ready for Thin Lizzy and their rendition of Jailbreak got the show off to a cracking start and it wasn't long before people were on their feet getting carried away with it all. The whole tour is specifically aimed at celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album Live and Dangerous while, in conjunction, their legendary live film from 1978 at the Rainbow has also recently been released on DVD. Only guitarist Scott Goram exists from that era of the group which has now spanned five decades, while John Sykes became lead vocalist in 1994. Along with bassist Francesco DiCosmo and drummer Tommy Aldridge they have a completely new look but they still blast out the band's most famous songs with genuine passion and ferocity. Indeed one of those most popular tracks of the night Sha La La was capped off by a phenomenal bare-fisted drum solo from Aldridge, who was hailed on the night as the "best drummer in the world", by Sykes. That's probably taking it a little too far but with a mental yet audible drum beating lasting for around five sustained minutes reaching various crescendos, he certainly offers so much more than a lot of rock drummers in today's world.

Without doubt that solo was one of the lasting highlights while the following hat-trick of Suicide, Cowboy Song and The Boys are Back in Town was surely the peak of the night. The slower, softer tracks of Still in Love with You and Southbound were also personal favourites of mine and were timed brilliantly just before the raising of the roof with Sha La La.

Throughout the whole evening, the sounds were powerful and made the floor shake like you'd expect while the guitar harmonies were clear cut and distinct, with Sykes' vocals doing each and every song more than justice. Old school fans were also delighted to see the return of Gary Moore for a cameo performance on the keyboards and this does help strengthen the links with the past. It was certainly a fulfilling evening, eventually finished off with an encore performance of Black Rose and by the time they left the stage the myth of Thin Lizzy being a worn-out tribute act was well and truly shattered.

So what's better, the original Live and Dangerous set or the current line-up's interpretation? Overall it's an incredibly hard act to follow - even 30 years later - but like with any genre of music, we must not be afraid to say cover versions, which effectively is what this current tour is made up of, can come close to matching the originals.

They may not have exactly the same chemistry of the golden era but that would obviously be impossible, and I'm sure they'd be the first to admit it.

Instead Sykes and co have their own unique style and have not only managed to maintain the rough roaring spirit of classic rock but also adding a glossy polished finish to create a memorable live performance.

Christopher Hammer