May 12, 2015
Photos by Ali
Amendola
Life is like a
boomerang sometimes. Or a merry go round – or a circus. At least my life lately
has not been static. Without going into too much personal detail, I had a
really rotten April, I logged more hours as a visitor in the hospital than most
people at their day jobs. It's a bad sign when the security guard at the CCU
ward stopped asking for ID – he just offered a sympathetic smile on a daily
basis.
May was starting
to even out a bit – my daily routine was changed but we had somehow avoided
disaster. My social life was non existent. I was the sole person in charge of
some else's care, and couldn't be away from home for more than a few hours
without panicking and fearing the worst.
On the morning of
Tuesday, May 12, I got a Facebook message from my friend Paul Mortz, who I joke
is the “tattoo artist for the rock n roll elite” He had gotten in touch with
his friend and client, Toby Jepson, who with Biff Byford, co-produced Saxon's
2011 album, “Call to Arms”, and explained to him he had a friend in NYC who was
going through a rough time, was a huge Saxon fan, and could he call in a
favor.
So basically
Saxon's producer had their singer Biff Byford put me on their guest list. (I am
allowed to gloat)
I got in touch
with my best friend, and we made plans to head over to BB Kings. When we got
inside it was one mishap after another. My bestie, Starchild, is disabled and
has mobility problems. The hostess sat us at a cramped table and kept repeating
we had to sit across from each other, those were the rules. I tried to make the
most of it and made small talk with the two guys we were sat with. Starchild
was becoming increasingly uncomfortable so we asked to be moved. We were then
seated at a booth on floor level about five feet away from the stage. That will
work!!! A few minutes after we were moved, someone tapped me on the back. It
was one of the dudes we had sat with - he bought me a beer! “Great seeing
female metal fans!” He said, clinking glasses with me, “Enjoy the show!”. When
i did my walk around the club to get to the ladies' room, I had a good look at
the crowd. It was 85% male. If I was single, I would have my pick of
overweight, balding middle aged men proudly wearing faded Iron Maiden and
Motörhead shirts that were being stretched way beyond their limits. I ran into
about half a dozen people I knew – and just had a generally good feeling about
that night.
Local band Seven
Witches opened the show – and they really impressed me. I liked their songs,
they were good musicians, and set a nice tone.
Armored Saint
were on next – admittedly I am not too familiar with their catalog but I
recognized more than half their songs and halfway through their set I was fist
pumping and headbanging with the crowd. John Bush still has an amazing voice,
and in his sweatpants and flannel shirt still had great command of the
crowd.
Saxon were up
next, after “It's a long way to the top” by AC/DC played over the PA, there was
the sound of motorcycles revving. I stood up on the booth we were sitting in.
My heart started pounding. “MOTORCYCLE MAN!” I yelled to Starchild.
She had just had
her ears cleaned, but didn't hear me over the roar of crowd, she just nodded
her head and smiled the way you do at someone who's not all there.
Then the band
came out and guitarist Paul Quinn did indeed start the opening notes of the
classic song. The first Saxon song I had ever heard, years ago, via the
“NWOBHM '79 revisited” compilation Lars Ulrich put together in 1990. There they
were only a few feet away from me – Saxon!! I couldn't stop smiling, and
dancing, and headbanging, and smiling...but mostly smiling!! They sounded so
good. Biff's voice was on point!! For a man in his mid 60's he had more control
over his voice than singers half his age!!
This was the
band's 35th anniversary tour, and was extra special because drummer Nigel
Glockler was kicking major ass behind the kit after recovering from surgery to
repair a ruptured brain aneurysm last year. As it was an anniversary tour, the
set-list was peppered with classics from the band's heyday in the early 80's -
as well as tracks from the rest of their long career. It was the first night of
their US
tour, and they played with so much energy it radiated into the crowd and no one
in that room was standing still. I liked having my perch on top of the booth –
Biff gave me a thumbs up (could be because of my Toby Jepson shirt too) – and
bassist Nibbs Carter nodded and smiled a few times. Nibbs is the “baby” in the
band – joining Saxon in 1988 at the age of 22, he is the longest serving bass
player in the band's history. Guitarist Doug Scarratt joined the band in 1994,
and the current line up has been in place since drummer Glockler rejoined in
2006.
At one point Biff
looked into the crowd and remarked as to what a “handsome looking audience” it
was. Maybe Saxon's no-frills, “meat and potatoes” style of classic heavy metal
draws more of a testosterone filled following then some other bands – but
honestly I did not mind watching Nibbs and Doug all night and wondered why
there wasn't a gaggle of leather clad heavy metal mama's at the side of the
stage throwing their bras at them (I'm too old for that stuff – plus if I threw
my bra at someone I'd have to get it back – damn things are expensive!!!) Plus,
for someone close to my mom's age, Biff still had that sexy English charm – and
had the crowd in the palm of his hand! There was so much audience participation
that I was reminded this was a band that was used to playing in front of
thousands of people at outdoor festivals – but they felt equally at home in
front of a few hundred (even though Biff did remark about how small the stage
was). Not sure why he kept switching out microphones between every other song,
but I did get a wink from him as he passed me by to go to the sound guy!!
“I WANT TO HEAR
DENIM AND LEATHER” Starchild yelled at me, waving her cane, “DENIM AND
LEATHER!” I was the only one calling out “DOGS OF WAR” and the dude next to me
in the Sabbath shirt was calling for “Crusader” (during which he played perfect
air guitar).
There were so
many highlights for me – I couldn't have asked for a better set-list, even
though I didn't get my song or “Strong Arm of the Law”. I really went nuts
during “747 (Strangers in the Night)”
“There's a 747
goin' into the night
There's no power
they don't know why
They've no fuel
they gotta land soon
They can't land
by the light of the moon”
That's when it
struck me – the level of songwriting was really above par for a band of that
“stature” . And literally it was during the guitar solo that I just shook my
head and silently wondered why Iron Maiden “made it” while Saxon will always be
an “also-ran”. Maybe it was bad business deals, or as rumored in the early 80's, because Saxon were “too ugly”? I'm shrugging as I type this.
“Princess of the
Night” was the last song of the set, the song that was the reason behind the
purchase of my first Saxon album, “Denim and Leather”. The song that's
basically a love letter to a century old locomotive. Locomotives ARE metal!!
“Speeding, sparks like lightning
Engine working hard
Furnace on the foot plate
Shining in the night
Iron striking metal
The sound of racing steel
It's all I ever wanna hear
It's music to my ears”
I literally beat
up my friend Darren who made the mistake of joining me in my little go-go booth
for that song. I was so happy – so full of – relief – and it all came out at
the show!!
The last song of
the night was the one Starchild, and undoubtedly the rest of the crowd, was
there for, the bands iconic “Denim and Leather”. Biff lead the crowd into a
sing along chant – fists in the air
“Denim and Leather brought us all together
It Was you – you – you that set the spirit
free!!!”
I advise anyone
who has the chance to see Saxon on this tour to definitely check them out – you
will most certainly get your money's worth!!! And any young metal musician who
wants to know how it's really done – go down to a Saxon gig!!!
Set list:
Motorcycle Man
Sacrifice
Power and the
Glory
And the Bands
Played On
To Hell and Back
Again
I've Got to Rock
(To Stay Alive)
This Town Rocks
Dallas 1 PM
Solid Ball of
Rock
20,000 Ft
Suzie Hold On
The Eagle Has
Landed
Never Surrender
Heavy Metal
Thunder
747 (Strangers in
the Night)
Crusader
Princess of the
Night
Encore:
Wheels of
Steel
Denim and
Leather
- Rys
- Rys
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