LIVE REVIEW: Breakin' Out The Rock - Airbourne, The Treatment, Trucker Diablo, Belfast 24th August - Limelight1

THERE is such a thing in rock ‘n’ roll as repetitiveness – a trap that many bands fall into. But it takes a certain talent to throw aside the temptation to churn out the same old stuff and deliver a stunning set.

Airbourne have that talent.

When they landed in Belfast’s Limelight - the third last show in a lengthy run supporting the Breakin Outta Hell tour – they still had the energy and the joy of being on stage that few can match.

Indeed that same ability is inherent in local heroes, Trucker Diablo, a band that also know that being just one of the herd is not an option.

With a bagful of great songs they open the show with intent and intensity. Whether it is the party anthem ‘Drink Beer, Destroy’ (with added ‘Tallica) or the melodic power of ‘Drive’ the Big Truck always rolls over doubters.

The crowd were also treated to a new song ‘Fight…’, but the evidence of the band’s drawing power that more people than usual for an opening act.

The Treatment are regular visitors to Belfast, and Mitchell Emms presence (and looks) to make sure that a fair proportion of those down the front were of the gentler gender...

The Cambridge based band provides relatively inoffensive hard rock, and attempt to preserve the energy Trucker had delivered to the Limelight. While there is a lot of  oomph at times the audience’s attention wavers.

Airbourne have been playing dates in Belfast from their earliest of their European tours, they earnestly try to include the city in all their campaigns. So established are they in terms of Northern Ireland’s favour that once again they sell-out Limelight1.

And, they reward the packed audience with a show that belies the fact that they are on the 25^th date of a run that has taken them around Europe as headliners and at festivals.

However, when the rip into ‘Ready To Rock’ it as if they are on the first date. The cliché of ‘bundle of energy’ could have been made for Joel, as he races around the stage, fingers flying over frets, beer cans bashing off his head and tossed into the audience.

The band collectively provides excellence, poised, without ever seeming to be playing just another set. Whether it is new single ‘Breakin’ Outta Hell’ from the forthcoming album, or closer ‘Runnin’ Wild’ Airbourne are professional and entertaining.

It was a set that was pretty much the same as they have played on the tour, but there is always a sense with Airbourne that they are still hungry, still wanting to whip the audience into a sweaty, beer-sodden, grinning mob of rock madness.

‘Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast’ came early in the set, but it was a none too subtle nod at the verve they were to unleash.

‘Girls in Black’, ‘Diamond In The Rough’, ‘Live It Up’ – live hits that resonate...

Sure, it isn’t high art, but we don’t always want our rock as a high brow, literate. We want it loud, proud and our fuckin’ face.

Review by Jonny

Pictures by Darren McVeigh

Reproduction by explicit written consent only

LIVE REVIEW: WASP wow the Limelight in pure showbusiness style

NEVER mind the overblown stage clothes, never mind the doubts over vocals, never mind the vaudevillian vacuous nature of everything - that all comes to nothing because 17th September WASP were back in Belfast and on top form; c'mon it's motherfucking WASP, it's gonna be fun!

Their loyalty to play all parts of the UK and Ireland is without doubt and the 33 years on the road mean the expectation of a packed audience is always delivered.

However, that cannot be said about The Treatment. Competent and with the tunes that should please instead it was marred by the constant cajoling for the crowd to applaud and shout. And, what's with the fashionista hair styles?

There may only be two members of the original line-up but the musical soul of the band is intact. Tunes such as 'The Doctor' 'Bloodsucker' and 'I Bleed Rock 'n' Roll' are catchy, riff packed hard rock. They have an undoubted stage presence, but by just throttling down a bit it could have been more enjoyable.

When they next play Belfast it is sure that they will have gained more fans, but on 17th September they seemed to forget that many were getting the beers in preparation for WASP.

Blackie first brought the LA madness to Belfast in the mid-1980s, and has consistently returned with various incarnations. A sold-out Limelight1 roared approval when the band came on stage; echoes of past glories washed away into a deliver of where WASP are in 2015.

The energy of songs such as 'Inside The Electric Circus' and 'L.O.V.E. Machine' are contagious as the audience sang almost every word and shouted themselves hoarse on every chorus.

Four songs in a storming version of The Who's 'The Real Me' took the energy levels up another proverbial notch.

With the new album 'Golgotha' about to be released lead single 'Last Runaway' received a solid response and the large screens flanking the stage showcased creativity in terms of a stage show.

But one obvious drawback was the breaks the band took, such as for 'The Titanic Overture', which brook up the intensity of the set and caused mounting queues at the bar...

With the title track of the new album played Blackie's overt Christianity is once again on display - while the days of 'Animal' and exploding cod pieces are well in the past no-one seems to mind this change.

Certainly by the time of the encore the audience was hanging on every note of Doug Blair's playing and every gesture of Blackie. His propensity to turn his back on the crowd at times was perplexing, as was his movement away from the mic during 'Wild Child's chorus; but all that came to nowt as the audience roared to both 'Wild Child' and 'I Wanna Be Somebody'.

When WASP come to town it is a reminder that great songs, great stage show and great audience response makes a helluva metal show. It was not perfect, but it was a super night.

Review by Jonny

Pictures by Darren McVeigh

No reproduction of text or photos without permission