Four legends on stage in a single night. Four of the most important bands from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Forty years of castles and eagles. Delayed nearly two years with the pandemic, it was finally time, and London was ready for it.
A sold-out Eventim Apollo (better known to this capacity crowd as the legendary Hammersmith Ballroom), Saxon and friends not only brought out all the stops but delivered a magnum opus. Who would have thought that four bands born four decades ago would still deliver the goods and arguably sound better than ever? I had high hopes, and they were vastly exceeded.
First up on the bill were thrash legends Diamond Head who rose to fame after Metallica borrowed their sound and covered a couple of their songs. Most notably, “Am I Evil” from Kill ‘Em All. I remember being a 14-year-old kid hearing this for the first time and thinking, that’s it! I fucking love metal. The fact that it pissed off my parents to no end made it all the better.
Living in the states, Diamond Head was this sort of mysterious band that we only knew through Metallica because there wasn’t a ton of info on them to be found. Fast forward thirty-plus years later, and I’m now watching them play these songs and more live; it was surreal for me. I used to think that the Metallica versions of the songs were superior, but now it’s the other way around. Diamond Head may have missed their calling in the US, but holy shit, they continue to answer it across Europe.
Next up is the longest-running female heavy metal band, Girlschool. Not only were they besties with Motörhead, these four ladies paved the way and continue to lead the charge for women in rock and metal. I’ve always been a fan but never had the chance to see them until now. It was like a mack truck smashing through a brick wall—all the angst of punk perfectly crammed into a giant heavy metal punch in the face. These ladies were not messing about either, going straight for the jugular pulling songs from their first two albums and rounding out the set with a blistering version of Motörhead’s “Bomber” and a track from their 2015 release Guilty as Sin.
If you can still hear at this point, it’s a miracle, but up next are the mysterious hard rocking legends, Uriah Heep. Yeah, I know I’ve used the word legend in this article more than I should have, but there’s really no other way to call it. I gotta be honest, I was expecting some progressive wizard rock with some dramatic acoustic interludes. What I got was the exact opposite—these guys are fucking heavy as hell. How did I miss this? I literally dropped my camera as I found myself bobbing my head to the chunking rhythm of the guitars instead of taking photos.
Founding member and guitar god Mick Box looked directly at me for a second and gave me the “yeah, you get it now” look. “Easy Livin,” “Gypsy,” “Sunrise,” all the classics were there. Hell, they opened up with a newer song called “Grazed by Heaven,” which blew the hair back on the entire first row. Absolutely floored.
And finally, the headliners are ready. Prompted by a short video of the band’s history, which was incredibly well done, by the way, Saxon came out of the gates, guns blazing. “Motorcycle Man,” “Battering Ram,” and “Wheels of Steel” made for an interesting first three songs as classics sandwiched with the newer material. It just goes to show that some bands don’t need to “go back to their roots,” as Saxon never left them in the first place.
Singer Biff Byford graced the stage, giving a stern look over the crowd (who were absolutely losing their shit) as if he was surveying a battlefield. Byford is 71 years old and he’s got the stage presence and energy of someone half his age. Add to that the insane shredding and most undercelebrated guitar duo of Doug Scarratt and founding member Paul Quinn and you have the makings for a masterclass in all things metal.
And they’re not stopping anytime soon with a new studio album titled Carpe Diem in stores on February 4th and a full-blown UK tour called “Seize the Day” to follow. By the way, I also have to mention that this might have been the most efficient and punctual rock show I’ve ever been to, so hats off to the crew for pulling this one-off. Brilliant night all around, and after my photos were done, I had several pale ales and kicked back for what was one hell of a great night.
SAXON
URIAH HEEP
GIRLSCHOOL
DIAMOND HEAD
