RICKY WARWICK AND THE FIGHTING HEATS, THE VIRGINMARYS & THE HOWLING TIDES
Showing my age here, I first saw Ricky Warwick when he was touring guitarist with New Model Army back in 1986 or 87 and then followed The Almighty religiously (pun fully intended) from their formation until the mid-nineties when life got in the way. Back in 2016, my relationship with Warwick’s music was rekindled when he and The Fighting Hearts supported Stiff Little Fingers downstairs and then headlined up here later that year.
But more of that later, first of all, we have THE HOWLING TIDES. Now, I can’t fault the passion and commitment that the four piece show but most of their set does nowt for me, making me think of late 70s Whitesnake given a NWOBHM makeover. That said, I did very much enjoy heavied-up Skynyrd-style southern boogie of White Crow’s and the next song took a trip into Soundgarden territory. Most of the audience seemed to enjoy them though and I can see ’em going down a storm with the classic rock/metal crowd.
THE VIRGINMARYS are much more up my alley. The duo of Ally on vox/guitar and drummer Danny play a brand of garage rock that brings to mind a more proficient Wild Billy Childish, a metal Slaves or, most of all, a stripped back Leatherface, I’ve gotta say there music wasn’t fully holding my attention by the last couple of songs - the curse of the guitar and drums duo - but Danny’s antics keep me interested.
And so to RICKY WARWICK AND THE FIGHTING HEARTS. The famously redheaded Warwick now sports dyed black and beard, which makes him look disturbingly like a biker Rylan. I am of course joking - obviously, the music is more important than the image and I wouldn’t dream of saying that to his face. Well, he does look hard as nails... Far more importantly, Warwick’s voice is suffering - hopefully a cold rather than the dreaded ’rona - although there are few signs of that during the set.
The set covers most of Warwick’s career, with a few covers thrown in. Mink DeVille’s Gunslinger, as covered on Warwick’s new LP When Life Was Hard And Fast, opens proceedings before a raging take on The Almighty’s Over The Edge. These are followed by Warwick’s own The Road To Damascus Street and You Don’t Love Me before the only misstep of the evening. I know Warwick’s day job (his words) Black Star Riders started as a Lizzy reboot but tonight’s take on Jailbreak just doesn’t work for me.
Normal service is resumed with When Patsy Cline Was Crazy..., Never Corner A Rat, The Almighty’s Wrench, Still Alive and Fighting Heart. There’s another storming Almighty song in Jonestown Mind, followed by You’re My Rock ‘n’ Roll, Celebrating Sinking, Tattoos And Alibis and the latest album’s title track. Black Star Riders have never done much for me but tonight’s take on Finest Hour is enough that I will have to reinvestigate that band.
Throughout, Richard, Jack and Ben (bass, drums and guitar, respectively) provide Warwick with exactly the kind of back-up that his vocals and these songs need. Warwick’s voice, despite the lurgee, is maturing from the growl of The Almighty’s early days to a more rounded, dare I say Lynott-like instrument. Don’t get me wrong, he can still do the growl when necessary but there is far more depth and range here than I would have ever expected thirty or so years ago.
If I have any complaints, beyond the less-than-convincing Jailbreak, there’s no Blood Fire And Love or Wild And Wonderful but, hell, the riotous closing brace of Motörhead’s Iron Fist and The Almighty’s Free ‘n’ Easy more than make up for it.
Tonight shows that unashamed, guitar-based heavy rock ‘n’ fuggin’ roll is alive and well and that, my friends, is a good thing indeed.
