FM And Dare Shepherds Bush Empire 18-5-18
On the 3rd of May 1982 I went to my first gig seeing Budgie at Oxford Apollo and here we are 36 years and a few day's later and it is my 500th!!
Loved nearly all of them and I wouldn't change any of it.
In fact this was my 25th time of seeing FM so a celebration all around.
First up with a solo acoustic set was Toby Jepson who in 30 minutes managed to warm the crowd with a energetic and vocally superb set that mixed a couple of Wayward Sons songs with crowd favourite Little Angels a bonus.
Here is what he played.
Ghost (Wayward Sons)
Radical Your Lover (Little Angels)
Small Talk
Don't Prey For Me (Little Angels)
I Ain't Gonna Cry (Little Angels)
Deliver Me (Fastway)
Young Gods (Little Angels)
Kickin' Up Dust/Too Much Too Young (Little Angels)
Until The End (Wayward Sons)
He also did his tribute to his good friend Fast Eddie Clarke with Deliver Me a good choice.He added that Eddie would say what are you playing that shite for with it being acoustic!!
Crowd participation was welcomed and a truly great set.
As this was a co headliner tour next up was Dare who played a career spanning 70 minute set with the following songs played.
Sea Of Roses
Home
Until
I'll Hear You Pray
Days Of Summer
Every Time We Say Goodbye
Emerald (Thin Lizzy)
Wings Of Fire
We Don't Need A Reason
Abandon
Into The Fire
The Raindance
King Of Spades(including piece of Thin Lizzy's Black Rose)
Return The Heart
I will be honest and say that I was a little underwhelmed by Dare.The audience reaction around me was of delirium and I was left thinking was it just me.
The sound was poor with Vinny Burns guitar soloing inaudible and the drumming was pedestrian.Their own take on Emerald which is one of my favourite Thin Lizzy songs was in a word dreary.It had no oomph no sparkle and Darren Wharton's vocals were the only plus point for me.
A real disappointment for me although other's seemed to feel that they had seen the second coming.
For 90 mins we were treated to a career defining set list with the following song's played.
Black Magic
I Belong To The Night
Life Is A Highway
Let Love Be The Leader
Someday (You'll Come Running)
The Dream That Died
Other Side Of Midnight
Metropolis/Over You
Closer To Heaven
Does It Fell Like Love
Story Of My Life
Tough It Out
Bad Luck
That Girl
Killed By Love
Encores of Burning My Heart Down
The Boys Are Back In Town (with Darren Wharton)
From the word go the sound had improved and not so much dry ice which made dare's set feel like it was played on a foggy moor!!
The set was mixed up a little with Other Side Of Midnight mid set not as an encore and they dipped right back to 1989 for The Dream That Died that is rarely played.
The band's chemistry is wonderful with plenty of nod's,wink's and laughs with each other and plenty of eye contact with the audience too and some of the finest backing vocal's on the planet too.
Steve Overland is in my opinion one of if not the finest vocalist this island has ever produced and this gig was no different.Someday he dreads to sing but he gives everything he has and his range and tone are jaw dropping.
Story Of My Life is all about the voice and the Empire glows in the moment as the hair's on the back of my neck rise to the occasion before a standing ovation for one man.
Jim Kirkpatrick fires off short fiery solo's all night and his melodic interlude Metropolis shows superb technique and quality.
The rest of the band just add to the mix with Pete Jupp on drums,Jem Davis on keys and the ever smiling Merv Goldsworthy on bass the consummate professional.
Only 2 from superb new cd Atomic Generation with opener Black Magic all taut riffs and big chorus.Killed by Love ends the show with Steve saying it had only been played a couple of times all outside of the UK.They played it at Stourbridge!!!!!Again the crowd played their part in the whoa whoas and huge smiles from the stage.
The evening ended with a romp through The Boys Are Back In Town with Darren Wharton joining in on vocals.
FM have never sounded or performed better and you need to see them on this tour pronto.
