Date: 21st September, 2002
Venue: Rio’s, Bradford
Setlist:
Support:
Review: Adam Lees
From opening bars of ‘Wild on the Streets’ through to doom laden closing chords of the anthemic ‘Am I Evil’, the crowd were tonight confronted with a power and energy that is rarely seen. Diamond Head were in town and they meant serious business. With such a strong back catalogue of material it would difficult for them to fail and would have been easy for them to coast through a passionless, mechanical nostalgia trip. However, as their history depicts, they are not ones for taking the easy way out. Collectively they gave 110% and left every single person in the audience in no doubt that boys from Stourbridge are back.
Sean Harris was in fine fettle, with his voice stronger, more consistent and assured than ever. His energetic stage performance could be used in Metal schools across the world as a text book example of how to work a crowd. As ever, his right hand man Brian Tatler looked relaxed and comfortable as he effortlessly and skilfully ripped his way through the sound barrier. The capable ‘new’ recruits played their part with Eddie Moohan and Karl Wilcox providing the solid base in the band’s engine room and Floyd Brennan’s guitar and backing vocals sitting nicely next to Brian’s.
The early part of the set drew heavily from ‘Death and Progress’ with straight-down-the-line renditions of ‘Trucking’ and ‘Calling Your Name’ standing out in his mouth watering opening half hour.
A brief interlude of acoustic material slowed the pace but successfully retained the attention of the crowd, with ‘In the Heat of the Night’ standing out. The latest incarnation this classic, which Sean took great pleasure in telling us reached number 67 for two weeks in the 1980’s, had a South American feel to it which complimented perfectly its haunting vocal melody.
The power was switched on again and the last remaining luke warm elements of the audience were brought to boiling point by the radio friendly ‘Run’. Had this gem been written by John Bon Jovi then it would have been the rock classic of it’s decade and still be played at least twice a day on every radio station in the world.
The purists were treated to faultlessly executed versions of ‘The Prince’, ‘Helpless’ and the awe inspiring ‘Borrowed Time’ before the night was brought to a close with the legendary ‘Am I Evil’. God knows how many times they must have performed this song, but the way it was delivered tonight made it feel like a number that they had just written and were very proud of.
For the small uneducated few who didn’t know Diamond Head at the start of the evening, this was a learning experience and one that will have left them asking the question that most of us have posed for years – Why the hell are they not the biggest rock band on the planet?
Shine on you crazy diamonds.
Adam Lees