Diamond Head : Limelight, Crewe 27/03/2002




Setlist: Intro: Unleash Hell / Wild On The Streets / Lightning To The Nations / It's Electric / The Prince / Truckin' / Calling Your Name / To The Devil His Due / Sucking My Love (Acoustic) / Can't Help Myself (Acoustic) / In The Heat Of The Night (Acoustic) / Borrowed Time / Run / Makin' Music / Home / Helpless / Am I Evil? / Encore: Forever 16 / Don't You Ever Leave Me


In a converted former church in Crewe, original Diamond Head members Sean Harris (vocals) and Brian Tatler (guitar) warmed up with a full electric band for a headlining spot at this year's Metal Meltdown festival in New Jersey. In regional terms, at least, the band have been increasingly visible over the past couple of years, having fun through playing unplugged shows and releasing their impressive 'Acoustic First Cuts' EP. However, they now find themselves at something of a crossroads.

The irony of overseas interest contributing to a revival of Diamond Head's fortunes isn't lost on the Stourbridge band, yet they are giving serious consideration to the idea of taking a third bite of the cherry. And rightly so, because on the strength of this effortlessly classy 95-minute set the old magic is undobtedly still there. All that remains to be proved is the biggest question mark of all; whether their audience is still with them.

Never a unit to hold back, Diamond Head - completed by guitarist Floyd Brennan, bassist Eddie Moohan and drummer Karl Wilcox - offer a combination of faithful classics like 'The Prince', 'Helpless' and 'Am I Evil?', some cunning rearrangements, and a three-song acoustic interlude that includes the seminal 'Sucking My Love'. Sean Harris is arguably still one of the very best singers Britain has produced, and Brian Tatler's choice of chunky riffs and intricate solos is as varied and cunning as ever.

During the 1980s the original band suffered a backlash after they claimed to be the successors to Led Zeppelin, but there's a certain majesty to the way they stroll through songs like 'In The Heat Of The Night', 'Borrowed', and the unexpected second encore 'Don't You Ever Leave Me', that Messrs Page and Plant would surely feel an affinity with.

Where Diamond Head go from here is in the lap of the gods. This evening's sole new composition, 'Forever 16', sat well enough alongside the cult favourites. In fact, the only criticisms that could have been levelled against this show were the omissions of 'Canterbury' and 'Call Me'.

Dave Ling
Classic Rock