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Setlist: It's Electric, Give It To Me, To The Devil His Due, In The Heat Of The Night, Alimony, Call Me, Sucking My Love , Mine All Mine, Am I Evil?. Formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, Diamond Head were one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). With their 1980 debut album: “Lightning to the Nations” recorded on their own label at The Old Smithy Studio in Worcester, followed by “Borrowed Time” and “Canterbury” released on MCA Records, many reasons have been attributed to why Diamond Head never made the most of their potential.
Guitarist Brian Tatler, the only remaining original member, has put together a group worthy of carrying on the legacy of the band. Nick Tart will undoubtedly always be compared to original vocalist Sean Harris, who departed in 2004, but tracks such as “Give it to Me” and “Alimony” from the 2005 album “All Will be Revealed” are testament to Nick’s outstanding vocal talent. Classic tracks “Call Me” and “Sucking My Love” stand the test of time, and ultimately proceedings are brought to a close with a rousing rendition of “Am I Evil?”, one of numerous Diamond Head tracks covered and distinguished by Metallica. It was a pleasure to watch Tatler & Co, so much so that for a moment I forgot there was a headline act to follow... Review by Steve Johnstone for Worcester News Photographs by John Tucker Second Reveiw If I were to close my eyes or turn away from the stage midway through Diamond Head's performance tonight then I could almost believe it was the same band playing that originally set me on the long and slippery path into the kingdom of NWOBHM back in the early Eighties. There is certainly an almost identical spirit and energy to today's band that the teenage lads from the Midlands would pump into a live show back then. And it is testament to the band's legacy that the Academy is full so early on. Kicking off with 'It's Electric', the now five piece Diamond Head are obviously very well settled as a line up, and sound wise the vocal (renta)ghost of Sean Harris has possibly finally been exorcised with Nick Tart being a more than capable bluesy replacement, being raised in the Harris mould. Older classics like 'Call Me', 'In The Heat Of The Night' and 'To The Devil His Due' were all rattled off with suitable efficiency and received enthusiastically by the baying masses, but it was on newer tracks like 'Mine All Mine' that the guys showed exactly why they are still well ahead of the (reformed) NWOBHM pack. Let's not forget here that along with sole original member Brian Tatler, some of the other guys in this current line up of Diamond Head have now spent nearly twenty years off and on in the band, and a considerable amount longer than some of the original line up ever did. So it is absolutely right that tracks like 'Alimony' are afforded as much stage time as say 'Am I Evil?'or 'Sucking My Love'. Quite where Diamond Head will go after this tour is anyone's guess, but with the Bruce Dickinson meets Phil Mogg charm of the aforementioned Nick Tart taking the band onwards and upwards and equally importantly keeping them in the here and now image wise, I certainly look forward to whatever the future might bring the still natural successors to Led Zeppelin |
