Review: Saxon, O2 Academy

There’s a ghost haunting this packed heavy metal party and his name is Ian Fraser Kilmister – or Lemmy, to all and sundry. He has a direct connection to all three bands on the bill tonight. Motorhead gave Saxon their big break as support act on the mammoth 1979 Bomber tour. They also joined forces with Girlschool to release the top five St. Valentine’s Day Massacre EP as Headgirl in 1981 (and, of course, Lemmy squired the late Kelly Johnson for a while). And Fastway are the dissolute band ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke formed with UFO’s Pete Way after leaving Motorhead. Now Lem wouldn’t want us to be glum on such an occasion. He’d prefer us to raise a glass or several and perhaps indulge in a line or two of premium marching powder in his honour.

Such is the strength of the bill that the Academy is already heaving when perennially cheery Girlschool pitch up at 7.30pm. They don’t get the best sound and poor old Denise Dufort’s drum kit is tucked so far away in the corner of the stage that she might as well be in another room. But, hey, they’ve been rising to such challenges for nearly 40 years now. The familiar opening punky blasts of Demolition Boys and Hit and Run set the mood, but they then come over all unexpectedly political for newie Come the Revolution. This also boasts a catchy three-part harmony, yet still manages to sound distinctively Girlschool. Kim McAuliffe delivers the evening’s first of many Lemmy tributes during her intro to the painfully titled, actionably Motorhead-esque Take It Like a Band, while that rock disco staple cover of Race with the Devil by Gun (’60s act, not the ’80s one) and Emergency wrap things up neatly. Given that metal acts have proven to be such perfect subjects for documentaries, the surprise is that nobody’s thought to make a film about this unique band, whose core trio have been together since their girlschooldays.

As the sole surviving member of the hard-living classic-era Motorhead trio, ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke might be forgiven for feeling slightly vulnerable. He’s certainly a tad less fast than he used to be and isn’t exactly a picture of health, but Fastway has always been a great showcase for his under-valued, understated, bluesy guitar style. While the rhythm section of former Mama’s Boys bassist John McManus and drummer Steve Strange (not the deceased New Romantic fella) wouldn’t pass muster with any record company stylist, they’re ferociously tight. But the real star here is Bristol’s very own Toby Jepson, formerly of chart-bothering Little Angels fame, who seizes the opportunity to unleash the full Robert Plant during the likes of Deliver Me. It’s an extraordinary performance that single-handedly elevates Fastway above many of their peers.

“This is a song about beating Napoleon.” It’s not the kind of introduction one generally hears at metal shows. But apart from a few lamentable lapses during the hair-metal era, Saxon have tended to steer clear of leering and chest-beating in favour of boy’s own ditties about planes ((747) Strangers in the Night), trains (Princess of the Night) and automobiles (Wheels of Steel), alongside songs inspired  by historical events ranging from the assassination of JFK (Dallas 1pm) to the aforementioned Napoleonic Wars (Killing Ground). Naturally, they play every single one of these during tonight’s epic set.

AC/DC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock’n’Roll) is a knowing choice of intro song given Saxon’s long, ultimately successful struggle to regain all the ground they lost in the early 1990s. They open with the title track of new album Battering Ram, which is a suitably thunderous entry in that other strand of Saxon songs: rousing anthems about how great heavy metal is and how fantastic we all are for recognising that fact. Sure as night follows day, Denim and Leather and the self-mythologising And the Bands Played On will pop up later.

Rocking his distinctive Gandalf the white look, 65-year-old Biff Byford bounces around and headbangs like a young whippersnapper, though his voice takes a couple of songs to warm up. Guitarists Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt remain relatively impassive by comparison, with only bassist Nibbs Carter matching, and occasionally exceeding, Biff’s energy levels.

Although the set is weighted towards modern, heavier Saxon, underlining their credentials as a viable creative band rather than a nostalgia act, Frozen Rainbow from the debut album now seems to have become a staple. Something of an anachronism, this marks a rare foray into the unlikely arena of mystical bollocks, but its proggy structure also provides a welcome change of pace. Elsewhere, Queen of Hearts from Battering Ram has a strong Eurometal feel and is clearly tailored for those European audiences whose support has never wavered, while a full-tilt rendition of the title track from the transitional Solid Ball of Rock album suggests the whole thing might be worth revisiting. And the autobiographical singalong Strong Arm of Law remains the only song in rock history to celebrate an arrest for not taking drugs.

Fast Eddie returns for the inevitable encore Lemmy tribute: a sprightly cover of Ace of Spades that proves much better than anticipated. Toby’s back too to participate in one of those old-school metal traditions that we could perhaps survive without: ye olde ‘dividing the audience in two to see who can sing the loudest’ gambit. But that’s Saxon for you. Being bloody-minded and sticking to their guns while ignoring fashion and conventional wisdom has always served them best. Frankly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

All pix by Richard Bolwell Photography

Read more: Metal & Prog picks: November 2016