LIVE: URIAH HEEP, Perth, WA – 24 March, 2015

LIVE: URIAH HEEP, Perth, WA – 24 March, 2015
The Astor Theatre, Perth, Western Australia – Tuesday, 24 March, 2015
With Legs Electric & Ragdoll
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
Photography by Stuart McKay

9/10

A tattoo of toms from Russell Gilbrook’s kit heralds the arrival of Brit classic rock veterans Uriah Heep, the rest of the band joining the drummer for an immaculate reading of Speed Of Sound, from last year’s Outsider.

Earlier local bands Ragdoll and Legs Electric won over new fans amongst the largely-greying crowd, but such was The Heep’s class, once they hit the ground running nothing else really mattered.

Legs Electric

Ragdoll

Hanging Tree, dating from 1977, was next, but singer Bernie Shaw – in stunning voice and with a Cheshire Cat grin from ear to ear and thumbs in the throes of a viagra-high – was quick to point out that they’d be playing about half of their latest album tonight.

Luckily these guys have the songs and experience to pull that off – and with Outsider being the third new record in a resurgent purple patch, there’s as many people singing along to the new material as to their classics.

“You’re nice and loud – is it Friday night already?” quips Shaw, before delivering crystal clear new tracks The Law, The Outsider, One minute, You Can’t Take That Away as well as 2008’s What Kind Of God, peppered with oldies including Sunrise, a stellar Stealin’ – which started a boisterously enthusiastic singalong – and The Magician’s Birthday – Heep at their proggiest (and, some might say, their Spinal Tap-est!).

New bassist Davey Rimmer brings a shot of energy to the band, and keyboard player Phil Lanzon bedazzles all and sundry with his brand of wizardry, but most eyes remain on the man who started the band, co-writes most of the songs, plays guitar and grins jovially and enigmatically all night long: Mick Box.

Box takes a near-solo spot in unison with Gilbrook, the two riffing off each other in a nice take on the ‘solo’ concept, and they managed to keep the roughly four hundred-strong crowd from heading en masse to the bar.

Saving the big guns for last, Uriah Heep revisit their earliest days with July Morning – Shaw’s voice and Box’s guitar resplendent together – and Lady In Black, before an encore of perhaps their most recognisable songs, the unbeatable Gypsy and Easy Livin’.

“By the time you leave you will know what Uriah Heep 2015 is all about,” stated Shaw in the second half, and that’s as good a summary as I could come up with for what was an excellent show.

Speed of Sound
The Hanging Tree
The Law
The Outsider
Sunrise
Stealin’
The Magician’s Birthday
What Kind of God
One Minute
Can’t Take That Away
July Morning
Lady in Black

Gypsy
Easy Livin’

Category: Live Reviews