LIVE: LAST IN LINE – September 14, 2023

Venue: The Machine Shop

City: Flint, MI

Dates: September 14, 2023

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

Some bands are built for smaller intimate venues regardless of the band members collective touring and recording histories.  Last In Line is one such band, especially when that venue is Flint, MI’s Machine Shop.  As this super group – Vivian Campbell, Vinnie Appice, Andrew Freeman, and Phil Soussan – has released three full-length albums and an EP of original material and pulled from the three albums as well as classics from their Dio repertoire as well.  With the majority of original material coming from their latest collection, Jericho, the band perfectly swirled classic Dio with modern hard rock and metal delivering exactly what packed crowd in the venue came for.  Kicking the evening off with new track “House Party at the End of the World” and “Do the Work” sandwiching the classic “Straight Through The Heart.”  From song to song, Vivian Campbell’s guitar and fret work were perfect and every metal air guitarists dream.  Next was “Stand Up and Shout” and there was no mistaking Andrew Freeman’s vocals are perfect for not only the original material but also the Dio tracks the band chose to include in the evening’s setlist.  Two more originals followed with “Ghost Town” and “Year of the Gun” leading into “Holy Diver.”  The latter was perfectly anchored by Vinnie Appice’s thunderous drums and Phil Soussan’s heavy bass lines.  Around this time Andrew proceeded to let the crowd know exactly how important The Machine Shop is and how much the band wanted to play there before being booked previously, exclaiming there are only a couple venues in the US as vital as The Machine Shop.  The pattern of two originals followed by a Dio classic continued with newer Last In Line material rotating against rockers (and band namesake track “The Last in Line” and “Rainbow in the Dark” before the band closed the show with a two-track encore of “Landslide” from their second release and set ender “We Rock.”  With more dates lined up through September and picking back up in December, there will be more opportunities for you to get out and experience this amazing rock show.

Last In Line Setlist: House Party at the End of the World – Straight Through the Heart – Do the Work – Stand Up and Shout – Ghost Town – Year of the Gun – Holy Diver – Martyr – Bastard Son – The Last in Line – Devil in Me – Starmaker – Rainbow in the Dark – Landslide – We Rock

[Show as slideshow]

COMPLETE SET OF LAST IN LINE PHOTOS

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Tags: featured

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries