THE ALMIGHTY AND HEAD INC
LEEDS RIOS 25/01/08
Considering there is only one support band playing this evening I am rather surprised when I arrive at a sensible time only to find Head Inc already up on the stage. Having missed the bulk of their set, I only manage to catch the last three songs although it is easy to get a general idea of what I had missed out on. This group of Aussie rockers are unafraid to work the stage to their full advantage, as they deliver with an air of confidence that is usually attributed to bands of a similar stature as The Almighty. They mix up the punk attitude of The Sex Pistols with the melodic rock swagger of Load/Reload era Metallica to create an enticing sound that makes for a perfect opening band tonight. The sound quality is unusually clear for a support band as well.
The Almighty are here to celebrate their 20 year anniversary, and they are not celebrating alone as plenty of people have turned out to support the band on this occasion. Opening with “Crucify”, Ricky Warwick and co embark upon a prolonged set spanning two hours (and suddenly I’m starting to see why the gig kicked off so early!). The band blasts out all of the favourites that a fan of the Almighty would want to hear, including “Blood Fire Love”, “Wrench”, “Destroyed” and “Devils Toy”. They do a fine job of getting a sing along going to “Addiction”, although nowhere near as much as on the singer’s personal favourite, “Jesus loves you…but I don’t” which he dedicates to George Bush. This ballad is a real highlight as Warwick’s grainy yet soulful voice is projected above an acoustic chord progression and some slithering lead guitar lines that wail out as the song builds up to the climatic finale as the crowd partakes in a harmonious chant-along that fills the venue.
As the band lunges into “Wild And Wonderful” it is clear that they have held back the big guns until the end. The song rolls out into a groovy combination of drums and bass picking which lays low as the charismatic frontman introduces us to the band; Pete Friesen, Stumpy Munroe and the “Leukaemia arse kicking” Floyd London, which results in a rapturous applause as the band return to finish the song.
The Almighty are going nowhere without first giving us an encore, as they come back out onto the stage to play “A Little Lost Sometimes” and a cover of the Beastie Boys classic “Sabotage” before giving their thanks to all of the true rockers who are still listening to the All-fuckin’-mighty!
All in all this was an excellent gig and proves that after 20 years the Almighty are still going strong. If you didn’t manage to see them on this tour, the good news is that the tour has been filmed for the forthcoming 20th anniversary DVD so watch out!
Luci Herbert
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