Fan Review -- By Def Leppard UK

UK Surrealism Part One

Outside it was - feezing! - but inside it was hot, and sweaty by the time Man Raze started. Inside the tiny Barfly club - fairly large bar downstairs - tiny venue upstairs. A stage barely big enough to fit the instruments on at one end and a small bar at the other.

No support acts to suffer through this time (unlike 2006/2008 with a certain other band). The band came on through a side door at around 9:30. Walking right past us and through the crowd onto the stage. To be met by a chorus of "Happy Birthday". And a reply from Phil "You've just ruined our fucking moody entrance!" hehe. With almost no pause after that they launched right into "This Is". And although pretty loud the sound was quite awesome. A brilliant start to the album and the live show. Swiftly followed by the former opening number and one of my favourites "Connected To You" - well actually it's hard to pick a favourite when all the songs are this good. But that was the first song they played on stage in front of an audience so it's a great memory for me and great to see it live again.

Then the fun really began with some of the songs yet to be aired live, and how awesome they were! So good you realise what a crying shame it is that the band and their album have been largely ignored by the press (ignorant anyway) and sadly many fans who are already aware of Def Leppard and the Sex Pistols (and those men in make-up...). Their loss! "Spinning Out" followed with a huge drum sound and excellent use of echo. This was used to good effect on the drums and Phil's vocals on many songs. Ronan McHugh (wandering around very visibly in both venues before and after the shows) did a great job mixing the sound. The atmospeherics on the studio version were recreated perfectly by the band. Phil's voice in fine form and the guitar soloing in the middle was sublime. All of the band were playing so well all night. Just as mentioned last week by the band they have "locked in" tight to their sound and you would have thought they'd all been on tour together for most of this year. Not just Phil and Paul.

"Every Second Of Every Day", "Halo" and "Low" after this which all sounded just as good with their catchy choruses. But the best was yet to come. I had been awaiting my two favourites and they played them in quick succession.

"Can't Find My Own Way" easily their best song and it sounded so good live. I had been thinking they might do this acoustically but was pleased to see they have a good live version worked out. Like the studio version it sounds so much better like this. "Runnin' Me Up" next which also is a favourite and sounds great as it had in 2005. Every one in the band playing well and enthusiastically - especially Simon. Paul Cook showing what a great drummer he is on these two songs. And showing us he has good aim with his towel throwing, at Phil's head later on when Phil paused during an extended section. The bonus of small venues is being able to see people play up close. All the band seemed to be having as much fun as us as they had in 2005. Now if they could just play to more people then everyone could see how good they are. Maybe next year.

Greatest Hits time - "Turn It Up" and "Skin Crawl". Introduced by Phil as two songs people should know plus a bit of banter with the crowd about the album not being available yet. I was going to shout out that I'd had the album since January but decided against it - tee hee hee... Both of these sounded "huge" as Simon had said they had in rehearsals last week. "Skin Crawl" definitely sounded much tighter than it had in 2005 - and it was good enough then.

The rock energy continued with minimal pauses between songs and next up was the song that sums up their live show "It's Entertainment". Very nice indeed. Slightly different from the version played in March (listen on MySpace to compare). Just when you think they are going to end with "Shadow Man" they launched into "You're So Wrong" which kept up the energy level at 10 or perhaps 11. Mid way through the song they went right into a storming version of "Search And Destroy". So almost a Def Leppard cover, but not quite. Since no one but Phil actually played on that one. Phil really shining on the vocals. A great way to end the show. The band walking out in a line through us in the crowd again. Quite a short set but then they don't have that many songs to play yet.

And then returning and back up on the microscopic stage to play "Fire". Another great version as it was in 2005 (available for free at MR.com!). And then it was over - well, until tomorrow.
© Darren Gibson/Def Leppard UK 2005.

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Media Review -- Man Raze London Camden Barfly By Neil Jeffries

A Leppard, a Pistol, and a Girl - and a much-delayed side-project debut.

Alongside Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen and former Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook, Collen's former Girl bandmate Simon Laffy (bass) may be far less of a household name, but there's something special about watching such veterans having a blast in an intimate venue front of just 200 people.

Mooching on stage in all black they have their moody entrance blown by the party-hat girls at the front who know tonight is the guitarist's birthday and so sing to him. Collen grins then launches into This Is, which is quickly followed by Connected To You and Spinning Out; no dicking around changing guitars or rapping between numbers.

Despite its spiky pretensions, their debut Surreal is polished, so the raw sound in this tiny room is a shock. Collen (who keeps his shirt on for all of two numbers) seems unsure of the reaction and explains that on album "we can cheat a bit". But he needn't worry. Although his guitar is a little low in the mix, except when he stomps on a pedal to solo, that only highlights the quality of the melodies the band serve up.

Laffy plays his five-string bass to great effect, while Cook - a drummer and a half - concentrates like a bastard. His immaculate side-parting makes him look like the Blues Band's Paul Jones; his grin and rock-solid effectiveness is pure Charlie Watts, particularly on the dub-tastic Runnin' Me Up.

The 11 songs raided from the album are played faster on stage, so they've done less than 50 minutes when they end with the non-album song You're So Wrong and run it into The Stooges' Search And Destroy. As is turns out, they have rehearsed one more: Jimi Hendrix's Fire. Which is fitting: another three-piece not afraid to push the envelope.
Neil Jeffries © Classic Rock 2008.