Media Review - Man Raze By Ruth Booth

Just a mention of Phil Collen (Def Leppard) or Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) in association with any new band would be cause for celebration. Put the two of them together, and things are a little more uncertain.

However, VF was convinced that this would be a recipe for something different, rather than the shambolic mess it sounded like. We were wrong on both counts. Technically Man Raze's set was a solid and proficient exercise - the solos were sweet as a nut, Collen pulling off his rock gurn with convincing aplomb. But for the other 2 minutes, 30 seconds of every song, Man Raze sunk back into a pedestrian Sunday rehearsal vibe. You might as well have been in any old man pub across the country, watching three guys plod away at their craft - and judging from the muted reaction from most of the crowd, a lot of them wished they were.

Who'd have thought two of the most celebrated musicians in the country could create something so boring? What made this ten times more disappointing was that a mere 24 hours later, Collen would be back on the Main stage kicking out one of the best sets of the weekend in Def Leppard. When the mighty fall, they fall hard.

By Ruth Booth @ Virtual Festivals 2009.