Media Review - Alice Cooper and Man Raze, Newcastle City Hall By John Lowdon

Opening act Man Raze, play to more or less a full house. It's not really that much of a surprise seeing as two thirds of the power-rock-trio have played in Def Leppard and the Sex Pistols.

Singer/guitarist Phil Collen proves himself a more than capable vocalist, but it's on the fretboard where he manages to shine - destroying eardrums with furious guitar solos during a rousing rendition of Hendrix's Fire and debut single Skin Crawl.

The rhythm section of ex-Girl bassist Simon Laffy and ex-Pistol Paul Cook keep the punk meets glam songs ticking along nicely and deservedly so, the band receive a handsome round of applause and cheers of 'more' from an impressed Newcastle crowd.

By John Lowdon @ Evening Chronicle 2009.

Media Review - Review - Alice Cooper & Man Raze By Simon

Perhaps inspired by such an unlikely role model, Def Leppard's Phil Collen is another old stager fitter than a proverbial fiddle. His ripped chest making its obligatory appearance from beneath a frilly blouse towards the end of a blistering support set, the former Girl guitarist once again proved he's all man. Of course these days he's all Man Raze.

Earlier this week Collen told rushonrock that Leppard were taking a 12-month break and yet for the workaholic Londoner that means his new band can finally take centre stage. Man Raze's debut album Surreal actually sneaked into our top 20 albums of 2008 but a series of false starts for a fabulous record mean it's still yet to be heard by rock's masses.

This tour is set to change all that with tracks like Turn It Up, Skin Crawl - from the band's distant 2005 US EP - and It's Entertainment mixing Leppard-style sheen with punk-inspired brawn. It's a heady mix which really works thanks to the pounding rhythm section that is Simon Laffy and Paul Cook plus Collen's exquisite work between the frets. In his day job this most understated of musicians rarely gets the respect his talent deserves - Man Raze is the vehicle for Collen to remind the rock fraternity that he really is as good as it gets.

Indeed it's very rare these days that Alice's hand picked band of metal perfectionists from across the Pond is outshone. During the past two decades the king of shock rock has surrounded himself with gifted guys half his age and twice as hungry. Yet Collen's display as a guitarist left Damon Johnson and Kerri Kelli looking average at best. As a vocalist and frontman, however, Collen just couldn't - and wouldn't - compete with the man himself.

By Simon @ Rushonrock 2009.