Author: Crossfire

Live @ The o2, London
16/04/09

Ok. Check this out. I’m in the company of some of my best friends, I have a seriously hot chick as my gig buddy and I’m standing with an ice-cold beer in my hand waiting for AC/DC to arrive on stage. I ask you readers; who is your god?!

Tonight, MY God was rock ‘n’ roll. My church, the o2 and my five apostles were four blokes from the land down under and one from Tyneside. AC/DC have returned UK in what has to be one of the most anticipated live rock ‘n’ roll shows since, well,……Zeppelin maybe? Compared to their outdoor stadium shows announced for later this year, this show has the energy of an ‘intimate gig’. Well, as intimate as you can be at an eighteen thousand capacity arena.

By the time the band make it out on stage; the o2 almost collapses under the roar of the crowd. To a back drop of a train wreck and pyrotechnics they kicked off with ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Train‘, ‘Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be‘ then followed by the classic ‘Back In Black‘ sending the o2 into what can only be described as a frenzy.

Brian, Angus and the boys pull hit after hit out of the bag. ‘Thunderstruck’, ‘Shoot To Thrill’, ‘Dirty Deeds‘ all get an outing tonight leaving everybody in the o2 gob smacked. The lads may be the wrong side of fifty but they don’t miss step. Brian Johnson’s voice can still hold its own, Angus Young shows no signs of slowing down and Malcolm Young and the band’s sound is as loud as it ever was. Even their most recent material gets a welcome response tonight as ‘War Machine‘ is receives a huge ovation.

A massive AC/DC bell is lowered from the stage ready for Brian Johnson to run down the walkway, jump and swing from it providing an interlude into yet another classic, ‘Hells Bells‘. After a necessary breather for the coffin dodgers, Johnson introduces us “to an old girlfriend”; A massive inflatable woman now straddles the train AC/DC rode in on. No question that ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ was up next and my god did it bring the house down.

‘Let The Be Rock‘ has been added to the set for one sole purpose and that is to showcase Angus Young and what he does best; play guitar and command the stage. The legendary showman marches to the end of the walk way that divides the front of the crowd only to be raised halfway to the roof on a platform to solo to the people in the nosebleeds. When Young returns to the stage he goads the audience to cheer for more fret magic before scaling a platform on top of the stage delivering more blistering solos, smirking and sweating.

The band close their astonishing set with an encore of ‘Highway To Hell‘ and ‘For Those About To Rock‘ accompanied by cannon fire from the stage. A fitting way to end what can only be described as a jaw dropping set, played to perfection by the iconic AC fuckin’ DC!!!

Tonight’s show was nothing short of a master class in how to take care of business. AC/DC are old as fuck and the idea of a 50+ year old sweaty man in a school uniform is ridiculous but these dudes are the epitome of rock excellence. Hand on heart I can say that this was one of the best gigs I have ever been to. You will not see a better live act this year.

Tonight, AC/DC, we salute you!

Tom Lindsey

The Borderline, London
15/04/09

It was way back in 2003 that I first discovered William Elliot Whitmore.

He was playing a show at the LA2 supporting hardcore outfit Converge. A weird choice of support act at the time but after seeing him play, all the other bands that played that night paled in comparison to the one man and his banjo.

He had been back to British soil multiple times since ’03 but had always flown under my radar. Tonight I finally caught him at the Borderline and along with the capacity crowd, I couldn’t wait.

“Friendship and sharing” declares William as he throws away the cap on a bottle of Jack Daniels and passes it around the crowd encouraging them to drink after opening with ‘Mutiny‘ and an up-tempo ‘Lift My Jug‘.

The beautiful thing about William’s performance is his interaction with the crowd. There is no “I hope he plays this song”. If you want something played he’s more than willing to oblige and constantly takes requests. The only thing he refused to play was ‘Freebird’ as he understandably didn’t stray from his own material. The amazing ‘Take it On The Chin‘ and the clanging banjo of the haunting ‘One Man’s Shame‘ are all rounded by Whitmore’s voice. It sounds like the man has been breast fed on Marlboro’s and Moonshine.

Tonight we are treated to songs from Whitmore’s new album ‘Animals In The Dark‘. ‘Old Devils‘ is the man’s own brand of morbid folk where Whitmore’s story telling builds and builds in pace to the point of boiling. A song about “the filth” followed with Whitmore’s ode the police, ‘Johnny Law‘, goes down a storm with the Borderline as a second bottle of sour mash is passed around.

It’s amazing that one man can hold the audience by the scruff of their necks and spit his songs at you and then a song later, transfix a crowd with a heartfelt tale of loss. Whitmore’s intensity and passion for his music and what it represents is something to be admired. The songs Whitmore plays are so engrossing and so powerful you tend to forget that it’s just one man and his guitars.

It’s the classic formula of a working man’s grief, sorrow and hope all blended together and washed down with plenty of whiskey that makes Whitmore’s songs and live show so compelling. Tonight, as he did in 2003, William Elliot Whitmore did not disappoint.

Tom Lindsey

Photo from Myspace