Concerts: Thin Lizzy 'The Farewell Tour' @ HMV Institute Birmingham, UK 12/11/2012 - Sea of Tranquility - The Web Destination for Progressive Music!

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Thin Lizzy 'The Farewell Tour' @ HMV Institute Birmingham, UK 12/11/2012

Posted on Saturday, December 15 2012 @ 01:23:57 CST by Dean Pedley

With the current run of dates from the remodelled Thin Lizzy line-up billed as 'The Farewell Tour' there was a decent sized crowd on what was a bitterly cold evening in Birmingham. Aside from the headliners there was also the added attraction of reformed melodic rockers FM and rising young stars The Treatment. Reviewing the show for Sea of Tranquility was staff writer Dean Pedley.

The Treatment have considerably raised their profile throughout 2012 on the back of shows with Steel Panther and opening a North American tour with KISS and Motley Crue. Led by vocalist Matt Jones the five band members very much look the part and there is a confident swagger as they hit the stage to signature anthem 'Drink Fuck Fight' and get the party started. Unashamedly AC/DC and Aerosmith inspired classic rock n roll, they tear through their thirty minute slot with full throttle energy and enthusiasm. With the ability to appeal to a cross-generation of rockers there is no reason why they can't be headlining venues such as this in the very near future and as they close with 'Shake The Mountain' the crowd response should give them plenty of encouragement that they can go much further.

A band at the opposite end of their career are FM, once considered the bright young hope of the UK melodic rock scene in the mid-1980's and who reformed a few years back for a one-off show at Firefest that led to 2010's Metropolis. The hair may be greyer but Steve Overland is still an exquisite vocalist with a voice that can do no wrong.

With a perfectly balanced sound, FM deliver a forty minute masterclass of harmony soaked AOR, 'That Girl', 'Bad Luck' and 'I Belong To The Night' still sounding fresh and vibrant after all these years. 'Only Foolin' is taken from upcoming album Rockville and proves that FM can still come up with strong new material, lead guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick making his presence felt with some perfectly executed solos. Still enjoying a loyal following amongst the melodic rock crowd it is great to have them back on a full time basis.

Ricky Warwick has been fronting the six-piece Thin Lizzy line-up for the past couple of years and his strong performances have seen Lizzy welcomed back and proving the doubters wrong. With upcoming new material not to be released under the Lizzy moniker their future plans are yet to be fully revealed but it seems inconceivable that we have seen the last of Thin Lizzy in its current form. An energy-sapping set explodes into life with 'Are You Ready?' and the frantic pace rarely lets up as they move through 'Jailbreak', 'Don't Believe A Word' and 'Killer On The Loose'. Scott Gorham and Brian Downey give Lizzy its authenticity but Damon Johnson and Marco Mendoza are not merely there to make up the numbers - the former taking the lions share of the solos and the spotlight and Mendoza leading the line for the sublime 'Dancing In The Moonlight'.

Buried deep in the mix, Darren Wharton's keyboards make only a peripheral contribution but his duet with Warwick on 'Still In Love With You' provides one of the evenings stand-out moments. They enter the home straight with 'Whiskey In The Jar', 'Cowboy Song' and, of course, 'The Boys Are Back In Town', just three songs from this remarkable back catalogue, and that still deserve to be heard live despite the absence of the incomparable Philip Lynott. The mesmerizing encore of 'Rosalie' and 'Black Rose' ensures no one leaves disappointed and if this proves to be the 'farewell' then Thin Lizzy have gone out on a real high.

Set List:-
Are You Ready?
Jailbreak
Don't Believe A Word
Killer On The Loose
Chinatown
Dancing In The Moonlight
Massacre
Waiting For An Alibi
Still In Love With You
Whiskey In The Jar
Emerald
Suicide
Cowboy Song
The Boys Are Back In Town
Rosalie
Black Rose

Review by Dean Pedley
Images by Rich Ward at Classic Rock Photography
www.classicrockphotography.co.uk/