Vol. 59
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Full Pelt Magazine
Tag: Ricky Warwick
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 55
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Ricky Warwick
The Waterfront Studio, Norwich
Wednesday 9th March 2022
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All 📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music
A year ago, back at a time when live music was just a distant memory, Ricky Warwick delivered his stunning solo album, ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’. The album featured highly on our 2021 Album of the Year list but since then Warwick has been unable to tour the album.
That is until now, as with restrictions withdrawn Warwick and his band The Fighting Hearts are able to hit the road once again and tonight they find themselves at The Waterfront Studio in Norwich.
THE HOWLING TIDES
First on stage this evening are young rockers The Howling Tides who make the most of their time with a splendid performance. The four-piece get the crowd engaged early on with the likes of ‘White Crow’ and ‘Crack My Soul’.
THE VIRGINMARYS
They are followed by the criminally underrated The Virginmarys who are emerging from the pandemic as a two-piece. Having witnessed the band live many times, I was interested to see how this new dynamic would work and whether they’d maintain their power.
Thankfully that power is still there, as is a new layer of ferocity as the band plough through a setlist featuring many new songs. These new songs offer great promise, whilst older favourites such as ‘Running For My Life’ and ‘Just A Ride’ remind of just how good this band are.
RICKY WARWICK & THE FIGHTING HEARTS
It’s not long thereafter that Eminem’s iconic ‘Lose Yourself’ blasts out and Ricky Warwick and The Fighting Hearts grace the stage. They burst straight into life with ‘Gunslinger’, ‘Over the Edge’ and ‘The Road to Damascus Street’ riling the audience up.
As if fronting The Almighty, Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders wasn’t enough, Warwick has also established a successful solo career over the years. This was punctuated last year with the release of ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’. Tonight’s show is a mixture of each aspect of this unlikely career, including the likes of ‘Jailbreak’ and ‘Finest Hour’ from “the day job” as Warwick terms it.
Read our review of ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’
Whilst these big hitters a natural highlights, it’s telling that the true highlights come from ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’ including the title track, ‘You’re My Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and ‘Still Alive’. This just goes to show that at this stage of his career Warwick is perhaps tunnelling his experiences into producing his best work.
It helps tonight that he is backed by a tight band that helps bring his visions to life. There are a good number of The Almighty tracks in the set tonight and it’s ‘Free ‘n’ Easy’ that brings the evening to a close; a thoroughly enjoyable evening of the hard rock majesty that we’ve missed these past couple of years.
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Album of the Year 2021
We countdown our Top 50 Albums of 2021
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2021 has been another tough year to live through. There have been some signs of normal life, for example the return of live music, but we end it as we started with true normality a distant memory.
This year has however been a stunning year for new music releases. Yes, lockdown musicians and the odds are their creativity will take over. In Full Pelt Music’s first full year of existence we have reviewed 65 albums and the quality of those releases has been exceptional.
Last year we counted down our Top 20 albums of the year, with a special Advent Calendar countdown on our Twitter. This year we have expanded! Our 2021 countdown has taken place across all our social platforms, and has listed our Top 50 albums of the year!
With that social media countdown completed, it’s now time to compile our completed Top 50 in one place. So let’s get started!
What we said:
“there are stunning moments spread throughout the album”
Check out:
What we said:
“there are plenty of songs on this album that rate amongst the best that the band has produced”
Read our review of ‘Waiting For Good Luck’
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What we said:
“Garbage are an incredible musical force”
Read our review of ‘No Gods No Masters’
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What we said:
“we have thrashing guitars, thumping drums, bizarre lyrics and plenty of bells and whistles to emphasise his brilliantly quirky musicianship”
Read our review of ‘The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy’
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What we said:
“was anybody craving a new album from The Offspring in 2021? Perhaps not, but actually in this messed up world we live in, maybe, just maybe, we needed it!”
Read our review of ‘Let The Bad Times Roll’
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What we said:
“this is an artist pouring all of their self into their creation and discovering magic”
Read our review of ‘Watch Me Break Apart’
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What we said:
“this record manages to encapsulate the sound that the band has nurtured over the past few years both on record and in the live setting”
Read our review of ‘How to Ruin Your Life’
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What we said:
“remind you how gloriously heavy yet anthemic the band can get”
Read our review of ‘The Bitter Truth’
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What we said:
“it won’t take long for people to stop and take notice of this great young band”
Read our review of ‘Fractured Party Music’
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What we said:
“this is Volbeat at their very best”
Read our review of ‘Servant of the Mind’
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What we said:
“vitality shouldn’t be mistaken for relevance and whilst the band may have peaked commercially, they remain of utmost importance to a generation of music fans”
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What we said:
“anybody that had any doubts about the natural talents of this group of musicians, they should now acknowledge a new force”
Read our review ‘The Battle at Garden’s Gate’
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What we said:
“over the top, outlandish, brash and most of all fun, the album not only lives up to but surpasses all expectations”
Read our review of ‘Van Weezer’
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What we said:
“quality continues to run throughout the entire record and there is very little ease on the throttle”
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What we said:
“another very good release from a band overdue commercial success”
Read our review of ‘Into the Blue’
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What we said:
“a middle finger up at the haters”
Read our review of ‘Still Sucks’
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What we said:
“a delicate masterpiece from a songwriter of the highest level”
Read our review of ‘The Hole Around My Head’
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What we said:
“an enjoyable listen and the band clearly still has something to say”
Read our review of ‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’
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What we said:
“up there with the best that Beans On Toast has released”
Read our review of ‘Survival of the Friendliest’
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What we said:
“it really is time to stop being surprised by the quality in this band”
Read our review of ’21st Century Love Songs’
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What we said:
“the extravagance of the band is what makes them great and thankfully their 7th studio album has it in abundance”
Read our review of ‘Motorheart’
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What we said:
“for their tenth album the band has set out to create their masterpiece”
Read our review of ‘Coral Island’
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What we said:
“a strong debut album that lays the foundations of what will likely be a long and successful career”
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What we said:
“this is a stunning pop rock album”
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What we said:
“the album is laced with quality and shows the ease with which AFI are able to produce catchy songs”
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What we said:
“Iron Maiden doing exactly what you’d expect Iron Maiden to do”
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What we said:
“this is very much Numan at the top of his game“
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What we said:
“the signature of a band comfortable in their skin”
Read our review of ‘Pressure Machine’
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What we said:
“the very thing that identifies their sound is their lack of boundaries, their quirkiness and willingness to experiment”
Read our review of ‘The Myth of the Happily Ever After’
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What we said:
“well crafted and superbly delivered album that is well worth your time and attention”
Read our review of ‘A Matter of Life & Love’
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The quality of this year’s releases has been truly phenomenal as our opening 30 albums attests. The competition is extremely tight for the coveted top spot and that is clear throughout the prestigious Top 20 that follows.
What we said:
“a sublime collection of upbeat, heartfelt and powerful songs that is bound to be stuck on repeat for the foreseeable future”
Read our review of ‘A Funeral For Youth’
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What we said:
“The Pretty Reckless have solidified themselves in the upper echelons of Hard Rock”
Read our review of ‘Death by Rock and Roll’
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What we said:
“you are fully absorbed by the mix of heavy hooks and catchy sing-a-long pop vocals”
Read our review of ‘Dark & Beautiful Secrets’
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What we said:
“Trash Boat have delivered their best work yet and they appear ready to lead the charge for British rock”
Read our review of ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’
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What we said:
“there are moments of grandeur that harness the bands expansive sound spread throughout”
Read our review of ‘The Greatest Mistake of My Life’
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What we said:
“the album attacks your senses and gets your feet stomping and your head banging”
Read our review of ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’
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What we said:
“Trivium have well and truly earned their place at the top table of metal”
Read our review of ‘In the Court of the Dragon’
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What we said:
“a stunning release from a band assumedly at the peak of their powers”
Read our review of ‘American Noir’
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What we said:
“there is a real good mix of sounds on this album which together encompass Kennedy’s various alter egos”
Read our review of ‘The Ides of March’
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What we said:
“the power of this album doesn’t just lie with Bennett of course and the rest of the band have summoned even more power and majesty then before”
Read our review of ‘The Hope List’
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What we said:
“the album really feels like a love letter to both the bands own history and the music of those that influenced the members”
Read our review of ‘Medicine at Midnight’
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What we said:
“an album packed with rock club dancefloor fillers, designed to get you moving”
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What we said:
“there are grandiose ambitions spread throughout the album with the band obviously striving for more”
Read our review of ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’
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What we said:
“IDLES continue to be one of the most exciting and vital bands around”
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What we said:
“an album of pure, unadulterated, adrenaline-filled pop rock pleasure”
Read our review of ‘Amazing Things’
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What we said:
“Press To MECO have always had a knack for creating ferocious yet catchy songs and this album is packed full of tasty rifftastic bangers”
Read our review of ‘Transmute’
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What we said:
“the band are still able to mix catchy pop melodies with hard hitting beats to create a sound equally at home in front of mosh pits and dancefloors”
Read our review of ‘Seize the Power’
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What we said:
“the duo however manage to amplify these electronic elements without losing their rock attitude and resonance”
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What we said:
“a rare talent that have now reinforced their passion and ability to create great music for anybody who wants to listen but without concession on their vision”
Read our review of ‘Written & Directed’
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What we said:
“this record feels like it comes from a band at the peak of their powers, but knowing this group, they will still have plenty more to come”
Read our review of ‘Blue Weekend’
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Well there you have it! What a truly magnificent year for new music 2021 has been. What will 2022 have in store? Remember to discover the best new acts by following our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist’!
Stay tuned for our 2021 Year in Review coming very soon.
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Ricky Warwick
When Life Was Hard And Fast
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Ricky Warwick – When Life Was Hard And Fast – Album Review
Over the course of his career Ricky Warwick has kept himself very busy. Warwick has a CV boasting the likes of The Almighty, Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy among others. He has also found time for a prolific solo career when not otherwise occupied.
There have been times when Warwick has found himself disillusioned by music and his solo work has provided new focus. Since the inception of Black Star Riders however, Warwick is a man on a mission, fully rejuvenated and in love with music.
That trademark passion is found in abundance on ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’, the latest solo effort from Warwick. From the opening title track through ‘You Don’t Love Me’ and ‘I’d Rather Be Hit’ it’s already clear that this is Warwick at his very best.
Listen to ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ on our Spotify Hot List!
‘Gunslinger’ and ‘Never Corner A Rat’ keep the engine roaring as the album attacks your senses and gets your feet stomping and your head banging. Pandemic allowing, Warwick is due to tour this album with his own backing group ‘The Fighting Hearts’. Listening to these songs really whets the appetite for what will surely be a great tour.
As well as the hard rocking side of Warwick, the album also dabbles with his softer acoustic past. The beautiful ‘Time Don’t Seem To Matter’ adding a little melancholy to the middle of the album. That’s before ‘Fighting Heart’ and ‘I Don’t Feel At Home’ pick up the pace again and show a little more sheen.
‘Still Alive’ however is straight back to the classic hard rock sound that Warwick has perfected. It is then down to ‘Clown of Misery’ and ‘You’re My Rock ‘N Roll’ to close out the album and showcase the depth of talent that Warwick possesses.
Certain releases include a bonus album of covers – ‘Stairwell Troubadour’ which is also fantastic. The covers chosen are at times surprising, but they are a real treat. If you ever wanted to hear Warwick cover artists as diverse as Britney Spears and Iron Maiden, track this deluxe version down!
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Read our review of ‘Death by Rock and Roll’ by The Pretty Reckless