Vol. 52
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All đ¸ (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, âWhen Life Was Hard and Fastâ. 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That is until now, as with restrictions withdrawn Warwick and his band The Fighting Hearts are able to hit the road once again and tonight they find themselves at The Waterfront Studio in Norwich.
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 âWhite Crowâ and âCrack My Soulâ.
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 theyâd 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 âRunning For My Lifeâ and âJust A Rideâ remind of just how good this band are.
Itâs not long thereafter that Eminemâs iconic âLose Yourselfâ blasts out and Ricky Warwick and The Fighting Hearts grace the stage. They burst straight into life with âGunslingerâ, âOver the Edgeâ and âThe Road to Damascus Streetâ riling the audience up.
As if fronting The Almighty, Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders wasnât enough, Warwick has also established a successful solo career over the years. This was punctuated last year with the release of âWhen Life Was Hard and Fastâ. Tonightâs show is a mixture of each aspect of this unlikely career, including the likes of âJailbreakâ and âFinest Hourâ from âthe day jobâ as Warwick terms it.
Read our review of ‘When Life Was Hard and Fast’
Whilst these big hitters a natural highlights, itâs telling that the true highlights come from âWhen Life Was Hard and Fastâ including the title track, âYouâre My Rock ânâ Rollâ and âStill Aliveâ. 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 itâs âFree ânâ Easyâ that brings the evening to a close; a thoroughly enjoyable evening of the hard rock majesty that weâve missed these past couple of years.
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Watch out The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests The Treatment