Michael Schenker Fest - Thursday 2nd November - Shepherds Bush Empire

One Line Review: Weakest show I have been to this year. Crowd seemed lacklustre and it only really got going for the extended encore. He can certainly play guitar though!

Setlist
Searching for Freedom
Into the Arena
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie [Gary Barden on vocals]
Victim of Illusion Gary Barden on vocals]
Cry for the Nations [Gary Barden on vocals]
Attack of the Mad Axeman [Gary Barden on vocals]
Armed and Ready [Gary Barden on vocals]
Coast to Coast 
Desert Song [Graham Bonnet on vocals, mike failure near end of song]
Dancer [Graham Bonnet on vocals, assisted by Barden and Mcauley]
Assault Attack [Graham Bonnet on vocals]
Captain Nemo 
No Time for Losers [Robin McAuley on vocals]
Save Yourself Robin McAuley on vocals]
Bad Boys [Robin McAuley on vocals]
Love Is Not a Game [Robin McAuley on vocals]
Rock Bottom [Robin McAuley on vocals]
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Doctor Doctor [McAuley, Bonnet and Barden on vocals]
Shoot Shoot [McAuley and Barden on vocals]
Natural Thing [McAuley and Barden on vocals, with Tyson Schenker on guitar]
Lights Out [McAuley, Bonnet and Barden on vocals]

Graham Bonnet - Monday 1st December - O2 Academy 2, Islington

A return trip for me to Graham Bonnet and a new venue! The O2 Academy TWO! I'd only been in "one" previously.

So, I'm going to start with a moan. It's a Monday night. Why have 2 support acts on? Why have the headliner not come on until 10pm? Why only play for an hour? If you are playing for an hour, why include a cover and a ****ing drum solo? Why have to cut songs out of your set to accommodate the above?

Rant over. I'm probably just upset I didn't get to hear "Night Games". What we heard was good. We even got a 2nd Rainbow singer as Doogie White guested on "Since You Been Gone". It just could and should have been so much better (and longer).

Setlist
All Night Long 
Love's No Friend 
Makin' Love 
Bad Girl 
Always Be There 
Eight Days a Week 
The Witchwood 
Mirror Lies 
Seven Deadly Sins (Drum and guitar solos)
Since You Been Gone (With Doogie White)
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Lost in Hollywood

Graham Bonnet - Wednesday 19th March - The Garage, Islington

A relative rarity for me these days - a headline act who I have not seen before. Sold on the premise that there was likely to be mainly Rainbow material played, this looked like it may be a nice evening out. And so it proved. Whilst not the most celebrated of the Rainbow vocalists, Graham fronted a solid set - with a backing band who had apparently only had 20 minutes rehearsal. I gather he'd flown in from LA - makes you wonder if the band were a sort of Rainbow / Deep Purple tribute band? Would their vocalist then get upset? They were certainly more than adequate in any case.

Mr Bonnet has quite a distinctive style - not sure I've ever seen a rock vocalist open their mouth so wide. Hardcore Rainbow fans tell me the material he sang on his only album with the band wasn't the best, but here all sounded fine and there were a few "favourites" thrown in for good measure - some of which he didn't sing on the original records.

Venue was a bit busier than anticipated - over half full and the show was good enough to make us book up for the next leg of the tour down the road in December. Maybe the set may have expanded by then.

Setlist
Eyes of the World
Love's No Friend
Since You Been Gone
Bad Girl
Makin' Love
Keyboard solo [Temple of the King / Tarot Woman (intro) / Toccato and Fugue / Mr. Crowley / Perfect Strangers]
Kill The King [Instrumental Version]
Drum solo
Catch the Rainbow
All Night Long
Lost in Hollywood
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Long Live Rock And Roll