The Dead Daisies / Quireboys - Wednesday 10th November - Shepherd's Bush Empire

Brief review:  Managed to bag some promotional free tickets for this one and enjoyed the Quireboys romp though their re-released debut album "A Little Bit Of What You Fancy". In fact, it was basically a setlist from 1990!

I don't know much about the Dead Daisies, but with Glenn Hughes on vocals and Doug Aldrich also in the band, it was a fair guess that there would be some decent rock music performed. And despite not knowing much of the material, in was perfectly enjoyable - maybe not quite enough to make me rush out and buy their albums, but I wouldn't be adverse to seeing them again. 

Venue and View:  Front left for Quireboys and first half of DD. By the merch desk at the rear after Fortunate Son.

Setlists

[Quireboys]
Misled
Man on the Loose
Long Time Comin'
Whippin' Boy
Hey You
There She Goes Again
I Don't Love You Anymore
Sweet Mary Ann
7 O'Clock

[Dead Daisies]
Unspoken
Rise Up
Dead and Gone
Chosen and Justified
Mexico
Bustle and Flow
Lock 'n' Load
Fortunate Son 
Midnight Moses 
Drum Solo
Mistreated 
My Fate
Leave Me Alone
Saving Grace
Like No Other (Bassline)
Holy Ground (Shake the Memory)
+
Long Way to Go
Burn

SAS Band - Saturday 14th September - Shepherd's Bush Empire

One Liner: Spike's All Star band celebrate their 25th Anniversary. I'm a big fan of the concept, but have to say the guests and the songs they sing are becoming a little familiar.  After a very slow start, things got more energised when Toyah appeared and "surprise" guest Roger Taylor sang some unexpected tunes, but somehow this wasn't as fun as it should have been.

Setlist
The Jam
Don't Stop Me Now (Patti Russo)
Unchain My Heat (Patti Russo with Laurie Wisefield)
Battle Without Honour or Humanity (Hotei)
Freedom in the Dark (Hotei)
Since You Been Gone (Kip Winger with Neil Murray)
I'm in Love With My Car (Kip Winger)
Suffragette City (Toyah)
Sweet Child O' Mine (Toyah / Justin Hawkins)
I Believe in a Thing Called Love (Justin Hawkins)
I Want It All (Justin Hawkins)
For Your Love (Graham Gouldman)
Dreadlock Holiday  (Graham Gouldman)
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Madeline Bell)
Melting Pot (Madeline Bell)
Heroes (Roger Taylor)
Under Pressure (Roger Taylor / Justin Hawkins)
Rock and Roll (Roger Taylor)
29 Riff Overture
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Ensemble)
+
With a Little Help From My Friends (Ensemble)

Mott The Hoople - Friday 26th April - Shepherd's Bush Empire

One Liner: Ian Hunter and the 1974 vintage of 'Hoople including Ariel Bender (Luther Grosvenor) and Morgan Fisher. A nice nostalgic evening with guests Joe Elliot (of course!) and Brian May. Not sure how much of the show Ariel actually played his guitar and couldn't help but feel that Hunter and the backing Rant band were very much holding this together. Can't see them all being fit for action to come around again.

Setlist
American Pie / The Golden Age of Rock 'N' Roll
‪Lounge Lizard ‬
Alice
Honaloochie Boogie
Morgan Fisher piano solo (Prelude #1 in C by J.S.Bach)
Rest in Peace
I Wish I Was Your Mother
Pearl 'n' Roy (England)
Sucker
Sweet Jane 
Rose
Walking With a Mountain
Roll Away the Stone (with Joe Elliott)
Marionette
Jerkin' Crocus / One of the Boys
Medley: Rock 'n Roll Queen / Crash Street Kids /  Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Mean Woman Blues / Johnny B. Goode / Violence / Cleveland Rocks / You Really Got Me
+
Saturday Gigs
All the Way From Memphis (With Brian May)
All the Young Dudes (with Brian May and Joe Elliott)

UFO - Thursday 4th April - Shepherd's Bush Empire

One Liner: UFO's farewell tour after 50 years and as I'd never seen them I thought it was "now or never". And I was impressed. Phil Mogg's vocals were excellent and the band really good. My attention was held even during the many numbers that I didn't know.

I enjoyed it so much more that the "Schenkerfest" last year.


Setlist
Mother Mary
We Belong to the Night
Run Boy Run
Venus
Lights Out
Baby Blue
Only You Can Rock Me
Burn Your House Down
Cherry
Love to Love
Makin' Moves
Too Hot to Handle
Rock Bottom
+
Doctor Doctor
Shoot Shoot

Update: Sadly, guitarist Paul Raymond passed away a week after the show.

Joanne Shaw Taylor - Wednesday 20th March - Shepherd's Bush Empire

One Liner: From the opening bars of the new opener "In The Mood" to the end, this was another high class evening of guitar based rock 'n' blues. Check out her new "Reckless Heart" LP.

Setlist
In the Mood
Creepin'
Let It Burn
Wrecking Ball
The Best Thing
I've Been Loving You Too Long
Dyin' to Know
No Reason to Stay
Time Has Come
New 89
Reckless Heart
Going Home
Bad Love
+
Mud Honey
White Sugar

Gary Moore - Shepherd's Bush Empire - Friday 8th June

I'm sometimes a bit wary of Mr Moore these days as you could get a lot of obscure blues in the set. I needn't have worried as we got a set combining the best of his blues material, with a bit of the "Monsters of Rock" stuff thrown in. Highlight for me was "Don't Believe A Word".