Sunday 22 September 2025

Sunday 22 September 2024. ZEAL & ARDOR live at Shepherds Bush Empire. Swiss avante-garde metal band Zeal & Ardor are back with their fourth studio album GREIF, named after a mythical hybrid creature. This show is their only UK show , which comes at the end of their European Tour. They head to USA and Canada for gigs in Nov/Dec 2024. I only know them from a good review they got from Bloodstock Festival , UK in 2023. -------------------- Lots of folks in black goth/metal clothing tonight. Level 3 is closed tonight, but all other levels are full. This means more folks here than The Dead Daisies three band rock package the night before. Two band names beginning with Z gave the impression it was gonna be a ' Zany ' evening. ZETRA arrived on stage at 7.30pm for their 40 mins. A male and female in long black coats and wearing face paint , with each standing on a podium.One plays keyboards and one plays guitar and they use tapes for the drums...A decent enough set of industrial goth. ZEAL & ARDOR arrived on stage at 8.30pm and played for just 80 mins. There is six of them on stage , which includes the main singer-guitarist and two backing vocals.There are tons of lights and strobes. There is serious moshing and banging of heads, when the band are at their best when full tilt for their crunching black metal riffs. When the house lights go up after just 80 mins, the crowd shout out loud boos, and stamp their feet and chant " one more song" , " one more song" for a full five minutes but the band never came back on. A pretty good show overall. ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Saturday 21 September 2024. THE DEAD DAISIES live at Shepherds Bush Empire. Hard rock band The Dead Daisies are heading out on their ‘Light ‘Em Up’ UK & European Tour to celebrate their latest album of the same name. I have seen them a few times since 2013, including when Glenn Hughes was in the band. Current band members are.... David Lowy John Corabi ( back for a second stint as vocalist ) Doug Aldrich Michael Devin Tommy Clufetos A nice three rock bands package, with support from THE TREATMENT who are promoting their sixth album ' Wake Up The Neighbourhood' and the hotly tipped for success THE BITES, who are a Hollywood-based rock band who transport hard rock and hair metal from the '80s and bring it into the 2020s. They are promoting their debut album ' Squeeze'. -------------------- Levels 2 and 3 are closed, but other two levels are full. THE BITES on at 7.45pm for 30 mins. They played good catchy uptempo rock n roll. A lively entertaining singer , with simple lyrics in the mould of Poison and Motley Crue, and they did a Black Sabbath cover. THE TREATMENT on at 8.30pm for 40 mins. They played a good solid set of rock tunes. Some nice twin guitars dueling away. THE DEAD DAISIES on at 9.30pm for 90 mins. They have a lovely big screen showing pre-recorded images and videos Plenty of great vocals, guitar playing and drums . They all look like proper rock stars. A good choice of cover versions. A really enjoyable three rock bands tonight. Full DEAD DAISIES setlist played tonight .. Light 'Em Up Rise Up Dead and Gone Make Some Noise I Wanna Be Your Bitch Unspoken Bustle and Flow Lock 'n' Load I'm Gonna Ride Born to Fly Take a Long Line (The Angels cover) Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap / Seven Nation Army / Children of the Grave / Whole Lotta Love / Join Together (Band introductions featuring snippets of above songs) I'm Ready ( Muddy Waters cover) Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover) Mexico Midnight Moses (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band cover) Encore: Long Way to Go Helter Skelter ( The Beatles cover)

Posted 22nd September 2024