With Christmas just around the corner, what better way to spend an evening than getting into the party spirit with Slade? Plenty of foot stomping, hand clapping and football terrace chanting to get the cockles well and truly warmed.
With Noddy Holder and Jim Lea long retired it is now down to guitarist Dave Hill, he of the fringe, bacon foil suit and huge platform boots and Don Powell to fly the Slade flag except, on entering the stage for “Take Me Bak ‘Ome”, Don Powell was surprisingly absent. It later transpired that a leg injury had kept him off the drum stool for the duration of the tour.
After that initial shock Slade settled in to deliver a rambunctious night of bawdy Rock ‘n’ Roll sing-a-longs from “Look Wot You Dun”, “Run Run Away”, “Far Far Away”, “Coz I Luv You” and “Gudbuy T’ Jane” and plenty of other songs with crazy names that’d drive the spellchecker to drink.
Dave Hill may now be the elder statesman of Glam Rock but he’s lost none of his sparkle as he took centre stage for pretty much the whole of the night, beaming like a Cheshire cat reminding everyone that music is meant to be fun and judging by the reaction of the crowd to every single song, they were right behind him.
Noddy Holder may well be long gone but bassist John Berry and newcomer Russell Keefe between them ensured that the Holder Holler and the Slade sound was authentically recreated.
Digging into the archives for “Lock Up Your Daughters”, from their 80s black leather phase and “The Bangin’ Man”, a 7” single in the UK and featured on the American version of the Slade In Flame soundtrack, kept the old Glamsters happy.
Of course, “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” and the arm waving “My Oh My” had the crowd on the boil for the final pairing of the Quiet Riot approved banger, “Cum On Feel The Noize” and what else but “Merry Xmas Everybody” complete with Santa hats and a barrel load of festive spirit.
Review and Photos By Mick Burgess
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