Sebastian Bach & Stormzone
The Garage, Glasgow 13 June 2012
This was a gig we had been looking forward to for a fair while. On arriving at the venue there was a small queue but a real buzz of excitement was present. I heard one lady saying she had waited twenty years for tonight’s show. Doors were supposed to be open at seven, once it got to ten past seven I started to get a bit tetchy, as the last time we had been to see Seb Bach, we were made to wait three and a half hours outside in the cold. Luckily this wasn’t the case this time and we were let in just after seven fifteen.
This was our first time at the Garage although we had tried to get in before about a year ago after an Ill Nino gig, but we weren’t let in because I was jokingly cheeky to one of the doormen. Apparently The Garage is notorious for the hardness and intractability of their security staff. The venue itself is really nice but in the middle of the stage there is a pole supporting the ceiling, which is a bit odd, but more on that later.
Having seen Stormzone supporting Tesla a few years ago, we couldn’t wait to see these Irish rockers again and they were fabulous. The venue had filled up nicely as the band started their set with 'Where We Belong', from their most recent album 'Zero To Rage'. The band were immense and had an amazing stage presence. Lead vocalist Harv Harbinson let loose an evil cackle for the 'Jesters Laughter'.
Harv and in fact the whole band were in scintillating form as they mixed up their set with tracks from their two albums 'Caught in The Act' and 'Zero to Rage'. 'Zero' was delivered with such gusto and had most of the garage punching the air.
Harv's stage banter is spot on and you could see how proud and made up they were to be up on stage supporting such a rock icon as Seb Bach.
This band are amazing to see live. Harv’s vocals are awesome and he is a fantastic frontman. You can see how much these guys enjoy making music. Heads were banged and air was punched as the band played good, old fashioned rock music and they were simply out of this world. Sebastian Bach needed to put on one hell of a show to better their performance tonight.
Stormzone setlist: Where We Belong, Immortals, The Jester’s Laughter, Secret Gateway, Fear Hotel, The Memory Never Dies, Empire Of Fear, Beyond The Grave, Zero To Rage, Wasted Lives, Cuchalainn’s Story, Death Dealer, The Legend Carries On.
Next it was time for Sebastian Bach to take to the stage. Bounding on to the stage the band ripped into 'Slave to the Grind', the floor was packed and the crowd are bouncing, as the metal icon let everyone know he’d arrived and was going to take no prisoners. He then let loose on 'Kicking and Screaming' from his most recent release. Next he stopped to talk to the crowd and can’t believe there’s a pole in the middle of the stage, totally bemused the Canadian rocker hides behind said pole occasionally and causes much hilarity.
Next we were treat to Skid Row classics 'Here I Am' and 'Big Guns', and it just seems unreal that it's twenty five years since these monsters were released on to the unsuspecting public. They intermingle solo offerings with Seb’s Skid Row past very nicely and the whole place was rocking as 'Bitchslap' led us back into Skid Row territory again, with 'Piece of Me' and '18 and Life'.
Both were delivered just like the first time you ever heard them. Totally amazing and his band were as tight as his trousers, as they deliver his previous bands songs.
The dialogue was funny as Bach talks to the audience about Black Pudding and renaming 'American Metalhead' 'Scottish Metalhead'. Necks were strained and horns held high as we were taken on a journey of metal madness.
Next was the slower and anthemic 'As Long As I Got The Music', where Bach brought his versatility to the fore. Super skinny guitarist Nick Sterling was at the fore of some stage banter, as Bach offered a free t-shirt to anyone who brought Nick a cheeseburger after the gig as he needed fattening up!
Personal favourite 'Monkey Business' is unleashed and a maelstrom of heads is banged and the lyrics screeched back at the band from the adoring crowd. 'I’m Alive' from the bands most recent video is played and leads nicely into 'I Remember You'. Still an amazing song which was delivered with such powerful vocals and got a huge roar of approval. Now we all knew what was coming next, as Sebastian Bach showed us the tattoo 'Youth Gone Wild' and we sure did. Although we may no longer be youths, in our metal hearts we will always be!
So with that they left the stage to a huge cheer. Now after everyone’s sweated and rocked out, we all head to the bar only to be told its stopped serving?!? It's ten thirty! Bizarre! The lads from Stormzone are there and we stop for a chat with the lads, only for the very pushy security men to start pushing people out of the venue. Incredibly while I am talking to Harv a security man was trying to push myself and
the lead singer out of the venue! Crazy …!
Anyway back to the performance, it was totally totally amazing and having seen Bach three times now, this was the best ever and probably one of my favourite gigs as well. Stormzone were totally phenomenal and Sebastian Bach and band were out of this world.
The next day I was surprised and totally disgusted that Stormzone had been thrown off the tour by Sebastian Bach himself, for reasons unknown at the moment. The worst thing is the fact that the band had traveled down to London from Glasgow and were only told after they had arrived. Totally shocked and gutted for the lads and very disappointed in Seb Bach. It is hard to bare when your idols fail to meet your expectations and I will try and remember the Seb Bach I came to know as a lad and not what I now find him to be.
Review and photo's by: Seb Di Gatto & Alison Bear
