PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
“One Meniketti,theres only one Meniketti”.This chant rang around the room a few times during the show as it did when Y&T played here exactly a year ago.The Academy 3 was full then and also last Sunday.They are still touring on the back of the excellent Facemelter album but surely a band of this pedigree should be in larger venues.I would guess there were about 200 here,i’ve been told about 800 the night before in Nottingham but only about 70 a few days before in Edinburgh!The touring line up is the same as last year,Brad Lang still on bass duties,filling in for the sadly departed Phil Kennemore who passed away after battling lung cancer in January this year.
I was fortunate to be at Phil’s last UK appearance with Y&T at the Download Festival in 2010.A fantastic set even tho they were on the 3rd stage below Skin,Michael Monroe and only allowed 40mins!Shocking!!Right,on with the show.Pardon the pun but that was the opening number in Manchester taken from the Facemelter album.The volume was as loud as it was last year and my ears are still ringing 3 days later but a small price to pay to see Y&T up close.
The 2 and a half hour set on Sunday was mainly based on the 1981/1982 releases Earthshaker/Black Tiger and the current Facemelter album.It really was a fan’s dream set.Dave mentioned that later on in the tour that they would be playing Earthshaker in its entirety but not this night but even tho they played 6 tracks tonight they played a few verses off the rest of the album to keep the crowd happy.A very poignant moment came when Dave introduced If You Want Me from Facemelter.He said a few words on his 37yr friendship with Phil Kennemore and how much he loved working on this track with him in the studio.A more upbeat tribute to Phil came when John Nyman took the lead vocal for Squeeze,the track which Phil sang on the Earthshaker album and John was asking us to make enough noise so Phil could hear us in heaven!
Highlight of the set for me,as always,is the stunning I Believe In You featuring one of my favourite guitar solos of all time wrung out from Dave’s old,battle scarred Gibson Les Paul.I wonder at how many hundreds of gigs this guitar has been used?During the 21 song set you cannot ignore the fact that Dave Meniketti is an overlooked guitar hero as well as having a great voice to.At one point in the set,Dave promised that Y&T would return next year,we knew he meant it and it will probably be at this venue for the third year running.Awesome gig,one of my highlights of 2011.
Setlist:-
On With The Show.
Black Tiger.
Dirty Girl.
Dont Be Afraid Of The Dark.
Meanstreak.
Midnight In Tokyo.
Shine On.
If You Want Me.
Blind Patriot.
Knock You Out.
Winds Of Change.
Eyes Of A Stranger.
Hungry For Rock.
Dont Bring Me Down.
I Bekieve In You.
Hurricane.
Summertime Girls.
Rescue Me.
Squeeze.
I’m Coming Home.
Open Fire.
Shake It Loose/Let Me Go.
Forever.
