PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Just one month after the release of their third album – Spirit, Finnish Glam Rock band Reckless Love came over to the UK for a 9 date UK tour. The opening night conveniently (for me) being at Manchester Academy 3. Support came in the form of Australian born Laura Wilde with local support acts on some of the tour dates.
Manchester based Heavy Rock band Hell to Pay were a, late but, welcome addition to the Manchester show. Melodic riffs in abundance and catchy lyrics, a great act to start, not only the night but, the UK tour. Being local I’ve seen these guys several times and today they were on top form. Judgement Day came all to soon – the last song and title track from their new album. I collared bass player Stu afterwards and asked how it felt to get this opening support slot – ‘Awesome, it was a privilege to be asked’
Set List : Blown it all away / Devil in me / Burn me alive / Touch it / Pain in the future / Judgement day
Band Members : Dan Martin – Guitar and Lead Vocals / Dario Nikzad – Guitar / Stu Robertson – Bass / Tom Henstock – Drums
Links: –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellto.pay.7?fref=ts
Website: http://www.helltopayband.co.uk/
Next came Laura Wilde. Originally from Melbourne in Australia, Laura now lives in Los Angeles and arrived in Manchester after a ten-hour flight and 4 hour road trip. Playing mostly material from her album Sold My Soul, released in 2012. The title track reminded me a little of T Rex’s 20 Century Boy. Angel and For You were two good rocking tracks with some great riffs. Laura’s entertaining to watch, acting out the words with hand gestures and facial expressions, where she could, and a few sexy pouts thrown in for good measure. The set also included a very reasonable cover of (arguably the greatest Aussie Rock band ever) AC/DC’s Jailbreak. With her long blonde hair, fantastic figure and megawatt smile Laura looks to have it all. She’s a singer, songwriter plays both guitar and bass and for a time was a TV Presenter and she’s still only 23. The (Rock) World is her oyster.
I caught up with Laura briefly at the merchandise stand and asked how she felt her first gig on this tour had gone – ‘Amazing, definitely worth the trip’. Laura took the time to chat to fans personally, pose for photos and sign albums (as did opening act Hell to Pay) not only lovely to look at but a lovely, warm person too.
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurawildemusic
Website: http://www.laurawilde.com/
Sold My Soul may be purchased via Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sold-My-Soul-Explicit/dp/B006WXR1CY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381074772&sr=8-1&keywords=laura+wilde+sold+my+soul
At last the band we (women) had all been waiting for! Reckless Love stormed on to the stage to the pounding beat of Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back in Town. All in sexy black leather and wearing enough make-up to keep Boots in business for a year! The gorgeous drummer Mr Hessu Maxx immediately removed his jacket to reveal his naked top half and sat on his drumming stool! From that moment on I knew I was going to enjoy the show! The Topless Pirate! Captain H Sparrow?
Very appropriately the band launched straight into So Happy I Could Die! Olli let out a blood curdling scream. Just one problem his voice sounded a bit hoarse and he wasn’t quite reaching his usual ear-splitting levels! It sounded like he was going down with, or just recovering from, a bad cold! However he still managed lots of energetic high kicks, head banging and spins a disco queen would have been proud of. He was certainly covering every available inch of that stage.
Next came Bad Loving with hair flying and pouting to the na na nas! Then On the Radio with a fair few cock thrusts. Then Olli, Pepe and Jalle removed their leather jackets to lots of wild applause! Olli looked very fetching in a bright pink skeleton t-shirt, he’s the ultimate pretty boy of Rock! Similar in style to a younger Dave Lee Roth. They went on to play most of the tracks from the album Spirit and a few extras like Beautiful Bomb. The audience was having a great time – waving along in unison to Edge of Our Dreams and jumping up and down to Born to Break You Heart. The penultimate song to the main set list being Sex, Drugs and Reckless Love (Ooh – the thought!) before finishing off with Hessu putting on the jungle drums for Night On Fire and plenty of stick twirling! Pepe and Jalle both play well and pose for the crowd. For some reason (and I cannot think why) Olli thought the crowd wanted him to remove his vest and kindly obliged so we now had two gorgeous topless Rock Gods on stage and I was feeling a little giddy! Thanks goodness it was the last song or I may not have been in a fit state to make notes!
The audience had certainly enjoyed the show and were calling for more! Reckless Love obliged and came back to give us little more. This time Olli was in a very tight black vest – which didn’t stay on for long. We got two more songs Hot with the audience joining in to sing along and the very last song Animal Attraction and a finish bang on 10.30. They played for an hour. A shame they didn’t manage to fit in a couple more of their great album tracks like Badass and Back to Paradise but, apart from Olli’s voice not sounding his best, it was a really rocking, entertaining show. It’s not easy to reschedule a tour and disappoint fans so good on Olli for going on with the show and a little hoarseness in places didn’t ruin a really Fun (with a capital F) show! There’s still time to see them on the following dates:-
October 8 – NORWICH Waterfront Studio
October 9 – BRISTOL The Fleece
October 10 – LONDON O2 Academy Islington
Set List: So Happy I Could Die / Bad Loving / On The Radio / Born to Break Your Heart / Beautiful Bomb / Dying to Live / Edge of our Dreams / I Love Heavy Metal / Runaway Love / Sex, Drugs and Reckless Love /
Night on Fire / Hot / Animal Attraction
Band Members: Olli Herman – Vocals / Pepe – Guitar / Jalle Verne – Bass / Hessu Maxx – Drums
Links: –
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RecklessLove
Website – http://www.recklesslove.com/
Spirit may be purchased on Amazon here – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spirit-Reckless-Love/dp/B00DVH4AB4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381069899&sr=8-1&keywords=reckless+love
(Footnote – I also saw Reckless Love at The Met in Leeds on Friday 4th October. Not as a reviewer just as a lunatic fan! Good job I wasn’t reviewing because I rolled up at The Cockpit only to find the gig had moved to The Met and by the time I got there I’d already missed a couple of Reckless Love’s songs! I’m pleased to report that Olli’s voice sounded much better and I managed to get far better pictures so the Reckless Love pictures featured are from Leeds and not Manchester)
