Reckless Love Review, Academy 3, Manchester 28th November 2011.

 

Reviewed by Lara Kisel and pictures courtesy of John McGibbon Photography.

I have always said I was born in the wrong era. I should of the lived the eighties and by Jesus! I lived the eighties tonight.  Reckless Love had a great turnout, however it wasn’t crowded but the atmosphere from their fans created the feeling of an over flowing venue.

What a legendary opening, after interviewing them they declared the ‘boys are back in town!’ So what song was played upon them entering the stage? The one, the only song it could be ‘The Boys are Back in Town’ by Thin Lizzy.

The crowds were roaring ‘Reckless Love…Reckless Love’ I felt the urge to scream as much as them. They kicked of the night with their brand new single ‘Animal Attraction’. As the intro began everyone was ready to come in with ‘On the beach in the sunshine weather…’ but Olli’s vocals were not heard, as the microphone had not been turned on. A silly mistake made, but one the audience was not going to let ruin their Reckless Love experience.

For their fashion I give them top marks, tight velvet pants, Motley Crue tops, jeans, shades and of course the hair. A band who take their look seriously. Even some of the audience decided to be inspired by 80s fashion, hell even I had snakeskin leggings on.

Olli’s impressive vocals are reminiscent of David Lee Roth in his prime, with an ego that shows that this isn’t the first time this comparison has been made.

During the second song ‘Speedin’ Olli removed his overly massive sunglasses, revealing his face, making women of all ages scream. He is a front man that never fails to entertain with his eccentric poses and energetic style.

Each member of the group had their time to shine. Pepe’s solos were an intense mixture of finger tapping and high frequency feedback, generating amazement from the viewers. His whopping solo came after their big hit ‘Romance’ demonstrating his gift of musicianship.

For all you Mancunians out there you will be please to know that Olli, when introducing their single ‘Hot’, mentioned that we gave the warmest welcome so far in their tour. So warm that we made it hot!

“So who is 18 here?’ inquired Olli… “Ahh so you don’t know how to f**k yet!”

Pepe replied “well we are here to teach you”

The build-up they had created for ‘Sex/Fantasy’ turned into a Spinal Tap moment, where drums could not kick start the next song due to faulty equipment. Well I guess these things happen when you party and play as much as these guys. This did nothing to damage their reputation but enhance the humor within their performance.

After a few moments the show went on with the same force and power it did at the beginning, nothing can bring their spirits down. They ended the set with ‘Wild Touch’, knowing full well it would leave the audience wanting more.

The encore involved Hessu Maxx giving us a pelting drum solo, bringing on Jalle and Pepe, whilst knocking back a bottle of Jager. Pepe opened with the rift to ‘Switch Blade Babe’ which presented Olli to the stage, having changed into a Def Leppard top.

Following after ‘One more Time’ and then ‘Beautiful Bomb’. Olli gave us his signature move by ripping his top off and throwing it to the audience. There was one extremely lucky girl in the audience tonight!

Seeing Reckless Love live is a truly hypnotic experience, guaranteed to get you moving. Tonight was the most exciting gig I have been to this year. [10/10]

Reviewed by Lara Kisel and pictures courtesy of John McGibbon Photography.

 

About Del Preston

So there I am, in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, at about 3 o'clock in the morning, looking for one thousand brown M&Ms to fill a brandy glass, or Ozzy wouldn't go on stage that night. So, Jeff Beck pops his head 'round the door, and mentions there's a little sweet shop on the edge of town. So - we go. And - it's closed. So there's me and Keith Moon and David Crosby, breaking into that little sweet shop, eh. Well, instead of a guard dog, they've got this bloody great big Bengal tiger. I managed to take out the tiger with a can of mace, but the shop owner and his son, that's a different story altogether. I had to beat them to death with their own shoes. Nasty business really. But sure enough, I got the M&Ms and Ozzy went on stage and did a great show.