PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Tonight The Alarm played the Brudenell Social Club with support from Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts and Julia Othmer.
Julia Othmer, a one-woman show with her piano, and all the way from sunny California opens tonight’s show.
With sultry gravelly vocals Julia tell’s stories on how her songs came to fruition. Covering House of the Rising Sun, she writhes’ like a snake whilst playing the piano and captivates the awaiting fans with her charismatic voice. I think she’s quite enamored with Yorkshire and raises a glass to us Yorkshire folk. With, an album out in the New Year or if you can’t wait that long, advanced copies are available at the end of the gig. Playing out with a song called Frigging awesome, the crowd banter the words ‘Frigging Awesome’ back and forth, there’s nothing better than getting some angst out to warm yourself up for the next main support act Ryan Hamilton and The Harlequin Ghosts.
Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts are no stranger to the Brudenell,
Having, played last month during their own headlining tour. In case you’re not familiar with Ryan Hamilton, he’s from Texas and his band are UK based. Launching straight into their set it’s interesting to see them as a support act as they have the quality to headline but touring with such a great band like the Alarm will obviously expose them to a wider audience. Packing in eight songs, from the catchy Records and Needles Ryan banters with the fans throughout, you can’t help feeling captivated by his vocals and his friendliness towards to his audience, even his sarcasm is warming. Finishing with a Freak Flag, during which Ryan says to the fans ‘you guys have probably been following the Alarm since the 80s?’ as they cleverly master in their cover of Paula Abdul’s ‘Straight up’ the B-side to their single Bottoms Up here’s to goodbye, we even get treated to a couple of bars of The Alarm classic ‘Rain in the Summertime’ before they rewind and get their Freak Flag back on! You’ve got to watch out for more from these guys in 2019, as there’s nothing better than a band leaving you on a rock and roll high, feeling full of positive energy.
The Alarm has stood the testament of time
Originally a punk band the Welsh rockers broke up in the ’90s but singer Mike Peter’s continued to work as a solo artist before reconstructing The Alarm in 2000. And here we are tonight with a set list that I peeked at before the show and oh what a setlist, it’s like a greatest hits for me, personally, when I used to listen to the band back in my teens I never thought that all my favourite songs could end up in tonight’s show .
With a delicate backing track of piano, and the crowd chanting ‘Whoa, whoa’ the legendary Mike Peters welcomes the crowd as he takes to the stage playing his harmonica, leading into a Blaze of Glory. Despite the years that have passed since the songs were created Peters’ still has that magical allure and an edginess that you either possess or don’t! Like carrying a torch through time, he definitely has the strength, energy and passion for all the songs old and new. There are lots of whoa’s, whoa’s, throughout the show. As classics like Rescue Me and Rain in the Summertime, are played, Peter’s alternates between three mikes stands, singing to the left, right and middle of the audience, so everyone gets a good performance from the front man.
During tonight’s show, Peters’ pays homage to the memory of Pete Shelly of The Buzzcocks, as he recalls the time they first met during Top of The Tops back in 1996, telling dressing room stories. Clapping hands, the crowd goes on a sing-a-long frenzy at Spirit of 76’ and the infamous 68 guns receives the same response.
Ending on a high Mike Peter’s invites Ryan Hamilton to the stage to Get down and Get with it, made famous by the band Slade. The twosome has the crowd rocking and a rolling and everyone’s feeling alright to this bluesy number, keep on rocking we will!!
If you get the chance to see these bands, including the lovely Julia, you should add them to your 2019 gig list!
SETLIST for the ALARM – https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-alarm/2018/the-brudenell-leeds-england-3b94b8e0.html
