Thin Lizzy Review

Review- Thin Lizzy, York Barbican, 24.01.2012

It was loud, very loud. Thin Lizzy have a new lease of life in the post Lynott and Moore days which many fans may not have expected but would have certainly hoped for. The old stagers, Scott Gorham and Brian Downey gave the authentic feel but new members on guitar, vocals and keyboard gave a different edge to the classic Lizzy rock anthems. The support bands, Triggerfinger and Clutch worked hard to warm up the crowd made up of hardcore fans and those who had the band on their ‘see them before they die’ list. The age range was easily from mid teens to late sixty somethings but then Thin Lizzy have a musical timeline from when the retirees were but in their twenties and at the height of their spending powers and rocking years. In a smaller venue like York Barbican the stage show was overpowering with a neon logo backdrop, strobes and lasers cutting through the dry ice haze. The band came on to ‘Are you ready’ piledriving with the lead, rhythm and bass riffs. Ricky Warwick would always be put up against Lynott in vocal and stage presence. With guitar in hand he actually assumed the role of a combined Lynott and Moore with ease and total acceptance by the singalong crowd. The follow on included ‘Jailbreak’, ‘Killer on the loose’ and then the pocket rocket of ‘Don’t believe a word’ which is perfection in song and in about 2 minutes 28 seconds. Hit after hit had the place resonating and with the soundwaves causing many a flared trouser to vibrate in time especially up in the cheaper balcony seats. Downey was let loose with a drum solo and the keyboard player did a bit of a wakeman very much in 70’s style. The solo ability of the guitarists was immense, very much a who’s who of talent drawn from great bands such as Guns ‘n’ Roses , Whitesnake and Ted Nugent and Gorham dressed in jeans and granddad shirt controlled it all setting off on ripping riffs as though he was a youngster. ‘Whiskey in the Jar’ was sung by the residents of York as though they were Dubliners and ‘The Cowboy Song’ was dedicated to much missed absent friends. The demand for an encore was unanimous through the venue as the band had shown true commitment to their history but also a firm intention to keep the sounds fresh and alive. There may be new material to look forward to which will be received with great interest and certainly not out of place with the new crop of Supergroups and the renaissance of the classic rock and metal bands from the last four decades. It was hard to believe that this was the first time ever that York and Thin Lizzy had joined forces.