Thunder Colston Hall Bristol 16-02-16

After yet more traffic issues arrived as King King were into their first song of the night and it became apparent straight away that this 3 band package was going to be special.

King King played a 30 minute 6 song set with the primary focus on 2015's stunning Reach For The Light cd with 5 songs played.
Here is what the played.

More Than I Can Take
Waking Up
Hurricane
Rush Hour
Crazy
Stranger To Love

Stage centre Alan Nimmo on vocals and guitar and resplendent in a kilt was just fantastic.On cd his vocals are superb I have to say live they were even better.Like velvet and equally adept on the harder rocking Hurricane or the slower Rush Hour.His guitar playing too is exemplary and how he shifts from riffing to soloing was effortless.
Backed up by Lindsay Coulson on bass,Wayne Proctor on drums and Bob Fridzema who played some stunning Hammond organ giving the music a real depth.

The 30 minutes went past in a flash and they left to a standing ovation which was fully justified.Catch them with Dan Patlansky in May I will.

Next up was Terrorvision who played a 45 minute 13 song set of pure fun and joy an dthe world was a better place and warmer too.
Here is what they played.

Discotheque Wreck
Pretend Best Friend
Celebrity Hit List
D'Ya Wanna Go Faster
My House
Middleman
Josephine
Some People Say
Babylon
Oblivion
Bad Actress
Alice What's The Matter
Perseverance

Tony Wright is a ball of energy and doesn't stop for 45 minutes while imploring the crowd to give their all at every opportunity.
Ably backed by Mark Yates on guitar,Leigh Marklew on bass,Cameron Greenwood on drums and Milton Evans on keyboards the whole band are very tight considering the lack of touring recently.

We got all the hits Discotheque Wreck,Pretend,My House,Celebrity,Josephine,Alice and of course Perseverance which finished it off leaving Bristol a bouncing arm waving sweaty mess.
Superb and the band will be back on the road in November playing all of their 1996 album Regular Urban Survivors in full.
Don't miss it we won't.

Not many bands on earth could follow that with effortless ease but we are talking something special with Thunder who return to the UK after last March's 3 dates and from the word go we are treated to a 100 minute spectacular of old and new.
Here is what they played.

Wonder Days
Black Water
River Of Pain
Resurrection Day
Like A Satellite
The Devil Made Me Do It
Empty City
Backstreet Symphony
I'll Be Waiting
Thing I Want
When The Music Play
Love Walked In
I Love You More Than Rock N Roll
Encores of
Serpentine
Dirty Love

With a great light rig and superb sound we managed to get a couple from the front and just revel in the majesty of Thunder.
Danny Bowes is one of the UK's finest voices and front men and to think he went off to be a booking agent a few years ago.What a loss that would be?

He never stopped his manic dad dancing and implored Bristol to empty their lungs at every opportunity over and over again.His vocals were nothing short of breath taking too,

Brilliant to see Luke Morley at close quarters and his guitar work was superb.Whether riffing or adding textures he never stops and his extended soloing on Empty City was show stopping.

Wonderful to see Ben Matthews looking so well and he impressed on second guitar,keys when required and backing vocals too.


The rhythm team of Chris Childs on bass and the much loved Harry James on drums are so dependable and the crowd gave out their love to Harry on two occasions.He loved it.

Last year's superb Wonder Days cd was mined with 6 tracks played.All are born to be played live with Black Water,my favourite Resurrection Day and the rarely played Serpentine all chorus riff and attitude.They have the feel of songs from their past but brought into the now.


River Of Pain was class personified and Like a Satellite was joyously received with the opening part sang by Danny alone which had the hairs on the back of the neck standing to attention before the band kicked in midway and brought it all crashing in.

The epic Empty City rose from a Ben keyboard start through Danny's impassioned vocal through to a full band work out and back with Luke's extended guitar solo top notch.

Backstreet Symphony was greeted as it should be with a huge crowd vocal and from the smiles on the bands faces they got as much out of it as we did.

I'll Be Waiting had another superb Danny vocal and showed the band are masters at building songs with some of my beloved light and space.

Same with Love Walked In another master class in pacing and Danny's vocal prowess.

Before we know it we are into a lengthy extended Dirty Love with Danny fully in charge of proceedings and the whole of the Colston Hall is an arm waving bouncing singing masse of humanity.Glorious.

Thunder are right at the top of the UK rock tree and I truly believe they now realise how loved they are and are back for good.

Will there be a better 3 band package across the UK this year?