Review and Pictures: Adrian Hextall / (C) MindHex Media
Three for one. One ticket, three bands. None of your ‘label mates’ that get thrown together but a bill born out of love and respect for all of the artists on stage. Danny Vaughan has made no secret of his love for Little Caesar and whilst Dan Byrne might be one of our new generation of rock musicians, there’s no doubting that he’s more than capable of holding his own and more in front of audiences who will have been paying to see the more established acts. It’s also comforting when, upon arrival at the venue, there’s a decent queue from the off and inside, by the time the man who clearly needs to be sponsored by L’Oreal, because his hair and beard alone are ‘worth it’, comes on, there’s a sizable crowd in front of the stage.
Dan Byrne
Dan Byrne isn’t just a pretty face, although he’s got the looks that would have guaranteed a poster page in Kerrang! back in the day. He’s also got the chops and his voice, stage presence, general attitude and most importantly, the songs. It’s the ideal slot for him to raise his profile, bluesy hard rock, a great band backing him up and memorable tunes. The latter is a problem in this day and age. In a genre with so many artists churning out forgettable song after forgettable song, it’s reassuring that artists like Dan Byrne have the foresight to actually work on their song writing first and as such, this is the perfect tour for him. High energy, audience interaction, choruses we can sing along to, all present and correct in a Dan Bryne show. The perfect warm up for Little Caesar. Tracks like ‘Hard to Breathe’ and ‘Control’ keep the crowd happy, the latter with some neat guitar work to boot. They close though with ‘Death of Me’ which contains the sort of flair that will see Dan making inroads into the US with the right support.
Little Caesar
Is it really over 35 years since I first heard this band? It doesn’t feel like it and to be honest, looking at the youthful energy coming off the stage in Islington, it’s safe to say that the band also don’t think it’s been 35 years. With three original members still in place, the idea was clearly “play like it’s 1987” and by god.. Little Caesar did just that. Frontman Ron Young looking every inch the rock star with his gloves and shades in place hits every note with the same youthful energy of Dan Byrne, on stage not 20 minutes earlier.
If you want proof that the bill is the right mix, then you only had to look to the balcony of the O2 Academy, so see Danny Vaughan rocking out to both Dan and Little Caesar. It was not, as Danny himself would admit later in the show, perhaps the best warm up for his voice, but when you’re having this much fun, well, who cares right?
Of the original line up, Tom Morris (drums) and Loren Molinare (remain). The latter is a joy to watch as he brings the edginess to Young’s slicker rock image. Deadpan facial expressions but licks to die for, he even pogos into the air on occasion not because the music needs it but simply because he can. We assume he’s enjoying it but he gives nothing away, making me wonder if a career as a professional poker player was a missed opportunity.
They opened with ‘Piece of the Action’ from ’92’s ‘Influence’ to great effect and alongside their own material also throw in a couple of covers that somehow seem to suit Little Caesar more that the artists that performed ‘Chain of Fools’ and ‘I Wish It Would Rain’.
The highlight however was ‘Cajun Panther’, a track that Danny Vaughan would later tell me was one where the band had asked him if “you play harmonica don’t you?” to which the answer was clearly yes as Danny joined them not only to play but to add a little special sauce on the vocals as well.
That Little Caesar can play tracks from The Temptations and Aretha Franklin and still sound like they’re rocking out to their hearts’s content would have been impressive in 1987. That they still do it some 35 years later, well fair play to them. The desire to enjoy the show onstage clearly made it the perfect main support for Tyketto and the crowd lapped it up.
Tyketto
The ever youthful Danny Vaughn is slimmer, leaner and has way better hair than I do so obviously I hate him. He looks as good now as he did some 30+ years ago. There’s clearly a painting in an attic somewhere that’s aging on his behalf. That youthfulness doesn’t just extend to his appearance, it is in fact completely proven with his voice. If you’ve watched the documentary on Jon Bon Jovi on Disney+, you’ll know how his career has taken a toll on his voice and the work he has had to have done on his vocal chords to begin to get his voice back.
Listening to Danny perform, the notes he’s hitting…. wow! Danny himseld admits in an interview with us that he thinks his voice has gotten better with age and on the strength of their performance, he’s not wrong.
The mix of band members is something else. Tyketto of 2024 contains recent recruit Harry Scott Elliot on guitar, Chris Childs of Thunder (bass), Ged Rylands (guitars/keyboards), and Doro’s long time drummer Johnny Dee. The line up is as tight an outfit as you’re ever likely to see and from the opening notes of ‘Nothing But Love’, taken from the band’s debut, the smiles and cheers came thick and fast. Danny is an advert for every dental practitioner in the world. His smile lights up the room and before he’s even sung a single note, the crowd are grinning back with gusto.
If Danny on harmonica and singing isn’t enough, then he also brings out the acoustic guitar from time to time and on tracks like ‘Reach’, it gives the band another layer of depth, an extension of their sound. It’s warm, it’s cosy, it makes us feel like we’re being entertained in our living room such is the connection between band and crowd.
‘Wings’ did as expected and triggered an immense sing along as does ‘Rescue Me’ from ’94’s ‘Strength In Numbers’. Of the more modern material, ‘Tearing Down the Sky’, ‘Circle The Wagons’,’Kick Like A Mule’, and ‘The Run’ come from 2016’s ‘Reach’ and prove just how well the old and new stand side by side. Tyketto may not release albums on a regular basis but when they do… they all hit home runs.
2025 should see new material coming from the band and that’s all I need to hear right now!
They close of course with ‘that’ song. It’s expected, it’s Tyketto’s ‘Final Countdown’, ‘All We Are’, ‘Livin On A Prayer’ and so on.. it has to be played and the buzz for it never , ever , diminishes. People use the word “timeless” but it truly, truly, is.
SETLIST:
Nothing but Love
Reach
Wings
Tearing Down the Sky (Live Debut)
Dig in Deep
Circle the Wagons
Rescue Me
Catch My Fall
Kick Like a Mule
Seasons
The Run
Standing Alone
The Last Sunset
Forever Young
If you missed out, Danny returns to the US for some solo shows in October
https://www.dannyvaughn.com/tour
If you want to see Tyketto live in the UK again, they will be going out with Uriah Heep and April Wine for the former’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
For tickets and further information please visit www.myticket.co.uk and
www.uriah-heep.com
The February 2025 tour are the band’s first UK dates since their delayed (due to Covid) Uriah Heep 50 tour of 2022 – which celebrated the bands 50th anniversary. The fact the band are now back on their 55th anniversary is testimony to the longevity of this extraordinary British band.
The tour will feature very special guests April Wine and Tyketto
www.aprilwine.ca
www.tyketto.com
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