The outfits may be of traditional design but wouldn’t be out of place in a sci-fi movie or TV show where the heroes are all dressed for harsher environments. Leather, tassels, heavy boots and long coats to protest them against the elements, they look like they’ve come from 2000 AD’s Cursed Earth story lines.
‘Northern Lights’, the fan favourite being sung before the band came onstage hit the spot perfectly and the crowd surged forward leaning heavily on the barrier reaching out for the briefest of opportunities to touch a hand or a leg as the three lads worked tirelessly at the front of the stage.
We were happy that we needed to try something else, we would try and change our sound. It might have worked if Andrew Farris hadn’t been such a difficult man to work with.
Beautiful in parts, phone lights a plenty, it was a mesmerising performance but after building the atmosphere from the off with high powered rock music, the acoustic segment lost the opportunity to deliver the killer blow and bring home the show triumphant.
The ‘at one with the crowd’ continued through ‘Whispers in the Dark’, with Cooper telling the audience “You people are hurting my ears! This used to be what America sounds like. In other words, America used to rock, but you guys rock a lot harder!” To say it got an immense response would be an understatement.
The newer material like ‘I Wish’ showed a side to Noora’s voice that we never knew existed. Sure, we know that her special power is to lay waste to armies with her voice but when you take away the screams and roars, the most heavenly voice is uncovered.
You wait 30 years for a classic album to be played in full and then 3 turn up at once. I’m sure I’ve heard that somewhere before but I digress… this gig, for me, was a big deal. It’s not called The Big 3-0 for nothing.
With the typical The Voice audience being a real mixed bag and not just your classic rock fan base, it’s no surprise that a show like this delivers the goods to the wide spectrum of people that have come through the doors of the Hard Rock Hotel where the show has been resident since 2017.
The phrase ‘lose yourself in the music’ would also be appropriate as there were several moments when I found myself, eyes closed, listening to the music feeling like I was the only person present in the audience.