Thin Lizzy + The Union + The Supersuckers
Glasgow O2 Academy, 7th January 2011
A few months ago, I had a dream that I'd travelled back in time to prevent the assassination of Phil Lynott. (Yes, I know he wasn't assassinated; work with me here.) Our mission failed to stop the sniper, but the dream did get me thinking: what would have happened if the charismatic Thin Lizzy frontman had survived? Would the band hold their rightful place as one of the world's leading classic rock groups, Irish national treasures, selling out stadiums, hobnobbing with U2 and Bon Jovi? Or would Lynott be scoffing bugs on I'm A Celebrity… to pay his alimony?
Well, we'll never know. Phil Lynott is no more, but Thin Lizzy are back to bring their music to a new generation; a rock fan's supergroup, the best tribute band in the world… ever.
Of course any group, super or otherwise, needs support, and this particular Lizzy line-up has brought along a cracking couple of bands. We missed most of the opening set by Arizonan rockers the Supersuckers (thanks, snow) which is a shame cuz what we see of them kicks ass: a mix of dirty Motörhead-style riffs and catchy singalong choruses delivered with the Deep South swagger of the Georgia Satellites.
The Union are also impressive. While singer Pete Shoulder melds the pipes of Muse's Matt Bellamy with the laidback, lanky style of Rhys Ifans crossed with the new Doctor Who, their music bears the clear stamp of ex-Thunder guitarist Luke Morley (who formed the band in 2009), mellowed by a more raw, bluesy sound. Destined to be an afternoon favourite at a festival, the Union are definitely one to watch.
But anyway: onto the main event. But first, who's in the band this week? Well, joining long term Lizzy members Scott Gorham and Brian Downey are keyboardist Darren Wharton and bassist Marco Mendoza, who've also played in previous versions of the band, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell and the Almighty's gravel-voiced vocalist, Ricky Warwick, a huge fan of the band himself.
So does it work? Well, never having seen Thin Lizzy in any incarnation before, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to hear long time favourite songs like 'Dancing In the Moonlight', 'Waiting for an Alibi', 'Jailbreak', 'Don't Believe A Word', 'The Emerald' and 'Whiskey in the Jar' played live and loud. Yes, the sound was pretty muddy, the clean, twin guitar sound that characterises the band seeming a bit thick with a third guitar in the mix, but that didn't prevent the evening from being enormously entertaining. (Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Ricky Warwick is still darned hot…)
Images of Lynott projected onto screens remind us that this exuberant greatest hits set is all a tribute to his energy, flair and songwriting genius; it's just a shame I never got to see the band in their heyday. But, in the absence of a hole in the space time continuum, this will do nicely.
