May 18 2024 - Diary of an Ardent Fan

Wow what a show!!!!

Uriah Heep and Saxon in concert!!!!!!

Two legendary bands that are both still making great albums.

Both bands are on a co-headline tour and have been flip-flopping each night, in terms of opening and closing the shows.

This night, Uriah Heep started the show.

Guitarist Mick Box, the last surviving original member of the band, has carried this band on since the late 1960’s and they are still going strong.

Rounding out the band is singer Bernie Shaw, who has been in the band since 1986. Amazing vocalist. On bass is Dave Rimmer, who has been there over 10 years. The drummer is Russell Gilbrook, who has been in the band since 2007. His birthday was celebrated at this show! And for this tour, the keyboardist is Adam Wakeman, who is filling in for Phil Lanzon (keyboardist since 1986).

This band is AMAZING!!!!!

Still putting out great albums (their latest two Chaos & Colour and Living The Dream are incredible) and are great live.

I’ve been wanting to see Uriah Heep for some time, but just did not have the chance or missed them. Not this time. I’m so glad I finally saw them.

Uriah Heep are just as important a British band as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. They came out about the same time and even though they’ve had several lineup changes (sadly all the classic original members except Mick Box are dead) but this lineup is amazing. And their discography is amazing.

And like I said before, guitarist Mick Box is the last original member and has never left the band. He is a phenomenal guitarist and should be spoken in the same breath as Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, etc.

Please check out Uriah Heep!!!! You will not be disappointed.

Saxon closed the show this night and this was my 3rd time seeing them.

They are always amazing.

Like Uriah Heep, they are still making amazing albums and like Uriah Heep, have a lot of albums.

Singer Biff Byford is one of my favorite singers and he has always been great.

And along with Biff, guitarists Doug Scarrett and Brian Tatler (Brian recently replacing Paul Quinn because he did not want to tour anymore), bassist Nibbs Carter, and drummer Nigel Glockler make up one of the best Metal bands around.

They’ve been a band since the mid 1970’s and like Uriah Heep have had lineup changes (Biff is the only one that has been there from the start), but even with those changes, Saxon have remained consistently great.

And they’re nice people too. Biff noticed a little girl in the front row with her Dad and asked how old she was, and she said 9. She had a sign too that said that this was her first Saxon concert and to please sign the sign otherwise Hell, Fire, and Damnation (the title track to their new album) would reign on them. Biff said they would sign it at the end of the show and they did. Very kind of them.

I can’t say enough about both of these bands. It’s after 3 AM as I type this, so I’m a little tired, so I’ll end this by saying that I love both of these bands and I appreciate them both for still making great music and doing great shows.

Thank you guys. Keep on rocking!!!!!! And as Mick Box says “Appy Days”.