Saxon
London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
23rd April, 2011

St. George’s Day – it must be Saxon in London. And what a steaming night it was. With rousing support from Fury UK and a re-formed Wolfsbane (both with new releases out) Saxon hit the stage with a roar matched only by that of the crowd. Kicking off with Hammer Of The Gods, from their forthcoming album, you knew immediately it was going to be a good night. Singer Biff Byford holds band, crowd and stage as one, with professionalism and energy, his voice still fantastic. With four tracks from Call To Arms, the band mixed Battalions Of Steel, Demon Sweeny Todd and Atilla The Hun with early-80s classics. Play It Loud and Man And Machine got rare outings, and the 30th anniversary of Denim And Leather saw much of that album aired. And no Saxon show would be complete without Crusader or Wheels Of Steel. 23 tracks for nearly two hours, with driving bass, twin guitar solos – trad British metal at its best.