The first minute I heard legendary Diamond Head would perform live in Athens, Greece, I couldn't stand but 'bear' a big smile. No, nothing like At last! or D.H. ruuuule! etc. The 19th of February 2006 would be the biggest opportunity I'd have to see how many friends of mine (30+ year olds) would show up (you old farts...). The Diamonds may be the first thing - for many people - coming in mind when chattin' ' bout the New Wave of British heavy Metal. Not because of their - assuming - superiority against other British bands of the time or - factually - due to their capability of still releasing studio albums. Dunno, it may be simply because Diamond Head - in my mind - represent the purity of transmission from the hardrockin' 70s to the metalizin' 80's in British music.
The Underworld Club - the proper place for such events - was not even half packed the time I arrived. Football matches are still a high priority for many metalheads, as if Diamond Head could play day after day in our town. Yet, it was proved that prior to the band's headline appearance the venue would welcome many 'late additions' , summing it up to a total of 200- flashrockin' heads. The appropriate Metal Nation Records stall was a good reason to spend some money - before spending the rest on booze - on hard-to-find CD releases, while the gig was about to begin with Athens' Metal heroes Power Crue.
With more than 15 years of existence, the Heavy_Power Metal quintet burst out like hell, with a new vocalist George (ex-Stendor) full of energy and the rest of the band in their standard 'let's-destroy-this-fuckin'-place' appetite for destruction. Supported by a good - in general - stiff sound, the tunes outta their latest release, Night...mares!, made a very nice impression to the audience while classics like Torture, Before The End or Spend On You raised bloody hell in a crowd thirsty for classic Metal the '80s' way. Power Crue - a band that surprisingly has not pushed its limits abroad yet - is the living proof of true devotion to Metal music.
If Power Crue are representing the old-school Metal style, then the follow-up band needs no introduction to some. Founded in 1980 (or even earlier), Vice Human is the living legend of Greece. The band's age - compared even to D.H.'s years of life - speaks for itself in terms of music: classic-to-the-bone Heavy Metal music, with a lot of elements reminding of NWoBHM (as if there was something else to be influenced at that time...). As a trio, with long-running guitarist_singer Nick Papakostas as the leader, Vice Human are a 'touching' experience. Their songwriting may be considered as 'naive' - in today's standards - but the mere fact that this band carries on, twenty four years after their self-titled debut release, needs no other explanation. Running Ways, Can You Feel The Night, Heavy Metal, Hooligan Hero, Metal Wars, We Are The Future, Wind, Night Hunter, Born To Rock and Set Me Free set the venue on fire and - as far as I'm concerned - the final applause was_is_will be the best motive for this band to carry on eternally. Thank you!
Due to Diamond Head's appearance, the talkin' regarding their setlist_appearance grew high. Then, the lights went dim and the intro part of Am I Evil? took our breaths! Damage done. Switching off to It's Electric, I was sure this would be a helluva night. With a raw, solid sound, Diamond Head took command of the whole venue in seconds. The new vocalist, Nick Tart, is a cute guy with adequate voice chords and I felt relieved he'd sang this legendary tune that fine. Mainman Brian Tatler (guitars) seemed so astonished watching 200 maniacs singing all along, and this was a good thing. Why? Isn't The Prince a good reason? Lightning To The Nations? To The Devil His Due? Borrowed Time? Should I mention classics such as Sucking My Love or Streets Of Gold? Should I refer to Helpless or the full -this time - version of Am I Evil? to put you in the picture? In brief, the old stuff was played_sung_operated_presented_sound really great and (it's a fact) a big part of the 80's British Metal history found its way through the center of Athens, Greece really 'smooth' and easy that evening.
The new stuff is not that 'retro' - an honest move from the band, I should add - and I can recall Mine All Mine, Give It To Me and Alimony receiving a warm applause but nothing more. The same goes for I Can't Help Myself, off the 1993 Death & Progress album. Yet, the ideal song for wrapping up the setlist - In The Heat Of the Night - stroke hard in heart and left the best of feelings as Diamond Head left the stage after 90 minutes. Did not see any disappointed faces, did not hear any harsh comment. Diamond Head surely enjoyed the gig, the fans did also. It does not have to be something neck-ripping to rate a gig high. Emotion was/is a crucial factor for D.H. and I felt really 'warm' that evening. Is 'enthusiasm' the word?