How weird is the fact a 40-year-career Rock/Metal band (yes, URIAH HEEP was a Metal band in their 70s heyday) can still attract a respected number of fans in it's 5th (or 6th, or 7th or I cannot recall...) visit in a small country the same time current fresh outfits - omitting obvious exceptions - struggle to pack a underground club? Name, status and history is of course a case here but how willing is the modern fan to support the fresh and/or different proposals while at the same time grumbling for the same old same old?

35 Euros to pay, no support band and...hit the lights: Gagarin205 club was quite in a shock when the British legends stormed in with "Wake The Sleeper" from their 2008 notable album. Deleting any possible stage accessories, URIAH HEEP's bet was good music and only. I don't know if the average spectator felt comfortable that rainy evening in Athens, Greece, but that's not something we should blame the band for. The quintet's performance was quite successful plus they showed they deserve to be treated like legends after 40 years of a guitar-driven heavy organ sound featuring the impressive vocal skills of Bernie Shaw (excuse me if I have to point out he's proven to be the kiss of life for the band in his 24 years of presence). URIAH HEEP was always a 'let the music do the talking' kind of live outfit and the fact that they did not relay on just presenting a dry typical setlist can be judged only as a positive fact.

Not present in the band's previous visit in my hometown, it was a nice surprise to check out how their latest drummer Russell Gilbrook fits like a glove (even if he seemed to be somehow exaggerating in his drumming a couple of times) to the rest of the team. Backed by an appropriate rocking sound - while not bombastic, at least at my point of view - the Brits performed for 90 minutes and the applaud was grand as soon as the "Lade In Black" encore was over; I'm not sure, yet, most of us were pretty confident what we were clapping for: the sound, the vibe, the memories, the camera that worked, the 2-3 hits we identified?

"Love In Silence" (from 1995's "Sea Of Light" CD) was an uncut diamond and the addition of both new tracks from the "Celebration" 40th anniversary compilation sounded good (especially "Only Human"). The tension and emotion of classics like "Sunrise", "July Morning" and "Free Me" is an archetypal fact, while rockers like "Gypsy", "Easy Living" and "Return To Fantasy" can raise the dead and even a sleepy crowd like the one gathered to pay tribute to the non-stop offerings of a cult band like URIAH HEEP.

Mick Box had black hair 30 years ago, as he generously diagnosed too. No prob, Mick: seeing you and Phil Lanzon shaking heads to the eerie in "Bird Of Prey" is a standard not surpassed easily by any colour lotion. Listening to the galloping fire Trevor Bolder revealed in "Easy Living" is not something to be missed at all. Really hope we'll be celebrating with the Heepsters for another decade because - sad it is -as soon as all these loyal govs retire the nudity of Hard Rock/Metal music will be revealed in its entirety...

URIAH HEEP setlist:

01. "Wake The Sleeper"
02. "Return To Fantasy"
03. "Only Human"
04. "Book Of Lies"
05. "Bird Of Prey"
06. "Corridors Of Madness"
07. "Love In Silence"
08. "Rain"
09. "Free Me"
10. "Sunrise"
11. "Free 'n' Easy"
12. "Gypsy"
13. "Angels Walk With You"
14. "July Morning"
15. "Easy Livin'"

Encore:

16. "Lady In Black"

(photos by Nat)