The Barbican was full of legends tonight and the crowd didn’t disappoint either. When Ricky Warwick and the Fighting Hearts hit the stage the gathered ensemble was modest to say the least, but as the rock flowed energetically from the stage to the floor, and lofty seating above, all empty space soon filled up.
From the moment Warwick emerged, flanked by icons from varying corners of the Rock and Metal world, he was the ever-rocking frontman who has evolved over the years courtesy of an illustrious and impressive resumé that is decorated by titans such as Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders and The Almighty. The vocals from Warwick were on point and the passionate and endearing venom which he injected into every word was impressive and engaging with every breath that hit us. Christo on the six strings, from the Goth titans Sisters Of Mercy, complimented Warwick and together they intertwined faultlessly to create mesmerising riffs and leads which were addictive and compelling in equal measure. The beef and brawn was brought tonight by way of the thicker strings of Vernon who manipulated and traversed his fretboard with magical dexterity and intrigue while the kit was kept in line by a mechanical yet animated Taylor whose flair and charm was appealing and alluring with a truly mesmeric characteristic all of his own.
The Rock fuelled forty-five minutes was quintessentially Rock and Roll at its finest, Warwick was the true depiction of a Rock frontman and the set was bolstered and accented with non-stop overflowing Rock and Roll. A perfect example of how a Rock show should be constructed and delivered, in fact, a set which could have easily headlined this venue on any other evening simply on its own merit.
Next up were the Northern Irish Punk Rock prodigies Stiff Little Fingers and the place was very well represented for these marvels. As the intro blasted out over the PA a spontaneous and energetic sing along was sparked into action from pretty much every set of lungs in attendance tonight, and when the crowd caught their first glimpse of the band the roar was fairly deafening.
As the set progressed, the mohicans dotted about the venue became more and more lively and dynamic, the voices became louder and louder and the whole atmosphere within the North Yorkshire structure became one of a growing and budding party vibe, every single soul was simply out for a good time and that’s what they received from the Stiff Little Fingers quartet.
Each lyric was dispatched throughout with a joyous celebratory enthusiasm while the string work and skin beating was on point. The set was technical, perfect and simply jubilant while being packed to the rafters with Stiff Little Fingers anthems and classics, a true celebration of the anthology, the discography and the lessons which we have all learnt over the years courtesy of these Belfast Punk Rockers and their years of teachings which we have all continuously happily soaked up with an unfaltering truly rabid hunger and desire.
This had been an evening of celebration and desire, an evening where everyone had turned up in order to applaud and hail the work of one of the most important and influential bands of their genre. Simply put, from start to finish, this had been magnificent.
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