If you grew up anywhere near the late 1980’s/early 1990’s and had interests that veered away from Tiffany and Home And Away, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with the two names performing at The Craufurd Arms tonight. In an era polarised between thrash metal and the nascent grunge movement, these frontmen proffered a more straightforward, no-nonsense brand of rock (Ricky Warwick with The Almighty and Tony Wright with Terrorvision). While much music from that era sounds dated and of its time, both Ricky and Tony operated with a musical plasticity the ensured they remained fresh and vibrant, and if proof were ever needed it can be found right here.
As part of his Acoustic Tour, Tony Wright appears with fellow Terrorvision musician Milton “Milly” Evans in typical understated style. There’s no dry ice or flash-pots crashing, just two guys and their guitars who plug in and play, immediately casting a hypnotic spell over the venue. I have been at so many semi-acoustic shows where a desire to talk becomes an irresistible temptation for many in the crowd, so much so that it can often drown out the performers. Not so tonight, the attention which Tony and Milton command is the kind you’d expect from frightening maths tutors, although (obviously) this is a lot more fun than a double lesson. It means that as they present a selection of prime cuts, you can hear the proverbial pin drop, which is an anomaly for any type of gig. Interspersing the songs with monologues that have the same type of storytelling that informs his songwriting, Tony creates an intimate vibe, bringing a near-capacity crowd together into a unified whole, and in our age of fragmentation, that’s got to be a good thing.
As a metalhead of a certain age, I remember Ricky Warwick with The Almighty supporting Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, and also headlining the 1991 Bulldog Bash. You’d have thought the intervening 35-years might have diluted his energy somewhat, but not a bit of it. Tonight’s set is just as vivacious as those I witnessed back in the day, but if there is one thing Ricky has learned, it is how to pace a set. It means The Fighting Hearts don’t feel the need to arrive with all guitars blazing, rather the intro tape is an insidious beast that slowly entwines itself around the crowd. Like a frog being slowly boiled, the drums arrive, then the bass, meaning that when the whole band kick in together, they kick in hard. It turns ‘Rise And Grind’ into a bombastic number, the musical equivalent of an explosive devise detonated in the venue, and it immediately gets the whole crowd on side.
Originally formed as a way to showcase Ricky’s solo work, The Fighting Hearts have expanded their remit so they now touch points along his career trajectory. Subsequently, we’re treated to songs by The Almighty (‘Jonestown Mind’) and the Black Star Riders (‘Another State Of Grace’), nestling next to choice cuts from various other musical highways and byways. It’s apparent that Ricky grew up on a diet of great songwriters; The Jam, Clash, The Ruts are all detectable in these songs, insofar as there’s a serious lack of fluff involved. Songs such as ‘When Life Was Hard And Fast’ are muscular and sinewy, devoid of any excess fat and make a beeline for the memory bank. Judging by new song ‘Fire And Vengeance’, we can expect more in a similar vein when the album of the same name drops later this year. As the set nears its conclusion we’re treated to a thunderous version of ‘Iron Fist’ (dedicated to Phil Campbell) before The Almighty’s ‘Free ‘n’ Easy’ sends us home with a spring in our step.
Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts Set List:
- Rise And Grind
- Jonestown Mind
- Celebrating Sinking
- Another State Of Grace
- When Life Was Hard And Fast
- Three Sides To Every Story
- When The Night Comes In
- Fire And Vengeance
- Do You Understand?
- Angels Of Desolation
- Don’t Leave Me In The Dark
- Schwaben Redoubt
- The Crickets Stayed In Clovis
- When Patsy Cline Was Crazy
- You’re My Rock ‘n’ Roll Star
- Fighting Heart
- Kingdom Of The Lost
- Finest Hour
- Iron Fist
- Free ‘n’ Easy
