Great Metal Albums of 1985: Metal For Breakfast

 

Welcome to the first heavy metal compilation album I bought. It was early February 1985 when I saw "Metal For Breakfast" at my local record store. Since I often used to feel like the way the dude on the cover looks, I thought it was worth a look. When I flipped to the back cover of the album and saw who was actually on it and their songs, I knew I had to buy it straight away. Who couldn't resist an album with Ted Nugent, Saxon, Y&T, Quiet Riot, Ozzy and Judas Priest on it. Furthermore, the songs from these artists with the exception of Judas Priest's hidden gem, (I had never heard "The Ripper" until this album), was more incentive to get it. But that's only half the story!

Attic Records, being based in Toronto, seemed very eager to unveil much of its local talent and they chose a good group to do so. I had heard of Anvil but never listened to them. "Forged in Fire" changed all that. Any band called The Killer Dwarfs had to be granted a listen and "Heavy Mental Breakdown" did not disappoint. This was the first step on their way to them becoming my all time favourite Canadian band. I know Mercyful Fate are from Denmark but the fact that "Black Funeral" comes right out and sings "Hail Satan" sticks one in the ear for the American religious zealots. On the second side is the lovely Lee Aaron and "Metal Queen" is mind blowing. Of course, there's always a hidden gem and on "Metal For Breakfast" it's the track "Metalhead" by Blotto. It takes a dig at metalheads but it's done in a really funny way plus, it's a good song. So what you have is a great combination of well known metal tunes and ones that weren't so well known coming together to make a fantastic album.

Track Listing:

[caption id="attachment_2368" align="alignnone" width="226"] 1. Anvil- Forged in Fire[/caption]

2. Ted Nugent- Cat Scratch Fever

[caption id="attachment_3211" align="aligncenter" width="223"] 3. Killer Dwarfs- Heavy Mental Breakdown[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4225" align="aligncenter" width="259"] 4. Accept- Balls to the Wall[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3680" align="aligncenter" width="287"] 5. Mercyful Fate- Black Funeral[/caption] [caption id="attachment_4619" align="aligncenter" width="276"] 6. Blotto- Metalhead[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3675" align="aligncenter" width="204"] 7. Lee Aaron- Metal Queen[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1148" align="aligncenter" width="259"] 8. Saxon- Princess of the Night[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1309" align="aligncenter" width="194"] 9. Judas Priest- The Ripper[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3552" align="aligncenter" width="272"] 10. Quiet Riot- Metal Health[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2875" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 11. Y&T- Mean Streak[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2343" align="aligncenter" width="238"] 12. Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train[/caption]

And I think you should listen to the hidden gem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzu4L4ZnMvQ

Back in 1985, "Metal for Breakfast" was the classic metal combination of what was known and not so known in the heavy metal world. Nowadays, it's just a classic 80s album but it still kicks ass!

[caption id="attachment_4620" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I probably looked more like this back then.[/caption]

Next post: Dokken- Tooth 'N' Nail

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com  

Great Metal Albums of 1984: Judas Priest- Defenders of the Faith

 

If I thought I didn't do Great White justice when I wrote about theirs as the first concert to take place in "Rock and Roll Children," then I should grovel to Judas Priest begging their forgiveness. The Judas Priest/Great White concert that happens in the first few pages of the book is the one I knew least about. I couldn't go on account of work and only had patchy accounts of the concert from people I spoke to who went. This meant my account of that night was, as one critic put it, bare bones, if that. So, to Judas Priest and their hardcore fans, I'm sorry. Though I do make up for it when I write about their 1986 concert. One of my biggest critics, my sister, said I nailed that one.

While the first Judas Priest concert might have been lacking in substance, the album they were touring in support of, "Defenders of the Faith" did get a good number of listens from the characters in "Rock and Roll Children." I have always held this album in great esteem and will put my head in the lion's mouth and declare that it is Judas Priest's most underrated album, ever! Sales wise, it did not match the numbers of its mega fantastic predecessor, "Screaming for Vengeance," and I put it a half a mark below it but "Defenders of the Faith" is one fantastic album.

The first seven songs are the reason why the album is soooo good. One by one each of those songs launch into an all out assault on your ears with such ferocity, you can't help but to head bang away and jump up and down to it. Even when one song ends, the next one grabs you by the throat and makes you give your undivided attention to it. When I say the first seven songs, I mean all of those songs, not just the ones some might be more familiar with like "Freewheel Burning" and "Love Bites," who when the premier of the video for it was announced on MTV was called "a family affair." Of course there's also my favourite track from this album and my third all time favourite Priest song, "Some Heads are Gonna Roll." I just love that song. "Jawbreaker," "Rock Hard, Ride Free" and "The Sentinel" all can cause an unsuspecting listener to lose control of their bodily functions as well. Plus, there's the amusing "Eat Me Alive" which a year later would be rank on the PMRC's hit list as the third dirtiest song. All great!

This not to say that the last three songs are in any way not up to scratch, they are good songs but intensity levels do tail off after "Some Heads are Gonna Roll." Things go slower tempo with the remaining three songs but the pounding doesn't let up. It just takes on a different form, nor does it detract from this great album in any way.

Track Listing:

1. Freewheel Burning
2. Jawbreaker
3. Rock Hard, Ride Free
4. The Sentinel
5. Love Bites
6. Eat Me Alive
7. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll
8. Night Comes Down
9. Heavy Duty
10. Defenders of the Faith

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="aligncenter" width="238"] Judas Priest[/caption]

Robert Halford- lead vocals

Glenn Tipton- guitar

KK Downing- guitar

Ian Hill- bass

Dave Holland- drums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C21PrOKRG8w

I've never really ranked Judas Priest albums before, except I knew that "Screaming for Vengeance" was my favourite. I have called "Defenders of the Faith" underrated but I am now declare it number two and not by much. It is a great under appreciated album.

Next post: Quiet Riot- Condition Critical

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1984: Great White

 

Going back to the debut album by American metal band, Great White, after so many many years, I feel that I owe them a small apology. I did enjoy their debut quite a lot back in 1984, but it quickly got pushed aside when albums from more established bands came my way. Therefore, the album didn't get the respect from me it deserved. This was the main reason why they didn't get too much mention in "Rock and Roll Children." In fact, their main mention in the book was probably my first mistake when I wrote the book. In the story and in real life, Great White supported the mighty Judas Priest on tour. This was the first concert I write about in the book and the one I knew least about. I didn't go and could only glean bits and pieces from people who did. So it wasn't the best idea to have the first concert one I knew very little about.

Now onto the album. Like I said, I may have discarded this album too soon in favour of others because I now realize just how good it was. However, in order to fully appreciate it, one should mentally drift back to 1984. Back then, I found the tracks "Out of the Night" and "Bad Boys" to be typical of the time metal tunes. Both songs are done well but they are about being bad and things like sex and music. Listening today, I would not be surprised if anyone thought it was all done before with them. The same could be said for "Down On Your Knees." I wonder if they were influenced by AC/DC here but Mark Kendall hammers a cool guitar solo on it. It doesn't matter because I like them anyway and there are better songs between them. "Stick It" has a really cool opening metal riff and just kicks ass throughout, definitely my favourite song on the album.

Many people might not think so but I really like their cover of The Who's "Substitute." I think what I like about it the most is how they alter the lyrics to make it more metal.

"I can see your pants are made of leather"

and

"I can see right through your Satan crap." 

Great stuff and well played too. "Streetkiller" is a good, hard, in your face metal tune. "No Better Than Hell" starts in similar fashion but slows down into a more melodic rocker but the hard chords with the chorus still makes its mark. "Hold On" goes the other way. It's hard in the meat of the verses but goes more melodic for the chorus. Still, its a nice switch up. "Nightmares" starts with one of those tunes designed to help babies sleep before going into a metal frenzy. That's also what the song is about. Maybe I should start playing it every Halloween. That takes things to the closing song, "Dead End," which is definitely the best track to end the album on because everything that has gone on before all comes together perfectly here.

Track Listing:

1. Out of the Night
2. Stick It
3. Substitute
4. Bad Boys
5. Down On Your Knees
6. Streetkiller
7. No Better Than Hell
8. Hold On
9. Nightmares
10. Dead End

Jack Russell- lead and backing vocals

Mark Kendall- guitar, backing vocals

Lorne Black- bass, backing vocals

Gary Holland- drums, backing vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ7e9pL-v1U

Maybe if I listened to Great White's debut album more, EMI wouldn't have dropped the band due to its lack of success and the band wouldn't have opted for a more bluesy direction in later albums. Because from what is on here, they could play metal well.

Next post: I thought I'd best keep with the flow I started above so it will be, Judas Priest- Defenders of the Faith

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1982: Judas Priest- Screaming for Vengeance

 

For many people, "Screaming for Vengeance" is the defining album from Judas Priest. Even those who don't declare it as their favourite Priest album always say it's in their top three. It is no real surprise to why everyone rates this album so highly, it's just that damn good. I won't debate this fact because while "British Steel" was the album that got me interested in Judas Priest, it was this album that made me a Priest follower in the true sense.

What was a bonus for "Screaming for Vengeance" was the fact that they had a hit single from it. "You Got Another Thing Comin'" actually got airplay on both UK and US radio and actually got to number four on the Billboard Charts. It is still probably the song they're best known for and when I saw them live in 2009, it was the concert closer. I can't say for sure if it's my number one all time Priest fave, (there are too many great songs to choose from) but it's up there. It's impact on me was so great that the lyrics appear in the opening scene of "Rock and Roll Children."

They may have had a great single but Judas Priest were never going to be a top 40 band. The successful single was a bonus and there are so many great songs on "Screaming for Vengeance" that it doesn't matter. "Electric Eye" is another well known song and it rocks just as much. "Bloodstone," "Devil's Child" and "Pain and Pleasure" are other songs which tickle my fancy but that doesn't take anything away from the rest of the album. Each song has the true Judas Priest stamp on them and each one must be played at maximum volume with plenty of room to bang your head. It's the only way to appreciate such fantastic music.

Track Listing:

1. The Hellion

2. Electric Eye

3. Riding on the Wind

4. Bloodstone

5. (Take These) Chains

6. Pain and Pleasure

7. Screaming for Vengeance

8. You Got Another Thing Comin'

9. Fever

10. Devil's Child

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="aligncenter" width="192"] Judas Priest[/caption]

Rob Halford- vocals

Glenn Tipton- guitar

KK Downing- guitar

Ian Hill- bass

Dave Holland- drums

I must say, the one thing I resent about being in the military in 1982 was that I practically missed the entire New Wave of British Heavy Metal that landed in America in that year. If I had been there, I would have definitely soaked it up completely. It was only by chance that I heard the big single on the radio and more than a year before I got to listen to the album in its entirely. Fortunately, I managed to enjoy it in retrospect so I didn't miss any of the great metal albums like this one from Judas Priest.

Next post: April Wine- Power Play

To buy Rock And Roll Children, email me at tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Metal Albums of 1981: Judas Priest- Point of Entry

You probably have already noticed that I didn't go to Bloodstock this year and it wasn't because of all the rain. While I would have loved to have seen Megadeath and Saxon on stage, my finances are dictated by other priorities, mainly my trip to the US in October. Enough of that said, onto the "Point of Entry," the 1981 album from metal gods Judas Priest.

Many people have shot down "Point of Entry" over the years and I ask myself if this is fair. One such person even put the album on a par with "Turbo" and to me, that is totally way off base. I will be the first to admit, it is not one of Judas Priest's best albums. What highlights this the most is that it is unfortunately sandwiched between what I think is their two best albums of all time: "British Steel" and "Screaming for Vengeance." I think that most of the other albums would pale significantly when put between those two monuments to metal. Taking them out of the equation and listening to "Point of Entry" on its own, I can safely say that it doesn't totally suck.

"Heading Out on the Highway" is an adequate opener and "Don't Go" does move the party along to the one of the more stronger tracks, "Hot Rockin'." But I'm not too sure about "Turning Circles" and "Desert Plains," maybe another listen is due here. However, the most of the remainder of the album is quite good. I do like the guitars in  "Solar Angels" and "You Say Yes" would be a great song to sing along to when drinking heavily. I'm going to have to try it just to make sure. "All the Way" and "Troubleshooter" are decent songs too but I'm not too sure about the closer. A good closing song should make me feel uplifted and I can't say that "On the Run" does that. Overall though, I think "Point of Entry" is a good album from Judas Priest and there are some of the famous trademark screams from Halford and the solid guitar work of Tipton and Downing. Maybe after the likes of the albums that precede and succeed it, the bar may have been set too high.

Track Listing:

1. Heading Out on the Highway

2. Don't Go

3. Hot Rockin'

4. Turning Circles

5. Desert Plains

6. Solar Angels

7. You Say Yes

8. All the Way

9. Troubleshooter

10. On the Run

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="aligncenter" width="128"] Judas Priest[/caption]

Rob Halford- vocals

Glen Tipton- guitar

KK Downing- guitar

Ian Hill- bass

Dave Holland- drums

 "Point of Entry" isn't the terrible album made out to be. If I were grading it I might be tempted to say it wasn't done at the best of the band's ability and it doesn't stand out from many of the great metal albums that came out in 1981, but it's still good enough to be included among them.

Next post: Saxon- Denim and Leather

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

Bloodstock 2018: The Friday

Even having a crap night's sleep the previous evening didn't dent my enthusiasm for the first full day at Bloodstock. We started with a hardy bbq breakfast because we couldn't have one the evening before on account of the waiting to get in and the brief rain. Therefore, we had it in the morning. After a breakfast of champions like that, which was washed down with beer, we decided to head for the arena.

Keeping with my established tradition, I made it a point to be present for the very first band out on the Ronnie James Dio Stage. That band happened be British punk band Feed The Rhino. If there is a textbook on how the opening band of a festival should act, then Feed The Rhino followed it to the letter. They exploded on stage at 300 mph with a song that grabs you by the throat and makes you listen to it nor did any of that energy dissipate after the first song. However, some purists may argue that the band broke protocol by organizing a mosh pit and then a wall of death. Whoever said opening bands weren't allowed to do that? Especially when the lead singer, Lee Tobin, did a little crowd surf towards the wall. It was amazing and when they left, which was too soon, Feed The Rhino had set the mood not just for the day but for the entire weekend!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dT-YnBV4nU&index=2&list=RDEM9zce9KOR3-_CiSSMoO1KPg

[caption id="attachment_4729" align="aligncenter" width="265"] Feed The Rhino welcome everybody to Bloodstock[/caption][caption id="attachment_4730" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Lee Tobin carried by the crowd[/caption]

In spite of the fact that I had seen and heard three bands I had never heard of previously who totally blew me away, I still went to the New Blood Stage to seek out more. Playing at my arrival was the band Garshkott. While they weren't bad, their sound was in the vein of Feed The Rhino and Bloodshot Dawn, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were ever signed, in my mind, they didn't measure up to the two bands I have just mentioned. Then again, those two bands set the bar astronomically high.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKV8NZ3QSpQ

[caption id="attachment_4731" align="aligncenter" width="238"] Garshkott giving it their all[/caption]

Heading back to the RJD Stage, I thought I should see Onslaught. I had seen them at my first Bloodstock in 2010 but I didn't remember anything about them. Seeing them again, I remember why I didn't remember them, there's really nothing about them to remember. While their music was okay and I have since discovered from Youtube that their recorded material sounds pretty good, they just didn't do anything for me when I've seen them live.

[caption id="attachment_4732" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Onslaught coming out to play[/caption][caption id="attachment_4733" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Another shot of them[/caption]

The uneventfulness of Onslaught meant that when the rains came down in the final minutes of their set, I fled for cover. The closest was the New Blood Stage. Providing the entertainment in my new found refuge was Democratus. They weren't thrash but good solid metal. The singer did a great job in getting those in the tent to sing along. He would sing out, "Is this what you call?" and the audience, me included, would shout back, "Democracy!" Very relevant at the moment and I thought they were pretty good. If I was a scout, I would have signed them before the previous unsigned band on the day.

[caption id="attachment_4734" align="aligncenter" width="247"] Democratus[/caption]

Still raining down in buckets outside, I decided to stay in the New Blood Tent to remain dry. It turned out to be the will of the metal gods because coming on stage next was Vulgore. Of the three unsigned bands I had seen so far, these guys were the best. Their music was loud and brash but the guitarist could shred a little too. Still, their music is not for the faint hearted. They announced they have an EP coming out titled "Bliss." I might have to hunt this one down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGTHW549EZ0

[caption id="attachment_4735" align="aligncenter" width="256"] The guitarist from Vulgore[/caption][caption id="attachment_4736" align="aligncenter" width="246"] More Vulgore[/caption]

Vulgore made the rain stop, so after their departure, I headed outside. On the Dio Stage at the time was Memoriam. I only caught the last two songs from their set but they sounded all right. Plus, I noticed that the lead singer's hair probably made many ladies jealous.

[caption id="attachment_4737" align="aligncenter" width="246"] Memoriam, but this photo doesn't show the singer's hair properly.[/caption]

Still looking for the music, I headed for the Sophie Lancaster Stage where I was treated to the doom metal sounds of Godthrymm. This trio was doom metal in the true sense of the word, even more than Black Sabbath. Most of the songs were about death. I remember one lyric, "Oh God, you lost your only son," I think that explains a lot. Guitarist hammered out some good solos and he shared the lead vocal duties with the bassist. Godthrymm proved a great change of pace on the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0qI91eXCss&start_radio=1&list=RDEMlvu4ZewIMcT_N6Cov2SHQQ

[caption id="attachment_4738" align="aligncenter" width="248"] Godthrymm playing doom[/caption][caption id="attachment_4739" align="aligncenter" width="246"] I'm not sure what this picture was. I think it was this person dressed up going through the crowd during Godthrymm[/caption]

After a brief but necessary break, I returned to the Ronnie James Dio Stage for the first band I truly wanted to see. Before that band came out, I caught the last few minutes of Swedish death metal band Bloodbath. They sounded okay and I was amused at the shirtless guitar player whose torso was covered in fake blood.

[caption id="attachment_4755" align="aligncenter" width="277"] Bloodbath, not sure if you can see the guitarist covered in blood[/caption]

Then came the big bombshell. It was announced that Suicidal Tendencies were running late and wouldn't be up next. They were re-scheduled to play at the Sophie Lancaster Stage two hours later. I had caught up with Teal and Joe and we decided to get some dinner. I kind of regret this in hindsight because swapping places with ST was the all female death metal Japanese band Love Bites. I heard they were really good and I'm liking what I'm hearing thus far. Oh well, I'll put a song of theirs in tribute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq-JZ6deYwM
Returning from our late afternoon bbq, I followed Teal's suggestion that I go with him to check out prog metal band, Kamelot. Full marks to his wisdom here because I thoroughly enjoyed them. I was duly impressed with the guitar work of Thomas Youngblood but I won't take anything away from the rest of this band, they're that good. They brought a female singer on for a few songs as well which made them more diverse. Let's say I was very impressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDLZ6Mqy7AM&index=2&list=RDEMhvza10-yjYsd2xCr1FSFIw

[caption id="attachment_4740" align="aligncenter" width="279"] Kamelot[/caption][caption id="attachment_4741" align="aligncenter" width="274"] A better shot of them[/caption][caption id="attachment_4742" align="aligncenter" width="285"] Thomas Youngblood jamming[/caption][caption id="attachment_4743" align="aligncenter" width="270"] I tried to get the female singer in this one[/caption]

Instead of Kamelot following Suicidal Tendencies, we had Suicidal Tendencies following Kamelot. Which way around didn't matter as we joined the throng heading for the Sophie Lancaster Stage. There was talk that the sheer weight of numbers in ST fans would knock the Sophie Tent off its foundations. Suicidal Tendencies exploded onto the stage with "Don't Bring Me Down." Almost immediately, Mike Muir had the crowd in his hand with everyone singing the chorus. The band darted around stage and Mike did his little dance. It seemed that the opening song might go for the entire set because every time it sounded like it would end, the band would pick it up again. When the song did end, the audience was screaming their appreciation. Afterwards, they played songs "I Shot the Devil," The War in My Head" and "Subliminal." When they played the "Skater's Song," Mike announced that the band had been inducted into the Skater's Hall of Fame. A young boy was brought up to play drums along side of Dave Lombardo for one song and they also let a man in a wheelchair onto the stage. ST are definitely a class act! In between songs, Mike talked about not letting things get you down. His advice was to "Get up, stand up for yourself and you will be the person you want to be." Great words of wisdom. When they left, the crowd was on a major high and it was also announced that it had been the largest crowd the Sophie Lancaster Stage ever had. They were phenomenal and like Teal converting me to Kamelot, I converted him to ST. It didn't even matter that they didn't play my two favourite songs again nor the fact that they pretty much played the same set they had at Download last year.

[caption id="attachment_4744" align="aligncenter" width="250"] The crowd heading to the Sophie Stage to see Suicidal Tendencies[/caption][caption id="attachment_4745" align="aligncenter" width="265"] ST comes on stage[/caption][caption id="attachment_4746" align="aligncenter" width="267"] Guitarist Dean Pleasants can still jam.[/caption][caption id="attachment_4747" align="aligncenter" width="268"] Another shot of Dean[/caption][caption id="attachment_4748" align="aligncenter" width="262"] Mike leading the charge[/caption]

After feeding my face some more, we all headed back to the Ronnie James Dio Stage for the main even, Judas Priest. They had a massive stage set up with what looked like cacti which lit up on the wall behind. When the band came out, Rob Halford looked like a bent over old man but he quickly straightened up when they started playing. They opened with "Fire Power" and played two more songs from the album. It was the fourth song that was the big thrill for me when they revealed their all time hidden gem, "The Ripper." I think I was the only one in the crowd who went absolutely nuts at it. Both Teal and some young lady in front of me both stated, "You're excited about this song." Next, they revealed that it was the 40th anniversary of their "Stained Glass" album where they played "Saints in Hell" as a tribute. Other Priest greats included "Turbo Lover" and "Freewheel Burning." While Rob was the great show man he has always been for more than four decades, I was impressed with guitarists Richie Faulkner. He seems to have learned from his mentors and if the band was to continue, he is more than capable to carry them on. Scott Travis was pretty cool too and I loved how he and Richie traded solos. Things seemed to end with an extended version of "You Got Another Thing Comin'" and "Painkiller," both drawing large cheers from the crowd. But Judas Priest weren't done. Obviously, there would be an encore and that's when they sprung a surprise. Glenn Tipton came out to play with them for the four encore songs. He did look a little frail and Rob kept coming over to him but he stayed the course. He even played a solo on the closing song, "Living After Midnight" which followed on from "Breaking the Law." When the mighty Priest did leave, it was to much adulation and a brief but cool fireworks display.

[caption id="attachment_4749" align="aligncenter" width="245"] Blasted light show kept me from getting decent pictures of Priest[/caption][caption id="attachment_4750" align="aligncenter" width="225"] See again![/caption][caption id="attachment_4751" align="aligncenter" width="282"] A little better[/caption][caption id="attachment_4752" align="aligncenter" width="269"] Even taking a photo of the big screen didn't work.[/caption][caption id="attachment_4753" align="aligncenter" width="270"] I kept trying though[/caption]

Teal and Joe called it a night but I had one more act to watch. As soon as Judas Priest was finished, I high tailed it over to the Sophie Lancaster Stage to catch Doro. My timing was perfect because as I entered the tent, she was performing one of my favourites, "I Rule the Ruins." That wasn't the only one she treated me to, a few songs later, I got to hear "East Meets West," where she brought out a former guitarist Tommy Bowen. Therefore, for the rest of her show, she had a three guitar attack behind her. Sounded real good when she played "Burning the Witches." Doro engaged the audience really well throughout and while her light show was nothing like Priest, it was still pretty cool. "All We Are" got the crowd really going and it carried on until she left the stage. When she came back out, Doro asked the audience what song they would like. I was too far away so she couldn't hear me calling out for "I'll Make It On My Own," so she said, since nobody came forth with a song, she'd pick one, which she did. A second song was asked for and she picked one from a young lady in the front and that's how the night ended, with loads of bows and "thank yous" before leaving. It was a great way to end the first day!

[caption id="attachment_4760" align="aligncenter" width="287"] Doro on the Sophie Stage[/caption][caption id="attachment_4761" align="aligncenter" width="278"] Better pics with Doro[/caption][caption id="attachment_4762" align="aligncenter" width="280"] Tommy Bowen on guitar[/caption][caption id="attachment_4763" align="aligncenter" width="268"] Doro mesmerizes the crowd[/caption]

Note: You may have noticed that I haven't posted songs from every band I saw. I thought to do it with the ones I had never heard of before and now you have.

Next post: Saturday

To download Rock and Roll Children, go to: http://mediahubb.net/14510967/rock-and-roll-children.html