This sold out show at the Forum was the 10th Anniversary celebration of the bands Homewreckers and Heartbreakers album which in many ways is a ballsy move for a band that's been around for over 30 years as rather than play one of the bands early classics in full they are instead playing a latter classic in full and celebrating the fact that the band have been doing very well in recent years.
We missed some of the opening acts but were in time to see all of H.e.a.t who are another Swedish metal act who are over promoting the bands 6th album Into The Great Unknown and they made sure to make a grand entrance with the individual members coming on one at a time and getting the crowd going before they launch into the opening number Bastard Of Society as the bands singer Erik ran onstage and went into a full on Axl Rose style routine as he screamed the vocals into a very under powered Microphone.
The band's sound needed sorting out as they were really energetic on Late Night Lady but the key boards were almost inaudible and the Guitar was pretty low in the mix too, this did improve as the vocals were by now sounding decent and H.E.A.T sounded like a cross between Europe and Crashdiet with hints of Reckless Love and a bit of Grand Magus for good measure.
They certainly know how to work a crowd and Redefined seemed to be one of the bands hits and also had Erik stage diving into the audience while singing one of the verses even if the keyboards that finally cut through sounded like they had been stolen from Enya!
Beg Beg Beg was a whirlwind assault with an almost widdly solo before it broke down and went into Whole Lot Of Rosie and also Another Piece Of My Heart this was really entertaining. Erik was then imploring us to make sure we were Tearing Down The Walls as he pirouetted across the stage and Jimmy on Bass came across more and more like the brother of Jalle from Reckless Love.
Emergency was next and no it's not a cover of the Miss Behaviour song of the same name but a plea for a lover to give him one more touch instead as things got hotter towards the end of the bands set on Inferno before they closed with Living On The Run that seemed to have loads of people singing along to it and was a good close to a fun if not that original set of Glammy sleazy metal.
After the break Alan Clayton from The Dirty Strangers introduced The Quireboys who as expected opened with I Love This Dirty Town with Spike waving his microphone stand around like normal and generally having a great time. They then deviated from the albums order and played Louder that really helped to get things going and Guy Griffin's guitar sounded great.
They then slowed things down for Mona Lisa Smiled that got everyone singing along to the chorus before they went into Hello that had Spike really working us and as ever thanking us for Keeping Rock & Roll alive with The Quireboys.
Spike then told us that He and Guy had bought a plot of land in Tennessee so they could be closer to Jack Daniels home turf as an intro into Blackwater that had some good interplay between Keith Weirs keyboards and Guy Griffin's guitar as they celebrate what makes that bourbon taste like it does.
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We then got to the first of the less played songs from the album with Fear Within The Lie that sounded just as good as the rest to the songs and no matter how much Spike claimed they hadn't rehearsed it still sounded tight.
Once everyone had raised their glasses for Spike it was time for One For The Road that as ever is a great celebration of the booze this band love's so much and as with most of the set had us all singing along to it. Spike gave a much shorter intro than usual for Late Night Saturday Call as he reminisced about the days before smart phones and the drunken calls the song is about.
Hall Of Shame was next and sounded great for one of the songs I'm not sure if I've heard them play live before but Paul Guerin's guitar sounded great and seemed to dovetail nicely with Jimi Crutchley's bass lines on the song.
Ah Spike was pointing the finger once more on Take A Look At Yourself as he's never done anyone any wrong but damn it sounded good. Before they played the last song on the album Spike asked if there was anyone called Josephine in the audience and yes several blokes answered yes which amused Spike no end before they did a very cool version of the song.
The greatest hits part of the show begun with our glasses raised again with a tip of the hat to Guy Bailey and a mention that they played this at the Town & Country club as the Forum was called way back in 1992 before they tore through Misled and we all agreed to Have a little with the band, as ever it was a sing along throughout.
There She Goes Again was another great fun romp as usual before they made sure we were all having fun singing along to Hey You not sure anyone wasn't smiling by this point in the set. Sweet Mary Anne certainly kept the party going full tilt before they closed with yes 7 O'Clock and it's time for a party well of course it is.
Yes they came back for a well-earned encore and thanked us all once more for Keeping Rock & Roll alive with The Quireboys and then demonstrating the fact with This Is Rock 'n' Roll oh hell yes it is.
They then closed the night with a great version of I Don't Love You Anymore that was a good sway along finish and of course we all still love Spike and The Quireboys as long as they play shows as good as this one.
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