Despite changing personnel about as often as Spinal Tap, band fall outs, bust-ups and the untimely passing of members, Thin Lizzy remain one of the best bands the world has ever seen. Long gone are the days when Lynott would prowl the stage in leather trousers stomping to Downey’s drum and flanked by Gorham and ‘Robbo,’ but this new line up have the power to transport the audience back to the band’s heyday. For those lucky enough to have seen the original Thin Lizzy it’s a return to their youth, and for those too young to have experienced Lynott et al it’s a unique chance to see (at least some of) their idols play their favourite songs live.
Belfast’s Waterfront Hall sold out for the return of Thin Lizzy and fans were out in force to see the penultimate show of the tour. ‘Are You Ready’ kicked off the set and was closely followed by ‘Jailbreak.’ Front-man Ricky Warwick skilfully avoided the trap of sounding too like Lynott and asserted his own style on the songs. The third guitar added little to the overall sound, but Warwick seemed more comfortable axe in hand than without and more than justified its presence with a faultless performance.
On either side of Warwick were Lizzy stalwart Scott Gorham and Def Leppard’s Belfast born Viv Campbell. The duo went a long way to reinvigorating the traditional twin Les Paul attack and gelled well together in songs like ‘Emerald,’ ‘Massacre’ and ‘Waiting for an Alibi.’ Bass man Marco Mendoza used every inch of the stage to his advantage bouncing from side to side while Darren Wharton on keyboards was often lost in the barrage of guitars and drums.
From the start Warwick and co had the sell out Belfast crowd in their hands. Singing the intro to ‘Dancing in the Moonlight,’ the infamous coyote call in ‘Cowboy Song’ and Warwick led sing-alongs not unlike those conducted by Lynott over 25 years ago the crowd were in high spirits, matched only by those of the band. Critics suggest this is a glorified tribute or a money spinner, but anybody in Belfast tonight would have witnessed six musicians giving everything they had to ensure a good time was had by all.
Highlight of the night was the complete mastery of Brian Downey. From the very beginning of Thin Lizzy Downey was the man behind the drum and along with Lynott was the band’s founder. It is only fitting that he return to the drum stool after missing other tours in recent years. As Lynott said, ‘he keeps your hands clappin’...feet tappin’’ and tonight was no exception. His drumming was an education and his execution looked so effortless he could have been out for a leisurely stroll. His ‘Shalala’ solo was as energetic, awe inspiring and impressive as it was on ‘Live and Dangerous’ and his playing throughout was fantastic.
Reports that this is the ‘best line up since Phil’ were met with understandable scepticism but after tonight the general consensus seems to be that they aren’t too far off. While it would be impossible to match the original line up, even the most hardened of Thin Lizzy purists would be mad to miss out on seeing this band play. The band left the stage to rapturous applause after a fitting dedication of ‘Black Rose’ to both Phil Lynott and Gary Moore and will no doubt be welcomed back by the Belfast crowd.
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On either side of Warwick were Lizzy stalwart Scott Gorham and Def Leppard’s Belfast born Viv Campbell. The duo went a long way to reinvigorating the traditional twin Les Paul attack and gelled well together in songs like ‘Emerald,’ ‘Massacre’ and ‘Waiting for an Alibi.’ Bass man Marco Mendoza used every inch of the stage to his advantage bouncing from side to side while Darren Wharton on keyboards was often lost in the barrage of guitars and drums.
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