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Rating: State of grace for this band is rather an understatement. It's rare to see a band from the old days, the mighty Seventies in fact, in such dazzling form as Uriah Heep in their only Italian date at the Rolling Stone for the tour of the new album "Wake The Sleeper". The venue is packed, the audience typically composed of those in their fifties and sixties, but here and there some younger long-haired fans. Warmth is the catchword, not only for the old hits, the classics, but also for the tracks from Uriah Heep's new album, the magnificent "Wake The Sleeper".
The secret to the only Italian date of a tour that could be deemed perfect lies in the excellent musical blend that the 5 band members offer, along with a 27-year-long bond, except for the new drummer, Russel Gilbrook, whose double bass drum almost doubles the power of the songs performed.
Let's take a brief detour on the concert’s scenic side: the stage is set up in an essential manner... that is, no various choreographies and a total absence of frills. There are only the Heep and their energy, which is nothing short of stratospheric (and that's more than enough!).
A special mention goes to the amazingly skilled Bernie Shaw... a real stage beast, who sings, moves, and energizes both the fans (almost squeezed together for lack of space!) and his fellow bandmates. In short, the true band leader, exponentially fueling the passion of an already warm and engaged audience. Additionally noteworthy is his absolutely flawless vocal performance, despite the number of stops already made elsewhere in the world. The legendary Easy Livin' is not to be missed, always great with its fast pace, and here too Shaw does not make us pine for Byron, just as he manages to engage the entire Rolling Stone with July Morning. Even in new tracks like War Child, Tears Of The World, Heaven's Rain, Light Of A Thousand Stars, Ghost Of The Ocean, he doesn't miss a beat.
Of course, the soul of the band is always Mick Box, the sole surviving member of the band's original core. Mick Box is Uriah Heep. Little glasses, hair down to his buttocks, big smiles all around, and a wah-wah pedal that has become the natural extension of his foot are his distinguishing features. Even while walking, he now moves like a duck. It's under his powerful guitar that the concert opens, with the title track Wake the Sleeper, as our dear shoot had optimally predicted. And then Overload, and the grandeur of the guitar riff in Shadow, not to mention the fantastic chorus, or that of Book Of Lies, just as exciting! And Box, each song points the heart with his fist, and towards the end of the concert, he gratefully thanks the Italian audience with an emotional speech, for the energy and the good memory he will carry to the next date in Belgium.
Trevor Bolder's performance, the ex-Spider From Mars, is extraordinary, as expressive as he's never been seen before. The riffs he creates in new pieces are nothing short of perfect: Angles Walk With You with a bass solo is much more powerful live than in the studio thanks also to Shaw's interpretation. What kind of God is another point of remarkable height, also due to the bassist, who truly unleashes and leads, especially at the end. Trevor interprets the old classics just as sublimely, like the closing Lady In Black complete with a choir from the audience.
In front of the keys of the legendary Hammond organ, elegant in his dark blue shirt like an office worker, Phil Lanzon shows off his flowing hair. The skilled musician remains in the background during the first songs of the concert, playing chords with his right hand and keeping the rhythm with the left, twirling it around as even Ken Hensley didn't in his glory days. Then the nemesis occurs: as if in a remarkable artistic ecstasy, he starts to get excited, elbows on the keyboard, his hair seems to have a life of its own: it's the first classic, Stealin', and it's just the beginning. In a flash, the ever-present and irresistible laments of the Hammond fill the already rich sound of two masterpieces nearing forty years old, Gypsy and the incredible Look At Yourself; the audience is in a frenzy. The spotlights are now all on him; the organ solo, intense and very well executed (also with a hint of Bach's Toccata) sweeps everyone along and ends in a sustained chord crescendo. As soon as the mind clears, a roar: it's the first gift for the wizard celebrating his birthday, the Sunrise that still drives people crazy, even after so many years. Lanzon certainly lacks the versatility of the legendary Hensley, who sang very well and also played the second guitar, but at the ivory keys, he absolutely does not make one miss good old Ken; majestic and very clean, the now-almost-white blond Phil is on point tonight: his expression is that of a musician giving his all, like his fellow bandmates, and this is the best gift Uriah Heep could give to fans who have been waiting for them for twenty years. On the verge of emotion, ours, theirs, and everyone's. Even the nuisance who throughout the concert kept asking Pibroch to move away.
The night ends with shoot voiceless, Pibroch ecstatic, Roby in orgasm, and green having had to change his mind about Shaw! If we then count an original tour program autographed by the band members for only 10 euros (which Pibroch hurriedly purchased with quiet, soft steps, seeing Roby86 and green proudly showing it off and teasing him) available in the foyer... One could say nothing more could be desired on such a magical evening!
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