Yeah, I know! I have mentioned it once or twice over the last couple of months … I love Reckless Love. Their latest album “Spirit” (my review is still online here https://www.rock-zone.co.uk/2013/08/04/reckless-love-spirit/ ). So when I spotted the UK tour was to open in Manchester it was clear where I had to be. Armed with camera and more pent up excitement than Mr Giddy, from Giddyland on a very giddy Friday, off I headed in the direction of Manchester Academy 3.
I clearly wasn’t alone in this state of excitement as, even early doors, the room was getting quite full. Which was great news for opening band, local heroes, Hell to Pay. This was an unexpected treat for me as I had only seen the HTP boys a couple of weeks earlier (at their fabulous double header show with Daylight Robbery at Bolton’s Railway Venue) – tonight gave them the chance to shine and increase their ever growing band of followers. A top effort from the boys, whose riffs, melody and not a little technical skill certainly impressed – Dan;s vocals bringing a powerful, melodic metal evening to a fantastic start. Make sure that you get yourselves to their next show near you – you will not be disappointed!
Next up was Laura Wilde. A new name to me but not to other mambers of the crowd (some of whom rather ungallantly suggested that she would certainly be easy on the eye! Good grief man – it’s not 1972 you know!). Hailing from Australia, but now based in California Laura and her band arrived in Manchester following a quite impressively wearisome journey. There were no signs of jetlag on show as the band rattled through material from her 2012 album “Sold My Soul” with Laura proving very quickly to be just my kind of female rock singer – one with a “ballsy” voice, strong attitude and, most of all, talent in abundance. For good measure, the set also included a cover of AC/DC’s “Jailbreak” – surprisingly, this time an AC/DC cover that didn’t lean towards cliche … well done!. As a talented rock singer, songwriter and guitar player (and with, you have to admit, a very striking look) the future should bring great things (and shes only 23!).
Finally, the moment was upon us. House lights went down, the stage was bathed in green and Thin Lizzy’s “Boys Are Back in Town” blasted through the pa. The Reckless Love boys certainly were back and in force. Opening with latest single “So Happy I Could Die” the happiness in the band was there for all to see and it couldn’t be clearer – Olli, Hessu, Pepe and Jalle were here to give us a great time and to spread their own 21st Century brand of the type of melodic, rocking, AOR/Hairband/Hard Rock/Metal that ruled the world back in the early/mid/late 80s. Three albums into their career and team Reckless Love have a great selection of tunes to create a set. Mixing the singles from the first two albums with much of “Spirit” this was a band at the peak of their early career. I can’t think of a gig where a band playing so many of their new record had the crowd cheering for every song as though the band were touring their greatest hits after a thirty year career. Songs like “Beautiful Bomb” sound as fresh as the day the boys released it – the live environment allowing the infectious energy to invade the crowd.
Talking of the crowd, the thing that struck me most was the age range. Sure you have the current “Kerrang!” generation but in equal numbers were the current “Classic Rock” gang (you know, the ones who were around when we thought “Kerrang!” was the greatest thing since slice bread). Even better was the atmosphere we brought – smiling, laughing, singing, dancing and bouncing. This is what rock and roll should be about. Hessu started the jungle drums for the great lead single “Night On Fire”, another track for the heaving mass to increase the heat in the room and … that was it. Oh, well not quite the boys had time for an encore or two. First was the very apt “Hot” – sweat pouring from band and audience alike, Final one of the night was “Animal Attraction” and that really was it.
All to soon that was it! Exactly 60 minutes of joy that was over in what seemed like a blink of an eye. I think everyone in the packed auditorium would have rocked with the band all night and by the time the next album comes along Reckless Love should have moved up the pecking order some more in terms of venue size and set length. Until then enjoy the albums and you may still have time to catch them this time around
Set List:
So Happy I Could Die
Bad Loving
On The Radio
Born to Break Your Heart
Beautiful Bomb
Dying to Live
Edge of our Dreams
I Love Heavy Metal
Runaway Love
Sex, Drugs and Reckless Love
Night on Fire
Hot
Animal Attraction
The last few dates of the UK tour are:
October 8 – NORWICH Waterfront Studio
October 9 – BRISTOL The Fleece
October 10 – LONDON O2 Academy Islington
For more information see:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RecklessLove
Website – http://www.recklesslove.com/
“Spirit” available to purchase at – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spirit-Reckless-Love/dp/B00DVH4AB4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381069899&sr=8-1&keywords=reckless+love
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