FM + Grand Slam - Islington Assembly Hall 07/04/2022
Where does the time go? It’s a chilly, windy April evening as I hotfoot it from the day job to Islington. The reason for my haste is AOR stalwarts FM are in town on their ‘Thirteen’ tour. ‘Thirteen’ is about as good as melodic rock gets in 2022, and as it’s been a few years (the late 80s) since I’ve seen Steve Overland and co in the flesh, I’m expecting good things.
On arrival, I’m in for a welcome surprise as Grand Slam are blazing through a set that, understandable, owes a debt to the mighty Thin Lizzy and a certain Philip Lynott. Memories of a 1984 gig at the King Charles in Gillingham come flooding back (bloody hell, I’m old) as the likes of ‘Military Man’, ‘19’, ‘Crime Rate’ and ‘Sisters Of Mercy’ are aired to a very positive crowd reaction. Laurence Archer crouches over his Flying V ala Michael Schenker and peels off solos with similarly impressive dexterity. The ex-Stampede and UFO guitarist is ably supported by charismatic frontman Mike Dyer, who successfully walks the fine line of respecting Lynott's phrasing and maintaining his identity as frontman. Throw in a rock-solid rhythm section of industry veterans in bass player Rocky Newton (MSG/Lionheart) and the whirling dervish of flying grey hair that is drummer Benjy Reid (Burn/Praying Mantis) and a good show is guaranteed. There will always be the odd naysayer wondering about the relevance of Grand Slam in 2022. My opinion on this is the songs were good back in the day - Archer wrote or co-wrote the majority of them - and it’s great to hear them performed after they, and Archer himself, had seemingly been lost in the mists of time. Good stuff.
FM are another outfit that I'd not seen play live in many years. Back In the day, FM signed with Portrait Records, a major label with an excellent record for signing AOR/Melodic Rock acts. The Portrait roster included the likes of Aldo Nova, Orion The Hunter and Saga which seemingly presented an ideal opportunity for a UK AOR act to rub shoulders with the big names of the genre. Unfortunately, debut album ‘Indiscreet’ and follow up ‘Tough It Out’ never quite crossed over to the masses, despite steady touring as a headliner and opening for many of the major acts of the time. In the early 90s, FM’s sound took on a slightly more rootsy, bluesy feel and I, if I’m being completely honest, lost interest and moved on to other things. The first part of the FM story would end when the band called it a day in 1995. Looking back, I’m not sure we appreciated just how good FM were, and took them for granted, which is a shame.
FM would reunite in 2007 to play at Firefest, re-energising the band and starting the ball rolling on an impressive career renaissance. The addition of guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick in 2009 would cement the line-up, and FM has been on a roll ever since with numerous albums, EPs and even a re-recording of their classic debut to their credit. FM in 2022 are as good, if not better than ever. Singer Steve Overland sounds fantastic on record, is equally impressive live, and must surely be the benchmark for singers, with all due respect, of his age/era. Kirkpatrick is an impressively fluid guitarist (aided and abetted by Overland for some Thin Lizzy style harmonies) and shares backing vocal duties with bassist Merv Goldsworthy to create excellent backing vocal harmonies. One small change is Goldsworthy is more sedately attired than of old. Merv’s suits were the subject of much conversation/controversy back in the day.
Opening with ‘Synchronized’ FM blazed through a nineteen song set that included tracks from no less than ten albums. It was a case of hitting all the targets and keeping the most diehard fan more than happy. Fans of the debut were well served with ‘Dangerous’, ‘Other Side of Midnight’, ’That Girl’ and all-time classic ‘Frozen Heart’ among five tracks getting an airing this evening. As Jem Davis’ keys echoed around the Assembly Hall, it seemed hard to believe that ‘Frozen Heart’ didn't propel FM into the big leagues back in the day. The latest album ‘Thirteen’ is represented by three tracks; the glorious ‘Waiting On Love’, ‘Turn This Car Around’, which closed out the main set, and the epic bluesy balladry of ‘Long Road Home’, allowing Kirkpatrick one of many opportunities to show off his chops.
The guys returned for a three-song encore, with the Overland/Davis showcase ‘Story Of My Life’ before slipping in an unexpected but welcome ‘Blood And Gasoline’ and closed out the evening with a rousing ‘Other Side Of Midnight’ still sounding as fresh as it did in 1986. 'Midnight' also allows Jem Davis to strap on a synth, channel his hidden guitar hero, and join the rest of the lads down the front.
Catching FM in 2022 was a joy. The guys look pleased to be back out and playing shows. The on-stage interaction and smiling faces throughout the set show a band having a lot of fun. The guys are at the top of their game, playing with an enthusiasm that newer bands would do well to emulate. FM has plenty of touring planned for 2022 in the UK/Europe. So I urge you to get out and catch a show. You will be so glad you did.
I don’t get to many metal shows these days, so I jumped at the opportunity to visit North London for a rare UK visit from Kamelot. The Florida-born but now multi-national act are deep into their ‘Awaken The World’ tour with impressive looking support from Ad Infinitum, Blackbriar and Frozen Crown. I’m, unusually for me, bright and early for the start of tonight’s proceedings and expecting good things.