It’s not often that you get to see two amazing bands doing a free meet and greet before and after a show. This unique combination of down to earth humbleness and sophisticated musicianship is precisely what we got at Eleven.

Absolva were the first group to hit the stage and they have a fascinating sound to them. NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) brought back to life but modernised in a way that you can still hear its roots without it being spoiled.  It manifests itself through ‘Fire in the Sky’ where there are some Saxon vibes to it with the tempo and melodies. The softer power of the kick drum and a smooth sounding ride cymbal give that raw throwback feeling of what kits sounded like back in the day. The guitars are also tuned to sound like an 80s band where there is less growl and bite in the deep end and the focus shifts slightly to the higher and harsh frequencies.

They were hyped and ready to get Stoke on their feet. Chris’ vocal and guitar abilities are like a match made in heaven. What I like a lot about his vocals is his versatility to switch from belting the familiar gravelly sound to going softer in some sections and still sing with authority. His younger brother, Luke who on a few occasions took the lead on vocals, may not have the same power but you could tell how you don’t always have to scream at the top of your lungs to make your presence known which is a special talent to have.

The highlight for me though was the guitar work. The Appleton brothers put their beautifully polished babies to sing with electrifying Iron Maiden-like call and response solos that quickly became a shred fest which would give Dragonforce a run for their money.  It was clear that the talent runs in the family and songs like ‘Code Red’ were a prime example of that where the pair took turns on who did the best solo as if it was a shred off competition. The timings of when to switch harmonies was spot on like when an athlete knows exactly when to start their run before the baton gets passed on. The big question at the end was how on earth could Blaze Bayley build on the energy that Absolva had left behind once they finished playing?

The answer was yes. The former Iron Maiden frontman came on with a cacophony of cheers. Rocking his trademark sideburns only beard, a passionate Blaze Bayley was out and ready to close his UK tour with a bang. While it’s almost an identical lineup as Absolva, they have their own uniqueness to their sound. Luke steps back to rhythm guitars while Chris goes to lead guitars only where he utilises a wah-wah pedal with shorter, less complicated solos in a more typical lead guitarist stance. It’s not as fast and aggressive as Absolva but it’s still traditional heavy metal. While Blaze may not have that same gravelly and powerful voice as Chris, it’s warm and deep with some sweetness to it which was a nice contrast to what was heard before.

His energy was relentless and he had a commanding stage presence by constantly asking for the crowd to scream for him. Blaze delivered a charismatic performance with lyrics talking about resilience, remaining true to yourself and honouring legends in history such as Stephen Hawking. He said that he was on the edge of quitting music but was convinced by Chris to carry on and you could then tell why he was always motivating others to never give up on their dreams which I found very touching. His partnership with Absolva over the past 9 years has been inseparable and he treats us all like a family so who wouldn’t want Blaze Bayley as a friend?

While a fair share of the setlist was from “War Within Me”, he did play some Iron Maiden classics from the Blaze Bayley era such as ‘Man on the Edge’ and ‘Futureal’ which definitely got the place going. His name was being chanted at deafening noise levels while the crowd were asking for more every time which goes to show how much he’s loved in the metal world. I couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday afternoon gig.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!

Blaze Bayley, Absolva