Live Review : FM + GUN + Dan Reed Network @ Academy 2, Manchester on December 20th 2019

Way before the days of all things grunge and everything else since, there was a time that we all remember rather fondly. Well, the ones like me that are now above a certain age do anyway. Back in 1989, music was just as strong as it is now, especially if you where a rock and metal fan. It was the tail end of the ‘Hair or Poodle Metal’ days, the land of big shoulders, long sparkled coats, mullets, denim, leathers, cowboy boots, sequins and blokes applying make-up playing pink pointy guitars. 

Aah, those where the days!

To think that it’s now 30 years, 30 bloody years since the days of The Two Tubs, and The Royal on a Friday night, The Salisbury and Jilly’s Rockworld on a Saturday, or wandering around Bury having been to Vibes to buy the latest releases for no more than say, £5.49, before heading to your mates houses to turn the volume up to 10, dropping in a C-90 cassette hoping it would be taped for the following week so as to be able to listen on your Walkman on the bus on the way to work, before reading those gatefold sleeves back to front, upside down, inside out, perhaps looking for Eddie’s mark, or thumbing through a Kerrang!!! magazine gazing at photographs of bands like Femme Fatale, or staring at Doro’s breasts in a pre Saturday teatime Baywatch lust.

Well this evening, we’re heading down Manchester’s old Sunset Strip or Oxford Road to the Academy 2 and to see the mighty FM, Dan Reed Network and GUN. Tonight they are celebrating the 30th anniversary of perhaps deemed by some, their greatest work “Slam”, “Taking on the World” and “Tough It Out” and playing them in full. Sitting alongside other legendaries of the day like Thunder, Little Angels, Dare, Giant, Faith No More, Skid Row and countless, countless others, it was a great time for music then, and it still is now. Most of the aforementioned bands are either still going, took hiatuses or reformed, yet today never has the demand to see these great bands been as high as it is now. And why? Because purely and simply they wrote and released great albums, toured hard and refused to kneel at the throne of grunge. Back in the day the Seattle sound all but served as a death knell, yet here they all are, still playing and all still releasing quality music., The big 3-0 tour is celebrating the music and importance those songs served to not just fans back then, but the new generations of fans and new bands influenced by them today. It must mean one thing though; we’re in for a real treat tonight. Oh yes!

The mullets and big hair are long gone but what will always remain is just how powerful these albums really are. So for tonight, and only tonight it’s time to dust off the denim, pretend to run your fingers through your now sadly departed mullet, grab your air guitar and remember the golden days of 1989. Join me as we jump in the Delorean and head back to celebrate the anniversary of these 3 giants of all things AOR, funk and general all round excellence.

Each band has been taking it in turns to open and close each night, and here in Manchester, Dan Reed Network are opening the show just after 7pm. Right from the start there’s a high energy and buzz and there’s a big cheer as they take to the stage. A hush descends almost like walking into a church service, as Dan Reed does a mighty fine a cappella version of ‘All my Lovin’ ‘before they launch into ‘Make it Easy’. “Slam” was an album produced by Nile Rodgers. It threatened so much, an album stuffed with absolute classic funk rock fused tunes, it woke the world up to the Network, and subsequently a high profile support to The Rolling Stones followed in 1990. For whatever reason, and there are a few, the band never achieved the status that they so richly deserved. They took a hiatus at the end of ’93 and resurfaced in late 2012 to strong demands, and have toured and released some great albums since. “Slam” was an album that perfectly blended so many influences and styles, and every one shines brightly this evening. The crowd remember every line and sing along to every word. The man himself is just high energy, strutting and moving like a ninja and possesses an incredible soulful and yet such powerful vocal range that compliments the band to perfection. All the classics are here; ‘Slam’, ‘Tiger in a Dress’, ‘Lover, Stronger then Steel’. There’s some wonderful banter during ‘Under my Skin’ as Dan gets to grip with the transgender politically correctness which raises more than smile from everyone in the crowd.  The Network effortlessly weave sonic tapestries of sounds throughout their hour or so of glory with some incredible bass playing from Melvin Brannon, cracking guitar from Brion James, underpinning that is Dan Pred’s drumming, and new boy Rob Daiker’s keyboards holding it all together nicely. It’s an absolute crystal clear sound and all too soon ‘Seven Sister’s Road’ brings the house down. It almost took me back to the International 2 venue watching them on the Slam tour. It was absolutely rammed; sweat pouring from the ceilings, the band on fire, crowd going complete nuts. What’s changed tonight? Air conditioning, that’s all. Simply magnificent.

GUN are also a band that never got to where they deserved to be. Playing their excellent debut album “Taking on The World”, to some people they are best known rather cruelly for their version of ‘Word Up’, yet they have released some excellent albums over the years but tonight they’re playing their debut and probably best known release. Only the Gizzi brothers remain from the line up that recorded TOTW, but for those new to GUN, this is a great intro into the bands material. If you haven’t heard any of their recent stuff then you should definitely check out “Frantic” and “Favourite Pleasures”. Perhaps one reason they haven't got the accolade they deserve to this day is their ever changing line up. A masterstroke which steadied the ship was the bassist turning into the singer and Dante Gizzi has transformed into an excellent one at that. Sounding very similar to original singer Mark Rankin in many ways, he can not only give the songs the credible voice needed, but also commands the crowd well and has a rather good set of pipes on him as well. Having had a stable line up for a few years now, and the introduction of the albino like Tommy Gentry on guitar this is their best golden shot at where they rightly should be. It’s a great set, opening with ‘Better Days’, it’s another album crammed with classic rock and fist pumpers like ‘Inside Out’, ‘Money’, ‘Shame on You’ and the great ballad ‘Taking on the World’. People are singing along to every line, the band are super tight and loving every minute performing this classic album to a receptive audience. Throw in ‘Steal your Fire’ from the follow up album “Gallus”, and of course ‘Word Up’, the crowd bounces along nicely before their cover of the Beastie Boys ‘Fight for your Right’ brings their set to a rousing finish. I’ve never been left disappointed by a GUN show, and the way they thank the crowd, it’s evident what a great set of blokes they are too. If you haven’t been a fan before, go check them out, it’s excellent stuff.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen FM, and it all started back in June ‘89 when they played in the International 2 ahead of the release of their legendary 2nd album “Tough It Out” a few months later. That gig still sticks in my mind for a few reasons. Aside from the fact they played some absolute classic AOR tunes, and the rather easy on the eye Saraya supporting, they had a loyal core following which remains to this day. It was also the first time I’d been exposed to the vocal wonder that is Steve Overland. A range that has stood the test of time as much as the songs have done since, they took a hiatus in 1996, reforming in 2007 for the Firefest Festival when demand to hear the boys again proved too good to resist. Thankfully they’ve stuck with it and continue to release some excellent stuff. Helped by Radio 2 and Planet Rock airplay, their brand of AOR and classic rock has now opened them up to a whole new audience. They always give a great performance, and tonight it’s no exception, and as usual, they are slick and polished. “Tough It Out” demonstrates exactly why it’s held in such high regard. Starting with the thunderous title track ‘Tough It Out’, it’s an album jammed pack of absolute AOR classics. ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Can You Hear Me Calling’, ‘Dream That Died’ and the all so nearly breakthrough singles of ‘Bad Luck’ and ‘Someday (you’ll come running to me)’ makes you wonder just how they escaped the fame and fortune that they really did deserve. They were destined to be the next big thing around the late ‘80’s and its criminal they didn’t get the recognition nor the break they seemed destined to get. Some would argue that FM have had their day. For their loyal fans that’s simply not the case, as they continue to release quality albums, and put on a show tonight that turns back the clock. With Chris Overland no longer on guitar, it’s been Jim Kirkpatrick since they reformed, taking over from Andy Barnett. He’s added a new dimension to both their current sound and playing the classics. Steve demonstrates just why he is such an underrated singer with the stunning stripped back ‘Story of My Life’ that almost brings goosebumps. Before we know it’s time for the excellent last single ‘Killed By Love’. During this the charismatic original keyboardist Didge Digital is spotted with a keytar loitering backstage, he’s brought out enthusiastically to bring the house down and send everyone off home happily with the 1st album classic ‘Other Side of Midnight’.

It’s been a quality evening’s entertainment, all three bands proving that they are most definitely not on some sort of nostalgic trip, and as the late, great Jim Bowen would have said on Bullseye back in the day; ‘Super, Smashing Great.’

Without a doubt it certainly was.