You could think of far worse ways to spend a beautiful sunny day in Manchester on a Sunday evening. It wasn't just the heat outside that needed turning down, the heat is turned up to boiling point inside the Academy 2 with blistering performances all-round from perhaps some of the most underrated AOR and melodic bands still performing and going strong some 30 plus years after their inceptions. It’s certainly a mouth-watering affair and one that goes down better than the obligatory pint of overpriced lager from the bar. If value for money is your thing, then you’ve certainly got that in spade loads on the music on offer tonight.  

The triple header begins with Tyketto. It's rammed, and 5 minutes late in starting due to the queue to get in. The sound is absolutely crystal clear. Frontman Danny Vaughan has the energy and passion of a man half his age, ‘I’m 61 you know’ he announces towards the middle of the set. You wouldn’t think so; he lives and breathes this band and its clear to see; the power of his delivery deeply resonating with the early doors crowd. He not just commands the stage, he owns the bloody thing yet is humble and full of gratitude and you can really feel that passion oozing from every inch of his soul. Tyketto are perhaps one of the most overlooked bands of their genre and it’s almost criminal when you hear the strength of their material. Tonight’s set is largely taken from their iconic first two albums ‘Don’t Come Easy’ and ‘Strength in Numbers’. With Thunder’s Chris Childs making a welcome return to his side gig and dynamic new guitarist Harry Scott Evans on board, the band sound just as fresh and exciting as they did back in ’91. They kick things of with ‘Reach’ from the 2016 album of the same name, the crowd are in fine voice right from the off and it’s an hour crammed full of their finest moments. A cover of Waysted’s ‘Heaven Tonight’ breaks things up nicely and usual set suspects ‘Wings’, ‘Standing Alone’, and ‘Strength in Numbers’ are sing-a- long classics, and with the sleazy ‘Lay Your Body Down’, these tracks have aged like a fine wine. There can be no other song to end than ‘Forever Young’, with that instantly recognisable infectious beast of a riff it’s a blistering performance to wake the crowd up and start the evening off nicely.

FM are another gloriously overlooked national treasure that never fail to deliver the goods and tonight once more is no exception.  Writers of some of AOR’s best material both sides of the pond, they really are true masters of their craft and deliver a set crammed full of classics old and new. A vocalist to rival any of our British greats, Steve Overland’s voice seems to get better, still leaving the crowd wondering just how he does hit those notes, and especially at his age. A band of guys who genuinely love what they do, there could be a different set every night for a year with the strength of their 13 studio albums to pull a set from. Tonight though, it's pretty much what you'd expect, mixing the styles of every era of a band that still continue to churn out quality after quality album.  Recent track ‘Synchronised’ kicks it off in parp-tastic keyboard form, before a return to the album that started it all off in 1986’s “Indiscreet” with ‘I Belong to the Night’, a powerful slice of AOR that gains the rousing response from the crowd it warrants, welcoming the chaps to the stage. Infectious radio hit that should have been, ‘Killed by Love’ firmly embedded in the set, and is aired afterwards. Songs like the apparently bugger of a vocal for Steve in ‘Someday (You’ll come running)’, ‘Let Love be the Leader’, ‘Bad Luck’ and ‘Tough it Out’ always stand up as some of the best AOR ever written, and with the sublime and heart drenched ballad ‘Everytime I Think Of You’ returning to the set, you really do have to shake your head and wonder exactly why this band never broke through the way they deserved to have done.  The possible surprise inclusion of ‘Tattoo Needle’ from “Dead Man’s Shoes” chosen by a fan’s poll goes down well and like all the other songs features some lovely guitar interludes and harmony playing with Jim Kirkpatrick. They finish the set with crowd fave ‘Turn This Car Around’ from the latest album; “Thirteen’, already proving to be a firm set staple and another bonafide banger to add to their collection.

Oldham lads Dare take their turn to headline tonight, and it's not hard to see why they are held in the regard they are. Creating and weaving quality Celtic influenced catchy melodic rock is their USP and their set is jam packed full of crowd pleasers. They play and entertain from opener ‘Born in The Storm’ from the excellent 2022 release “Road to Eden”. This is Darren Wharton’s home fixture and the front is full of fan club members and friends alike cheering them on. It's a great set and another 60 minutes worth blending the old and new, full of memorable tunes that Dare are famous for producing.  Guitarist Vinnie Burns cuts an almost Dave Meniketti type figure with his flowing greying hair and Les Paul, weaving melodic tapestries intricately throughout, clearly enjoying the connection with the crowd. They choose to air tracks from just 4 of their back catalogue with the first two albums making up 6 songs of the set.  Playing ‘Abandon’ and ‘We Don’t Need a Reason’ back to back proves to be a great idea as the impact of a double smash in the mouth often works wonders, and it certainly does. They seem like a band that’s had somewhat of a resurgence of late and Wharton is clearly enjoying his home advantage and needs no excuse to make new fans and drive the women crazy. Between songs he tells tales of recording songs over lockdown and the frustrations of not being able to play live gaining appreciative cheers around the venue. Newer songs ‘Cradle to Grave’ and ‘Road to Eden’ slot in majestically alongside set staples Home, ‘Wings of Fire’ and ‘Into the Fire’ and it’s another set tonight of all killer no filler, with the highlight for many coming in the form of ‘King of Spades’ written about and dedicated to the man Phil Lynott with the brilliant mid-section of ‘Black Rose’ interjected. 

‘Return the Heart’ comes around all too quickly and before we know it the house lights go up on an evening that to quote Danny Vaughn earlier- ‘probably the best bill on the road’. He wasn’t kidding, and the most triumphant celebration of AOR and melodic rock you could fit into an evening comes to a close.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Dare, FM, Tyketto