Thin Lizzy W\/Clutch<\/p>\n
Apollo<\/p>\n
28th January<\/p>\n
4.5 stars<\/p>\n
Given the names following them tonight, you\u2019d be forgiven for expecting Belgian openers Triggerfinger to play a safe set and just get the job done. You would also be wrong. Storming, and in frontman Ruben Block\u2019s case dancing, through a sometimes groove laden, sometimes erratic set, Triggerfinger\u2019s infectious hooks pull you in one moment and, with a quick flourish, toss you aside the next. An impressive, but perhaps cocky set.<\/p>\n
Clutch, however, are no nonsense. Bursting right into a long support slot brimming with Neil Fallon\u2019s casual yet commanding swagger, it doesn\u2019t take long to get the crowd going. Opting for a song choice more rooted in the band\u2019s later, bluesy style, clearly trying to win over new fans. It works. With early unconvinced head-bobbing evolving into foot-stomping and then into a frenzy to rival any headlining band anywhere. With a closing punch including \u2018The Mob Goes Wild\u2019, \u2018Cypress Grove\u2019 and \u2018Electric Worry\u2019, they leave Thin Lizzy with one hell of a warmed up crowd, but also one hell of a performance to beat.<\/p>\n
Before the band even appears, I hear numerous rumblings of, \u201cNo Phil Lynott, no Thin Lizzy.\u201d Despite paying for a ticket, it\u2019s clear that many are unconvinced with this incarnation of the band, featuring drummer Brian Downey as the only original member. This is an opinion the band refuses to let stand. After bursting through a set of Lizzy classics with some of the most technically able players in the world, nobody in The Apollo could be left with any doubt of the members respect to the legacy of the band. People can argue all they like about whether they\u2019re really Thin Lizzy or just a glorified cover band. The fact of the matter is, they still absolutely smash it.<\/p>\n