Surprisingly opening up tonight were BRITNY FOX and just about recognisable from the (now) hilarious cover of their eponymous 1988 debut record is the only band member left from those days, bass guitarist Billy Childs. While some may call this nothing more than a tribute, the band Childs has put together really does do great justice to the classic BRITNY FOX material. New vocalist / rhythm guitarist Jamie Fletcher has one hell of a voice, managing to pull off the screeching vocals of 'Long Way to Love' and 'Girlschool' without a problem. This was a terrific set and it was a shame that so few people were in the venue to catch it.

 

The band I did expect to have opened up was Sweden's FATAL SMILE. The odd ones out on the bill, FATAL SMILE are an up and coming bunch of rockers, not, dare I say it, glam/hair metal has beens. The band have an awesome image and on stage swagger which really brings their material alive. With such catchy rocking numbers as 'Run For Your Life' and 'Learn Love Hate', it's easy to see why this band are so popular in their homeland where their music has reached the top 10 in the national charts. With a brilliant singer in Blades, and a superb guitarist in Y, FATAL SMILE are definitely a band worth checking out when they return to the UK in December as support to VINCE NEIL.

 

After a public feud in 2007 between vocalist Steve Summers and guitarist Kristy Majors, a reunion of PRETTY BOY FLOYD never looked likely. However, here we are a year later and 3 of the 4 members that recorded classic album 'Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz' (including Summers and Majors) are indeed back together and touring. PBF are masters of glam metal, and still have the look and sound that propelled them to the front cover of Kerrang! back in 1989.

 

Other than the fantastic party anthem 'Saturday Nite' – all of the set was made up of material from the Leather Boyz… record with obvious stand outs being 'Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire)', and the classic ballad 'I Wanna Be With You' - both huge hits back in the day. Steve Summers has a voice sounding very similar to Vince Neil, but he's a much stronger live vocalist, as proven on an enjoyable cover of MOTLEY CRUE's 'Toast of the Town'. 'Rock and Roll Outlaws' rounded off a short, yet tremendous set. PRETTY BOY FLOYD kicked ass.

 

Playing the headline slot tonight were BULLETBOYS, lead by the highly talented Marq Torien. When the band first burst onto the scene in 1988, sporting long-blonde hair, Torien handled only the vocals, which lead to comparisons to David Lee Roth. These days, now with much shorter, dark hair, Torien also plays lead guitar, and does a great job in both roles. BULLETBOYS certainly don't have the kind of sing-a-long anthems that PRETTY BOY FLOYD played, but instread, their brand of rock and roll is a more groovy affair. 'Talk To Your Daughter' is a perfect example. The essential number 'Smooth Up in Ya' was left to close the show – thus a fitting end to a super night of rock and roll.

   

OK – all the bands played under 40 minutes, but at least this meant that lesser songs weren't played to pad out the setlists. A thoroughly enjoyable feast of rock – but rather worringly enjoyed by less than a 100 people – a very disappointing turn out for a Friday night. Signs that the credit crunch really is taking effect, or just that hair metal has finally died it's death? I really hope it's not the latter, because this is probably the only sub-genre of rock that has a number 1 priority of fun.

 

BRITNY FOX Setlist: Six Gun's Loaded / Louder / Long Way to Love / Black and White / Dream On / Midnight Moses / Girlschool

 

FATAL SMILE Setlist: S.O.B. / Neo Natural Freaks / Out of My Head / Run For Your Life / Straight to Hell / Stranger / Learn Love Hate

 

PRETTY BOY FLOYD Setlist: Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz / Your Mama Won't Know / Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire) / Toast Of The Town / 48 Hours / Saturday Nite / I Wanna Be With You / Rock and Roll Outlaws

 

BULLETBOYS Setlist: Hard as a Rock / Talk To Your Daughter / Hell on My Heels / THC Groove / For The Love of Money / Kissin' Kitty / Smooth Up in Ya

 

BRITNY FOX Rating: 4.0/5.0

FATAL SMILE Rating: 4.3/5.0

PRETTY BOY FLOYD Rating: 4.8/5.0

BULLETBOYS Rating: 4.1/5.0

 

Review by James Allman

 

Photography by Alexander Shaw

 

BRITNY FOX

 

 

FATAL SMILE

 

 

PRETTY BOY FLOYD

 

 

BULLETBOYS