There has been a lot of discussion around Thin Lizzy since the band reformed in 1996 as they continued on with numerous lineup changes and vocalists since the passing of original bassist, vocalist and key songwriter, Phil Lynott.
Even outside at this show there were conversations around just how Thin Lizzy would sound without their poetic frontman.
A decent amount of punters turned up to witness the band’s only Melbourne sideshow outside of their gigs as support for KISS and Motley Crue. They came on stage to thunderous applause and vocalist Ricky Warwick (most notably frontman for The Almighty) gave it his all.
Alongside members from the classic Thin Lizzy era; guitarist Scott Gorham, drummer Brian Downey, and keyboardist Darren Wharton, the band sounded tight and as though they had been playing together for many years.
Gorham’s guitar noodling was impressive while Downey kept the crowd pumping with his backbone drumbeat. Newcomer Damon Johnson shredded away on lead guitars while bassist Marco Mendoza (who looked a lot like Joey DeMaio from Manowar) rounded out the band’s huge sound.
Any doubts as to whether Warwick’s vocals would match up to Lynott’s were quickly laid to rest as he delivered an incredible performance and had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.
Whether he was singing the band’s anthemic ‘Jailbreak’, the emotive ‘Emerald’ or the classic Bob Seger cover of ‘Rosalie’, Warwick was nothing but perfect. You couldn’t fault his enthusiasm and his obviously Lynott-inspired vocal style.
By the time the band leaped into the epic ‘Boys Are Back In Town’, the crowd was on fire with air guitars and dancing. The band finished with a stellar performance of ‘Whiskey In The Jar’ and there was not a single person looking unimpressed at the flawless performance they had just witnessed.
Sure this was not the Thin Lizzy that we all grew up with, but it’s as close as punters are ever going to get and thus, should be thankful. This was not about replacing Lynott; this was about solidifying the band’s legacy and celebrating the music that they brought fans throughout the 70s and 80s.
If you missed the show, truth be told, you simply missed out as sadly, the boys will not be back in town. Well, not as Thin Lizzy anyway.
The band have decided to drop the name in respect for Lynott and instead will continue under the name of Black Star Riders, sans Downey. They have already recorded their debut album of all new original material titled All Hell Breaks Loose, to be released in May.
Early reports are that it sounds like classic Thin Lizzy, so who knows, the boys just may be back in town after all. We can only hope so if this was a sign of what’s to come.
