By Phil Ashdown.
These Christmas shows have always been a bit special as they are a more relaxed affair with both an acoustic, sit-down set followed by their full electric show. As vocalist Danny Bowes put it ‘…first of all we sit down and you all sway from side to side then we stand up and you jump up and down’
Opening with a laid back version of Serpentine to get everyone in the mood, the band are soon joined by two female backing singers and an extra keyboard player. Thunder’s forthcoming album Please Remain Seated features re-imaginings of some of their best songs, all given a total reworking and tonight we were given a taste of what to expect with Just Another Suicide, Loser and Higher Ground.
What really makes these evenings special are the band’s take on other artist’s songs which tonight featured Hall & Oats’ She’s Gone, Free’s My Brother Jake and a superb take on Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain, in this first part of the evening.
After a short break Thunder returned with their full rock set. It is now that singer Bowes really comes into his own as a consumate frontman, he has such boundless energy and commands the crowd so well, controlling the tempo and the crowd’s participation, and making them laugh with his comic quips in between songs.
Tonight is not about being perfect but more to do with having fun and trying new arrangements and songs never performed before. On a couple of occasions Bowes had to re-start to reach the top notes to prove he still had it! This is not to fault his voice because it sounds superb throughout but more that the band were a little ring rusty and had only rehearsed for a couple of days.
More cover songs were played throughout the set, including Who’s Behind Blue Eyes, Small Faces’ Lazy Sunday, Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark and Golden Earring’s Radar Love. Each one being lapped up by the energetic, sold-out crowd, some of whom were wearing Santa suits, Christmas jumpers and assorted Santa hats.
After a brief break guitarist and chief songwriter Luke Morely introduced one of his favourite players onto the stage, Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham to play a blistering Jailbreak. Another guest in the form of Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor joined for The Faces’ Stay With Me and finishing off with a rousing sig-a-long for Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody as giant inflatables fill the stage and snow falls from the lighting gantry.
Thunder may not be household names, but their following is strong and it is easy to see why they continue to garner such loyal support after nearly 30 years in the business. They are the embodiment of British rock at its bluesy brilliant best.
Setlist
Sit Down
Serpentine
Just Another Suicide
Loser
Higher Ground
She’s Gone (Hall & Oates cover)
Black Water
This Forgotten Town
My Brother Jake (Free cover)
Once in a Lifetime
The Chain (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Electric Stand Up
The Devil Made Me Do It
Pilot of My Dreams
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who cover)
Lazy Sunday (Small Faces cover)
Numb
Dancing in the dark (Bruce Springsteen cover)
On the Radio
Radar Love (Golden Earring cover)
Gimme Some Lovin’ (The Spencer Davis Group cover)
Until My Dying Day
Encore:
Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy cover) (with Scott Gorham)
Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)
Stay With Me (Faces cover) (with Andy Taylor)
Merry Xmas Everybody (Slade cover) (with Andy Taylor)
Check out the rest of our Thunder titles on eil.com, and if you have any items to sell, please call us on 01474815099
eil.com… the world’s largest online retailer of rare and out of print vinyl, CDs and music memorabilia – since 1987
- Thunder - Love Walked In - UK - 12" picture disc - £18.00, $23.22, €21.42 (New Item) (arrived 20-Jul-2024 14:39)
THUNDER Love Walked In (1991 UK limited edition 3-track 12" Picture Disc single, one of the stand-out tracks from the Backstreet Symphony album, also including a demo of Flawed To Perfection & a live recording of Until My Dying Day; die-cut picture sleeve. The sleeve displays minimal wear & the disc looks barely touched 12EMPD175)
- Thunder - Stand Up + Poster - UK - 7" picture disc - £12.00, $15.48, €14.28 (New Item) (arrived 11-May-2024 09:08)
THUNDER Stand Up (1995 UK Limited Edition 7" Picture Disc including a band interview on the B-side about the new album and line-up. Housed inside a 12" size PVC cover and including a superb giant double sided poster of the single artwork on oneside with 1995 calendar and full band picture on the reverse! EMPD365)
- Thunder - Everybody Wants Her - Sealed - UK - 12" picture disc - £25.00, $32.25, €29.75 (New Item) (arrived 15-Jan-2024 15:29)
THUNDER Everybody Wants Her (Sealed 1992 UK limited edition 3-track 12" Picture Disc single, featuring the Preacher Fade version, also including Dangerous Rhythm and Higher Ground [Acoustic Version], hype-stickered die-cut picture sleeve. The sleeve displays some light creasing where the shrink over time has shrunk, otherwise remains sealed in the hype stickered shrink 12EMPD249)
- Thunder - Dirty Love - Clear Vinyl - UK - 12" vinyl - £15.00, $19.35, €17.85 (New Item) (arrived 15-Jan-2024 15:31)
THUNDER Dirty Love (1990 UK limited edition 3-track 12" single pressed on Clear Vinyl, featuring the Extended Version, along with Fired Up and a live version of She's So Fine, fold-out banner picture sleeve housed in a PVC sleeve 12EMP126)
- Thunder - Laughing On Judgement Day - EX - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £45.00, $58.05, €53.55 (New Item) (arrived 12-Feb-2024 10:02)
THUNDER Laughing On Judgement Day (1992 UK 14-track double vinyl LP manufactured in Germany for the UK market, including the singles A Better Man, Low Life In High Places, Everybody Wants Her and Like A Satellite, with a glossy surrealist design gatefold picture sleeve complete with original lyric inners. The sleeve shows minimal wear; aside from a few light surface scuffs, the vinyl shows few signs of play and remains in excellent condition EMD1035)
- Thunder - Laughing On Judgement Day - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £60.00, $77.40, €71.40 (New Item) (arrived 09-Mar-2024 10:10)
THUNDER Laughing On Judgement Day (1992 UK/German-pressed 14-track double LP, including the singles A Better Man, Low Life In High Places, Everybody Wants Her & Like A Satellite, with a glossy surrealist design gatefold picture sleeve completewith the lyrics inners. The sleeve shows minimal wear & the vinyl appears barely played. A superb one previous owner copy! EMD1035)
- Thunder - Backstreet Symphony - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £30.00, $38.70, €35.70 (New Item) (arrived 26-Mar-2024 15:16)
THUNDER Backstreet Symphony (1990 UK 10-track vinyl LP, their debut studio album which includes the singles She's So Fine, Dirty Love, Love Walked In, their cover version of the Spencer Davis Group's Gimme Some Lovin plus the title track. Theglossy picture sleeve shows some light shelfwear to the edges and corners and comes with its illustrated lyric inner, whilst the vinyl has just a few light surface scuffs - an excellent copy EMC3570)
- Thunder - Backstreet Symphony - UK - 12" picture disc - £15.00, $19.35, €17.85 (New Item) (arrived 10-May-2024 16:39)
THUNDER Backstreet Symphony (1990 UK limited edition 3-track 12" Picture Disc single with a superb band picture on each side, also including a live version of An Englishman On Holiday & No Way Out Of The Wilderness. The disc comes issued in the clear PVC sleeve complete with the back picture insert 12EMPD137)
- Thunder - Gimme Some Lovin - UK - 12" vinyl - £12.00, $15.48, €14.28 (New Item) (arrived 10-May-2024 16:49)
THUNDER Gimme Some Lovin' (1990 UK 3-track 12" vinyl single, also including I Wanna Be Her Slave and a live version of Dirty Love, glossy picture sleeve. The sleeve displays only light signs of wear whilst the vinyl shows only light signs of play 12EM148)
- Thunder - Everybody Wants Her - UK - 12" picture disc - £12.00, $15.48, €14.28 (New Item) (arrived 11-May-2024 10:40)
THUNDER Everybody Wants Her (1992 UK limited edition 3-track 12" Picture Disc single, featuring the Preacher Fade version, also including Dangerous Rhythm and Higher Ground [Acoustic Version], die-cut picture sleeve 12EMPD249)
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