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
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- Thunder - Backstreet Symphony - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £30.00, $37.80, €35.10 (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 - River Of Pain - UK - 12" picture disc - £15.00, $18.90, €17.55 (New Item) (arrived 05-Jan-2024 13:16)
THUNDER River Of Pain (1995 UK limited edition 3-track 12" picture disc single including Move On and a superb live version of Mott The Hoople's classic, All The Way From Memphis. Also comes with a stunning fold-out poster featuring live shotsof each band member, unique custom die-cut picture sleeve 12EMPD367)
- Thunder - She's So Fine - Donington' 90 - Blue Vinyl - UK - 10" vinyl - £10.00, $12.60, €11.70 (New Item) (arrived 03-Oct-2023 10:26)
THUNDER She's So Fine - Donnington '90 (1990 UK limited edition 3-track 10" single pressed on Blue Vinyl, also including I Can Still Hear The Music and a live version of Back Street Symphony recorded at theband's first appearance at the Donington 'Monsters Of Rock' festival in 1990; within a gatefold picture sleeve with live shots of the band from that now legendary performance 10EM158)
- Thunder - Backstreet Symphony - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £30.00, $37.80, €35.10 (New Item) (arrived 03-Oct-2023 16:13)
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. The glossy picture sleeve retains the 'Our Price' hype-sticker and shows some very minor edgewear and comes with its illustrated lyric inner, whilst the vinyl has just a few light surface scuffs - an Excellent copy EMC3570)
- Thunder - Dopamine - White and brown vinyl - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £19.99, $25.19, €23.39 (New Item) (arrived 03-Oct-2023 16:34)
THUNDER Dopamine (2022 UK/EU 16-track double LP, pressed on White and Brown vinyl. Gatefold picture sleeve comes with lyric inners. The sleeve shows minimal wear; one of the lyric inners has a small seam split and both vinyl are in Near Mint condition. )
- Thunder - She's So Fine - Donington' 90 - Blue Vinyl - UK - 10" vinyl - £10.00, $12.60, €11.70 (Back In Stock) (arrived 05-Oct-2023 07:55)
THUNDER She's So Fine - Donnington '90 (1990 UK limited edition 3-track 10" single pressed on Blue Vinyl, also including I Can Still Hear The Music and a live version of Back Street Symphony recorded at theband's first appearance at the Donington 'Monsters Of Rock' festival in 1990; within a gatefold picture sleeve with live shots of the band from that now legendary performance 10EM158)
- Thunder - Gimme Some Lovin' - UK - 7" vinyl - £8.00, $10.08, €9.36 (New Item) (arrived 13-Nov-2023 16:12)
THUNDER Gimme Some Lovin' (1990 UK solid centre 7" vinyl single, also including I Wanna Be Her Slave, picture sleeve EM148)
- Thunder - Dirty Love - UK - 12" vinyl - £12.00, $15.12, €14.04 (New Item) (arrived 28-Nov-2023 11:08)
THUNDER Dirty Love (1990 UK 3-track 12" vinyl single, featuring the Extended Version, also including Fired Up and the live version of She's Fine, glossy picture sleeve. The sleeve displays minimal wear whilst the vinyl shows only light signs of play 12EM126)
- Thunder - Backstreet Symphony - UK - 7" vinyl - £10.00, $12.60, €11.70 (New Item) (arrived 04-Jan-2024 13:45)
THUNDER Backstreet Symphony (1990 UK 7" vinyl single, also including No Way Out Of The Wilderness, picture sleeve with the 1990 European tour dates supporting Heart on the reverse EM137)
- Thunder - Stand Up + Poster - UK - 7" picture disc - £12.00, $15.12, €14.04 (New Item) (arrived 10-Jan-2024 13:04)
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)
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