On a cold and crisp December night we find ourselves at the London O2 surrounded by rockers in full gig attire. Alter Bridge is in town headlining the north Greenwich arena. The show was originally booked with Sevendust opening the night but the US rockers had to pull out, so enter The Raven Age as main man Matt James leads the early metal assault to an early evening good level.

Next up is Shinedown, all the band members dressing in a yellow and black pin striped uniform with more than a bit of a Chemical Romance feel. Front-man Brent Smith leads the band like a circus ringmaster whipping up the audience who loves his every move. He even manages to split the crowd by walking down the standing areas producing great performances of "Cut the Chord" and "Second Chance". The peak is probably “Sound of Madness" a helluva tune generating a massive response from the crowd. An amazing set creating many new fans on the night who will probably have their album on heavy rotation by now.

And with Shinedown’s swift departure it is time for the main act of the night: Alter Bridge. With the release of their latest album ‘Walking the Sky’ in October, it’s only fitting that this Orlando, Florida band landed at the London O2 just before Christmas. Thanks Santa.

Myles, Mark, Brian and Scott stripped it right down to showcase one of the greatest rock artists of our time. Opening with ‘Wouldn't You Rather’ these guys bring back the real meaning of music, especially live music. With a tasty minimalistic stage and no flashy production all the focus is on Alter Bridge. Simple yet so effective.

Myles with his effortless angelic vocals, paired up with Mr. Tremonti lead guitar can only give you goosebumps. Killer riffs, song after song, keeps the crowd on their toes. It’s a perfect night adding to our already heightened Christmas spirit. After the new track "Pay No Mind", Myles and Mark play the Father Christmas part picking out a lucky winner to be the proud owner of Mark's "played on stage" PRS guitar.

Playing a mixture of crowd pleasers, Myles’ audience interaction is nothing short of magical, we even get a treat from Mark leading the vocals on "Water Rising" with his different tones and it really puts into perspective how multi-talented these guys really are. Continuing this memorable night with their acoustic section, "In Loving Memory" and "Watch Over You" which made light up this arena like a Christmas tree.

But it’s a magical "Blackbird" which got the arena buzzing, crying and singing along. This amazing emotional roller coaster of a song had everyone doing some sort of personal rendition. The quality of their sound is a highlight as Brian's bass lines and Scott's crisp drumming produces the canvas for Myles’ and Mark’s famous solos. In tune with each other, for the final song of the main set they blast out “Metalingus" with Sevendust's John Connolly guesting on guitar.

It’s a great choice for the encore with new track "Godspeed" bringing the levels back up and to smash it home with the ever favourite "Addicted to Pain". A stunning gig, at an amazing venue. Alter Bridge command the stage like a band that needs to headline a Rock/Metal festival next. Mr. Copping are you listening?

Set list:

One Life (Intro)
Wouldn’t You Rather
Isolation
Come to Life
Pay No Mind
Ghost of Days Gone By
White Knuckles
Native Son
Rise Today
Cry of Achilles
Waters Rising
In Loving Memory (Myles and Mark Acoustic)
Watch Over You (acoustic start with full band from halfway through )
Blackbird
Open Your Eyes
Metalingus (feat. John Connolly from Sevendust)

Encore:

Godspeed
Addicted to Pain

Alter Bridge live at the O2, London