Uriah Heep - Hammersmith Odeon, London

IN THE LAND OF HEEP AND GLORY

Uriah Heep
Hammersmith Odeon, London
29/01/22
By Decibel Report

With the recent threat on the good times that live music brings fading fast into the past that memories are becoming sepia-tinted, it was the radiant glow of Mick Box’s ever-ready smile as he crunched out the riff to Grazed By Heaven that confirmed that the good gig times are coming back. Not unlike a group of boxers let loose from their caged corners, Heep roared to centre stage with pent-up feral energy to deliver a fifty-minute masterclass of melodic milestone hard rock songs. Having never really been fashionable has worked to Heep’s long term advantage. Where fashions have faded and trends become passé, Heep’s brand of melodious and memorable hard rock has defiantly weathered these passing musical storms in a teacup.

Tonight, on what would have been David Byron’s 75th birthday, the band lovingly delivered a forty-minute set of mostly Byron era classics. Tuning up the powerful arrangements of these classic songs, like mechanic’s soup up a vintage muscle car to achieve higher performance, ensures that this rock institution has plenty of miles left on the clock. Second song Too Scared To Run wound back old father time forty years to the Abominog album, the record that followed Conquest on which tour Heep headlined this venue fronted by the octave straddling John Sloman, with Bernie Shaw sounding stunning as he delivered his vocals with an upbeat sure touch. Then the big hitters made their eternal presence known as Box and Co belted out the unmistakable riff of Gypsy. With indefatigable drummer Russell Gilbrook dementedly driving from the back, Dave Rimmer holding his own with Paul Newton, Gary Thain and Trevor Bolder in the classic era canon of Heep's bassists and wingman Phil Lanzon stabbing out sweeping chords from his Hammond, Heep's legendary reputation was raised a notch or three. Look at Yourself and an equally epic July Morning had their jaw to the floor effect. However, it was an incendiary performance of volcanic proportions on Sunrise that one imagines would have had Byron beaming down his approval from wherever he may be. Closing this cameo of what will soon be their belated fiftieth-anniversary tour with Easy Livin’, reminded, if needed, this hallowed rock venue of the near unmatchable history that’s the land of Heep and glory of this ongoing British Rock Institution.