Sheffield O2 Academy 2

Sunday 7th February 2016

Evyltyde had already taken to the
stage by the time that I arrived on a cold
and wet Sunday evening in Sheffield. The
majority of their set was taken from last
years self-titled debut album. The fourpiece Metal outfit from London feature the
Gandalf-like guitarist Danny Merton,
drummer Isaac Marques, bassist Russ The
Bear Wark and are fronted by vocalist
Hannah Delany.

It was the first time that I had heard

Evyltyde so I was unfamiliar with any of
their songs but remember What Have We
Become? and the excellent Your Darkest
Fear with its time changes that also
demonstrated the bands obvious musical
talents. They finished their enjoyable set
with Guilty which they dedicated to the
hair-metal bands of the eighties. Though
not in the same league as many of the

Symphonic Metal female singers, Delany

can certainly hold a tune and belt them out
with the best of them. Evyltyde were
obviously enjoying the opportunity to
support Graham Bonnet and the crowd
certainly warmed to the metal fans in
attendance.
Having seen Graham Bonnet just
over a year ago at the same venue I had no
hesitation in returning to see the veteran
entertainer. Add to the latter the loss of so
many great musicians of a similar age and
it became a no-brainer to brave the
elements this evening.

Bonnet has had a great career but is

probably best known for the one album
that he recorded with Rainbow, the classic

Down To Earth. The latter, for those who

know me, was the first album that got me
into rock music back in 1979. Tonight the
band kicked off the show with the opening
songs from that album, albeit in reverse
order, Eyes of the World and the massive
hit single All Night Long where the
crowd were all too happy to sing-along.
The sound was very good, especially for
the O2 that is not renowned for its
acoustics. The 68 year old still has the
pipes and is obviously still enjoying
playing live and his interaction with the
crowd was as entertaining as ever.

Night Games is another of my

favourite Bonnet tracks and he sang it with
full emotion.
Throughout his career Bonnet has
played with numerous guitar greats from
Ritchie Blackmore to Michael Schenker
and Yngwie Malmsteen to Steve Vai.
Guitarist Conrado Pesinato plays great
homage to these axe legends. Bonnet has
got himself an established, tight band
including the rhythm section of Mark
Zonder on drums and the eye-catching
bassist Beth Ami Heavenstone that could
be improved, however, with the addition of
a full-time keyboard player instead of
having them as a piped backing track.

Up next was the Russ Ballard

written S.O.S from Bonnets 1981 solo
album Line Up followed by God
Blessed Video and Will You Be Home
Tonight from the 1985 Alcatrazz album
Disturbing The Peace. Although I am big
fan of Bonnets voice I never really took to
the Alcatrazz material, however, was
impressed with the one album that he
recorded in 1982 with Michael Schenker,
Assault Attack. The first single from that
album Dancer was played first but it was
the outstanding Desert Song preceded by
the equally classy Loves No Friend Of
Mine that was most impressive. Bonnet
mentioned on more than one occasion the
Levi incident where he was infamously
fired after only one concert, at Sheffield
University, for drunkenly exposing himself
on stage.

The pace was reduced with The

Marbles (Bonnets band with his cousin
Trevor Gordon) and Bee Gees written
Only One Woman.
The biggest reaction of the evening
came with the main set closer and another
Russ Ballard composition Since Youve
Been Gone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg2S
qGEyPAk
The band left the stage briefly
before returning for a two song encore of
Assault Attack and the brilliant Lost In
Hollywood.
Another great performance from
the man from Skegness who gladly shows
no signs of joining the great gig in the sky.
Mark Donnelly

Graham Bonnet Band

Sheffield O2 Academy 2
Sunday 7th February 2016
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Eyes of the World

All Night Long
S.O.S.
God Blessed Video
Will You Be Home Tonight
Night Games
Suffer Me
Dancer
Love's No Friend
Desert Song
Mirror Lies
The Witchwood
Only One Woman
Island In The Sun
Since You Been Gone
Encore:
16 - Assault Attack
17 - Lost in Hollywood

Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)

Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)
Graham Bonnet - Line Up (1981)
Alcatrazz - Disturbing The Peace (1985)
Alcatrazz - Disturbing The Peace (1985)
Graham Bonnet - Line Up (1981)
Alcatrazz - No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll (1983)
MSG - Assault Attack (1982)
Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)
MSG - Assault Attack (1982)
Graham Bonnet - Thy Kingdom Come EP (2015)
Alcatrazz - Dangerous Games (1986)
The Marbles - The Marbles (1970)
Alcatrazz - No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll (1983)
Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)
MSG - Assault Attack (1982)
Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)

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Graham Bonnet Band - Sheffield O2 (07/02/2016)

Rainbow - Down To
Earth (1979)

Graham Bonnet Alcatrazz Alcatrazz - No Parole MSG - Assault Attack Graham Bonnet Line Up (1981) Disturbing The Peace From Rock 'N' Roll
(1982)
Thy Kingdom Come
(1985)
(1983)
EP (2015)

Alcatrazz Dangerous Games

(1986)

The Marbles - The

Marbles (1970)