Uriah Heep and Thin Lizzy

FCinnella · #1 Oct-10-2008, 9:02 AM

I know there are quite a few Thin Lizzy fans here. Well, Heep and Thin Lizzy are touring in Europe together and just wanted to be sure anyone interested had the information

Get the dates at http://www.uriah-heep.com/newa/

Also, US Heep dates are in the making as we speak if there is any interest out there. Now if Glenn would just do a FULL scale US tour I would be walking on air...sorta like after NLCS Game ONE

captmidnite1962 · #2 Oct-10-2008, 11:02 AM

Hey Frank,

If you want to see Heep in the States I will be right there in line with you! I was fortunate enough to see Heep in Indianapolis back in the summer of 2001; they played a short tour of the US that was of the shoestring budget variety. They had their truck break down in Wheeling WV, I think it was, and put out a message on the website for help; several fans got a truck and moved the band's gear to the next gig as I recall. Talk about die hard fans!!

Given the state of the touring industry in the States..and that has been commented upon from artists as varied as Bill Bruford, John Young, JLT, hey take your pick. It is really difficult for a smaller drawing act to tour the States and make ends meet. The Indy Heep show was free.....they played at the Eight Seconds Saloon, a former bowling alley made over into a country dance hall.

I still remember the meet and greet after the show and the sight of Lee Kerslake holding court with a group of fans. Clad in shorts and a tank top, Lee looked as if he were standing on someone's patio at a barbecue. He was telling some great stories and was quite jovial...until someone brought up Ken Hensley's name. That lit him off.....nothing nasty mind you, but he minced no words in detailing Mister H's power plays. He told a story about playing a gig in Fort Wayne in the dead of summer...it was brutally hot and one of the roadies was pouring ice water down his back while he played.

I checked out the UH website; there is a drum clinic article about Lee written by Russell Gilbrook (Heep's new drummer) and it is an appreciation of Lee as a player as well. Lee played for the song..not for himself and he drove the engine room for almost 35 years.....

Pretty cool, I say...

chrisloeb · #3 Oct-11-2008, 4:54 AM

The 2nd leg of the Gorham/Sykes Lizzy Tour with Uriah Heep started only yesterday, so before that they played a couple of Solo Shows throughout Europe, including one in Vienna Wednesday night

This was my third Gorham/Sykes Thin Lizzy show and musically probably the best so far, though I will never forget my first Lizzy show back in 2000 with Marco Mendoza on bass and Darren Wharton on keyboards, who has left the Gorham/Sykes line-up since. It was also in a different venue than the last two times, and very well attended.

Surprisingly they played Dancing In The Moonlight and Southbound, that has never been played during a Thin Lizzy Tour until now - the recording on Live and Dangerous comes from a soundcheck (!).

Both Gorham and Sykes are still top guitarists, Sykes seemed to have a bit of a cold (well, half of Europe has) and didn't pull off the big show he usually does, but still managed to pull through stunningly.

Add the legendary Tommy Aldridge on drums

and Evanesence's Francesco DiCosmo on bass (an odd choice at the first glance, but an excellent performer with a great presence on stage who throughly enjoys playing those songs) and you get a perfect 90-minute performance.
Sadly for those people attending the double-bill with Uriah Heep, Lizzy's set will definitely be shorter.

Check out Scott Gorham's Tour Blog at MYSPACE.

Uriah Heep will play a headline show here November 6th. Saw them at a festival 3 years ago, then still with Lee Kerslake on drums, where they were surprisingly good (they had payed a couple of low-key shows in the Nineties, and I had lost interest in the current line-up) but I will still probably miss out this time.

Cheers,
Christian

purplemusic · #4 Oct-11-2008, 6:25 AM

you guys make posting something after you difficult at times. as i've said before, bill is a damn encyclopidia of musical knowledge. i dont have much to add. i did see uriah heep one time in the 80s, and thin lizzy has always been one of my favs. (RIP Phil and may God bless). i would love to at least be able to see john and scott play some of those songs before one of us dies, but i don't know if they even know that Charleston exist. i guess i can still keep hope alive. maybe tonight, i'll go out dancing in the moonlight. after all, it's got me in it's spot light.
i am just a cowboy,

captmidnite1962 · #5 Oct-11-2008, 9:59 AM

I did see Lizzy at the same venue in Indy back in 2000. A great night of killer tunes and blazing playing. Marco and Tommy were the rhythm section that night. I was standing close enough to John Sykes to practically touch him...and way too close to his Marshall half stack which reamed my ears!

It is a great tribute to Phil Lynott; John and Scott have both been asked about putting new material out under the Lizzy banner..and the reply from both guitarists is the same. they have material but don't "want to go there"...And, as those of you who have seen them can testify, John Sykes will exhort the audience many times during the show to "Give it up for Mister Phil Lynott!" The guys are happy to keep the songs and the legacy alive.

Also very cool to see a few other songs in the set...I thought it was funny that "Southbound" was recorded during the sound check with overdubbed applause....it was whispered loudly for years that several tracks on UFO's "Strangers In The Night" weren't cut live...Paul Chapman wouldn't name names but evidence pointed to "Mother Mary" and "This Kid's"....the 2008 remaster sets the record straight; they were cut live at the Record Plant with Chicago applause mixed in.

James Brown wasn't the only one to pull that stunt!!

Does it diminish my apprecation of the albums? Not at all.

chris spencer · #6 Oct-12-2008, 4:05 AM

I saw Heep back in 1977 for the first time (a week after seeing Trapeze - minus Glenn with support from Nutz).

I have seen them around 15 times since and they never disappoint!

As for Thin Lizzy, or Lizzy White.............saw them with Purple and Styz last year and they were awful. Syskes is a great geetarist, but has tuned Lizzy into a heavymetal band, something they never were!

Chip · #7 Oct-12-2008, 7:07 AM

My first, and only time seeing Uriah Heep was October 1978, opening for Jethro Tull. Might have to go see them again to relive old times

Chip

purplemusic · #8 Oct-12-2008, 7:20 PM

Originally Posted by chris spencer

Syskes is a great geetarist, but has tuned Lizzy into a heavymetal band, something they never were!

i thought that the "thunder and lightning" album that john played on was pretty heavy, outside of "the sun goes down" which was/is a great song.
" like thunder and lightning #@!damn it's so exciting, it hits you like a hammer..."
peace,

Arjen · #9 Oct-13-2008, 10:02 AM

Many hardcore Thin Lizzy fans do not consider this as Thin Lizzy. I myself do not really bother if they go out as Thin Lizzy or not. I have been a Sykes fan for ages. I was happy to see him play for the first time in 1999. It was kinda cult to see him since John Sykes was only 'big' in Japan and never made the press outside Japan, or playing a live show for that matter. As far as I know all of his solo albums are released Japan only. Fast foward 10 years. Sykes hasn't done anything in those ten years. No new music, no new solo efforts. The Thin Lizzy thing is still going on and it hasnt changed since (besides a few line up changes and a 'new' song or two in the setlist) If I could choose I rather have the solo Sykes back instead of these concert runs. But I guess the Lizzy thing makes him a lot more money than being big in Japan.

chrisloeb · #10 Oct-16-2008, 6:46 AM

Arjen,

I'm listening to the Out Of My Tree album from 1995 right now (yes, it's a Japanese Import, just like all the other Sykes albums), and what a great disc that is!

- Not a bad track on the album, no fillers.
- The killer Rhythm section of Marco Mendoza and Tommy O'Steen (what's he doing nowadays?)
- Jim Fitzpatrick artwork.

Sykes is still very successful in Japan, remember his last "Solo" effort, Bad Boy Live! was recorded there.

And Blue Murder were huge in Japan.
Pity they only ever released that one and a half (as I say) albums in their classic line-up. But as every year or so, rumours about a reunion are floating around...

Cheers,
Christian

Arjen · #11 Oct-16-2008, 8:24 AM

Hi Christian,

Its good to know we have more Sykes fans out here

I do not have the Bad Boy Live! album yet. I was aware of the release but I don't really count this as a solo effort since it aint a studio album. Next month we have the biggest record fair of Europe here in Utrecht, Holland again. I'll be on the lookout for that cd and otherwise I'll check Ebay for it.

I totally agree on the Out Of My Tree album. I haven't heard the album in a while but I know it's a great album.

As far as the Blue Murder reunion rumors. Yeas I was aware of them. They seem to return every year or 2..... and to be honest I think it's just money matter....

Paul J · #12 Oct-16-2008, 8:24 AM

Hi

I saw Thin Lizzy with Deep Purple also. No subtlelty whatsoever. The problem with them, was significantly down to Tommy A. I love tommy, but his style of drumming is hit the drums as hard as he can, with no Ian Paice style groove. Was a problen when he was in Whitesnake also.

I think that what Sykes did with WSnake, and the first two Blue Murder albums was brilliant. A lovely rock guitar player. Thought he could have done Hughes/Thrall type album with Big Daddy. Listen to JellyRoll and Blue Murder.

Paul

Arjen · #13 Oct-16-2008, 1:47 PM

Tommy Aldrigde is a great drummer. Actually one of my fave drummers of all time. I really like his way of playing. A pleasure to watch. But in my opion he doesnt really fit in most bands he has been part of. I think the most he got to his right was when he played with Ted Nugent and Marco Mendoza during the 2000 tour. As a three piece they were as tight as ever

A DVD was planned for this tour but somehow was pushed back a year or two. They filmed the tour after which was used for the DVD released. A huge disappointment imo....

iced721 · #14 Mar-29-2009, 5:13 AM

saw Uriah Heep April '83 in Lowell MA on the Abominog tour, great show. Would love to see them again.

Lizzy: saw them open for Queen at the old Boston Garden Feb '77, then saw 2 headline shows at the Paradise in '78 and '80. Never disappointed.

Saw the new Lizzy a few years back opening for Deep Purple; hopefully they play the US again.

CrazyW · #15 Apr-18-2009, 3:17 AM

Seems like a pretty cool tour to go see. I like Heep but I only have one album. I'm a huge Thin Lizzy fan though, I can't think of many other bands that had so many different guitarist which were that good. I'm a big John Sykes fan and the Blue Murder album is brilliant. Can't decide who I like best, him or Gary Moore. Scott Gorham ain't too bad either.

As for this line-up, I have no problem with them calling it Thin Lizzy as long as they don't put out new studio material under that name. Some new stuff under a different name would be cool though. Too bad Brian Downey is no longer on board, he's one of my favourite drummers.