GLENN HUGHES REVIEW
The Fyrebirds, The Dirty Pagans and Glenn Hughes rocked the Factory Theatre last night in Sydney and man they put on one hell of a show. Glenn Hughes is not only a solo artist, but a musician who has played with Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Hughes / Thrall Band, Black Country Communion, and The Dead Daisies.
As Kailey Pallis and Ben from the Fyrebirds played their opening tracks "Don't Touch Me and Rock you Shock you", The sharp chords and supercharged vocals sent the fans into an epic frenzy. As the vocals kicked in you could see how diverse and unique this band is. As they continued with Get High and Bad Girl the heavy guitar riffs and Wild, punchy and bold singing echoed through the venue and it made you appreciate how a guitar player and such a unique voice could rock a crowd. As Fyrebirds Finished the set with "I Love Rock and Roll Originally by Joan Jet" the crowd sang and danced along .
The Dirty Pagans are a Riff N Roll band that consists of members, James Russo on bass, Gregory 'Francisco' Challis on guitar, Jarradeesha Taylor on drums and Matty Dee on vocals and guitar. They kicked off their set with " Edge of Glory, Pagan’s Blood, Down Below and The Man Who Killed the Gods", The blending of powerful riffs and melodies was prominent and it commanded the the fans to rock out to the bass lines and struck the classic Riff N Roll cords.
The Dirty Pagans asked half the audience to chant Glenn and the other half of the audience to chant Hughes and the crowd was screaming Glenn Hughes, Glenn Hughes.
As The Dirty Pagans continued with "I Am The One, You Will Know and Forever High", they grabbed the audience's attention with their music and unlimited energy. The up-tempo rhythms, driving guitars, ferocious drumming and vocals were amazing and they warmed us up for the main act, Glenn Hughes.
Glenn Hughes is currently on tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the album "Burn" and man it hits the spot every time you listen to it. As Glenn walked on stage he was backed by an amazing band made up of Soren Andersen on guitar, Ash Sheehan on drums, and keyboardist Bob Fridzema and the crowd roared in excitement for this phenomenal lineup.
This wasn’t just a performance of these songs, this was raw technicality and brilliance and it was brought to life As The band kicked off the set with 'Stormbringer and Might Just Take Your Life', as Glenn Hughes showcased the full spectrum of his vocals, unleashing everything from growls and soulful lyrics, the crowd was swaying along to his showmanship. The band delivered Powerful guitar riffs and predominant keyboards and it made you appreciate how talented the band are.
As we rocked out to 'Sail Away and You Fool No One' the band was given the opportunity to shine with lots of solos and extended jams and the Dynamic vocals were layered over the top. The crowd was singing and rocking to hits and it was great to hear such a diverse range of music. As Keyboard Bob Fridzema played he filled the room with fire, He was enchanting as he played and It was an epic trip. As Ash Sheehan, a real powerhouse drummer played his drum solo, the drum beats crushed the audience with power and the crowd clapped along to the beat. It brought rhythmic beats as Ash got to shine, as he played an epic ten minute drum solo.
As Glenn Hughes interacted with the crowd the fans cheered and the band made you feel like you were part of the show. Glenn Hughes said to the crowd "I was here seven years ago, at the start of doing this thing called The Legacy of Deep Purple. It started here and it finished in Australia, this particular show will be no more after this weekend. I have new music next year and a new vibe. I can't keep doing this forever, I have so many new songs I want to play for you. Tonight is about Deep Purple and about iconic songs, thank you so much for your love, it means a lot to me. I said a lot tonight, I've told you a bunch of stuff but listen I love singing this song you know what it is. I would love it if I could hear your voices, you came to sing with me, right Sydney (The crowd cheered). Then Glenn Hughes said, "Of course you did, If you love me let me prove it to you". Then Glenn Hughes continued with the songs "Mistreated, Getting Tighter and You Keep On Movin'"
As we got to watch the last show in Sydney for the "The Legacy of Deep Purple" we were deeply saddened that we would not get to see this show again, but at the same time, we were excited to hear Glenn Hughes new songs. As we watched Glenn Hughes last song and truly fantastic version of “Burn" we were sad that the night was over, but we cannot wait for him to bring his new music to Australian shores.