REVIEWS

Bristol * March 16 * Third gig of the tour.

THE ANSON ROOMS, BRISTOL 16.3.2001 STRAY with NAZARETH and URIAH HEEP The Anson Rooms Bristol 16.3.2001 Well this is my first chance to see the band on tour with Nazareth and Uriah Heep, a tour that I hope will do a lot for Del Bromham and Stray. 

Mal and myself get to the venue early and have a good nose around. The sound crew have got most of the stage done but the lorry carrying the lights has broken down but is on the way again. The hall looks very sizeable and we are both looking forward to the show. Del and the boys arrive at 5pm, we eagerly help with the unloading of the van and then go and chat to them in the spacious dressing room, leaving before out staying our welcome. It's nice to see Jackie, Del's wife; she is such a lovely lady. 

I always believe that its nice to be privileged to say hello before the show but not to stay too long. Del has always been good to lots of people and that's why he is so well liked by everyone in and out of the business. The stage is big but Del, John and Paul are at the front, I say hello to Ritchie Cole before the show starts and look forward to a chat afterwards, which we did, at length. 

After The Storm is the now usual set opener, Del, John and Paul performing well but the sound is not right, we can see that Del isn't too happy but like the consummate professional is getting the job done. Del does some adjustments and it's the brilliant Time Machine, I look around and there are people wearing Stray, Uriah Heep and Nazareth T-Shirts all really getting into the music.

 I Believe It is the third song and a blistering performance from all three of them and the crowd give a rapturous applause after this song. Del changes to the Fender and its time for a song from the new CD 10, I advise you all to get this CD, as it is absolutely brilliant. Home is the track from 10 and it goes down really well.
 As time is limited it's a condensed version of All In Your Mind to end the show with great drumming and Bass work as Del does his Jimi Hendrix guitar work at the end. We really wanted more but we will have to wait until they do a full set and that isn't too far away. Thanks once again, Del, John and Paul. 

As a postscript, we went and said hello to Nazareth after their set and Pete Agnew, their bass player, thinks Del is brilliant, he told me He has a superb voice, a sort of cross between Paul Rodgers and Robert Palmer. Also after the first couple of numbers Nazareth performed Dan McCafferty said Lets hear it for Stray nice touch and well deserved. At the end we managed to have a word with Mick Box of Uriah Heep and he was also complimentary of Stray and Nazareth and of how he enjoyed the shows. 

Really nice people from the band to the roadies. Nazareth and Uriah Heep with limited time, like Stray, both put on a superb show each. I can't fault either sets maybe one or two songs I would have liked to have seen live but I can always live with quality rather than quantity. Bob Meader 

By T.Mac

Hi, just got up from lasts night gig, my ears are still buzzing.
The support trio were excellent, it must be very hard to open for both bands.Del Bromhan came across as a godd journeyman if on the bass player john Bottle could learn to smile at the audience then Stray could become very big.

Nazareth were a band that I knew that years ago did not appeal but they were great it's going to cost a small fortunein back catalogue cd's.

THen the lights dimmed the smoke rose and thirty years rolled back with ease as the opening number Fantasy ripped open our hearts and let Uriah in. From start to finish it was heaven. My son who is twelve yrs old came home and before going to bed tore down his Korn posters and went to sleep listening to The Legend Continues cd.
We were close enough to see the drummer in pain complaining of a splinter in his thumb at the start of the show; lets hope it doesnot cause any real problems.
It was worth crosing the bridge and paying the toll to come home to Wales just to see all three bands and the humblest of them only has to play one note and they outplay, and out class all of today's so called rock bands.

I'm one very happy 51yr old looking forward to London's show.
T.Mac

 

 

 

 

 

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