Rock and Roll has come back to Lancaster – Massive Wagons, live and dangerous in their natural habitat.

TAKING A SEAT AMONGST THE GODS

Some album reviews almost write themselves. The only difficulty on this occasion being how to shoehorn in some titles of other iconic live hard rock album titles, as Massive Wagons’ Live At The Great Hall will surely join the ranks, taking its place in the rarified air in the upper echelons where the hard rock Gods of AC/DC, Deep Purple, Quo, UFO, Whtesnake – bands whose logos are worn with pride on Stevie Holl’s T shirt collection – sit astride their thrones.

An album that was waiting to be made. Perhaps not a absolute necessity as the pleasure in a live encounter with Massive Wagons is being there, yet this live souvenir is the as good as the next best thing. Recorded over a couple of nights in their hometown at an iconic venue, it feels like Springsteen in New Jersey, Def Leppard in Sheffield or The Beatles at The Cavern. As Baz seems to have a soft spot for Slade Alive, maybe Noddy and the gang in Wolverhampton? It sounds damn good too, with guitarist Adam Thistlethwaite as Executive Producer, and shines a light on their on stage potency.

YA-YA’S OUT

The intro, a key moment of any gig, is goosebump inducing. As iconic as the announcement on Strangers In the Night or the fanfare of Live In The Heart Of The City as Baz and the lads get their ya-ya’s out (thoselucky enough to be at their recent Warrington Parr Hall gig will have seen them) and we strap on the seatbelts for an exhilarating excursion on, and with the wagons. Back To The Stack earns the standard full throated audience audience participation as the set builds a ‘best of’ collection saturated with the Wagons’trademark live joi de vivre.

Any temptation to Please Stay Calm, the song providing a brief respite from the onslaught, has to be parked. Live At The Great Hall almost feels like a scratch and sniff experience. The sweat and the fizz of the amps, the fun and the energy, all are captured with a quintet going full tilt and an audience who buy into the call by Baz to “rejoice for me!” A fine alternative to “scream for me Lancaster!” The thought that the gig is being recorded gets parked too. As the song says, they aren’t feeling any pressure – just the buzz of the moment.

“Here we fucking are!” Baz is impressed as he jollies up the crowd as A.S.S.H.O.L.E picks up where Bon Scot left off with High Voltage and he sends several songs out to his pals out front. In old money, Side Two is a corker, climaxing with Bangin’ In Your Stereo (everyone has their faves, this is mine) and inevitably, In It Together. The communal rejoicing at its peak.

IMMORTAL

We’ve had the band immortalized as Lego minifigures, now the live album we’ve been waiting for completes the collection. Maybe Live At The Great Hall might prove the gateway for a unsuspecting new audience – they don’t know what they’re missing – and yet another step up the ladder. A little bit of history? Yes indeed – and Baz – it certainly wasn’t all shit and no need for any repairs in the studio. No sleep ’til Hammersmith…maybe next time?

Here’s a taster:

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