Live Gig Reviews

Geoff Tate / Daxx & Roxane / King Kraken /Zac & The New Men

Geoff Tate / Daxx & Roxane / King Kraken /Zac & The New Men
The Neon, Newport
17/06/2023
Live Review and Photography by Paul Hutchings

A night where nostalgia clashed with the contemporary; the old with the new; the master with the apprentices. You get the picture.  Over 700 souls were treated to a stellar evening of hard rock and metal, from four bands at differing stages of their musical journeys. 

Despite the punishing heat within The Neon, the layout of this former cinema located almost directly opposite the sadly missed TJs provided the ideal setting for a triumphant evening. And as one might expect, a special mention to the Welsh crowd who managed to decimate the venue’s alcohol stores to the point of empty.

While most dates on this UK tour by Geoff Tate and band featured two support bands, Big Day Productions had shoehorned in a further Welsh support in the form of Swansea’s rising stars Zac & The New Men. I’ve been following this band for a couple of years, and they are one of the most exciting and energetic outfits to emerge post-lockdown. Their debut album “Reinvent Me” has rightly received rave reviews and the band are slowly spreading the word across the UK. 

Tonight, they start with a little hesitancy but that dissipates within a couple of songs. Drummer Will Newman begins by battering several shades out his kit as the band slowly eases into Birdcage. The crowd isn’t particularly large at this point in the evening, and the fact that for many Zac & The New Men are an unknown quantity means that they must work for a reaction. “Are there any Led Zeppelin fans in tonight?” asks Zac Davies, as the band rip into their now standard cover of ‘Immigrant Song’. They’ve made it their own and it helps to get a few more punters heading towards the front. 

With a bigger stage to exploit, the band aren’t quite as energetic as usual. Be it the heat, nerves, or fatigue, I don’t know. However, by the time they’ve hit halfway, guitarist Oli Poole is a swirling ball of energy as he charges around his third of the stage. ‘Reinvent Me’ slows things down but the tempo isn’t reduced for long and by the time they power into final track ‘Beggin for More’ the crowd is with them. “Most of you won’t know who we are” deadpans Zac earlier in the set. They may not have before, but the band are certainly on the radar of many more after this set. 

Zac & the New Men

They may be older heads, but this is a big show for King Kraken. They’ve been building momentum since their debut album “MCLXXX” arrived in January. Gigging across the UK, there remains a fire that burns deep inside the band. They overcome every challenge. Tonight’s a big one. They are a member short, rhythm guitarist Pete Rose unable to join the band. While Kraken give it their all, his presence on stage is missed. The band look slightly unbalanced, bassist Karl Meyers working overtime to fill the stage, alongside frontman Mark Donoghue, who’s kilted presence looms over the front few rows. 

It takes the band a while to get into their stride. They open with ‘Veins’, a rip snorter of a track, and despite a slightly thin sound, the crowd is on their side early doors. ‘Chaos Engine’ is solid, guitarist Adam Healey taking over the rhythm work with a confidence that is his trademark. He’s never going to be leaping around the stage though, preferring to hold his position stage right. 

Choosing the big, riff heavy tracks is sensible in the circumstances, and by the time Richard Lee Mears powers the band on’ Freak’, it’s unlikely that those who are new to the band would even be aware that Rose was absent. There’s still scope for improvement, but this was a robust set which given the circumstances, could have been a lot worse. 

King Kraken

Having seen the London based Swiss Daxx & Roxane supporting Raven at The Patriot in March, I knew that the audience were in for a real treat. Freed of the confines of a small stage, the band upped the level significantly with a display of almost uncontrolled chaos. Frontman Cedric Pfister is the most restrained, his bass and lead vocal duties leaving him confined to the microphone. That’s probably a good thing, as guitarist Cal Wymann is relentless, charging across the stage, leaping high, and later in the set, vaulting over fellow guitarist Simon Golaz while never missing a note. 

The high-octane show wins the crowd over early, the combination of sleazy style and classic rock, as well as lunatic stunts which includes Wymann taking over on drums from Luca Senaldi, who at one point is seen conducting the audience whilst standing on his drum stool. While the energy is infectious, it would be crass without the songs. Daxx & Roxane have these as well. They start with ‘Sugar Rush’, throw in newish track ‘Grind’ towards the end and finish with a breathless ‘Fast Lane’. It’s a show to win hearts and minds. These guys could be huge. 

Daxx & Roxane

Few albums hold such legendary status as Queensrÿche’s opus “Operation Mindcrime”.  Released in 1988, the band’s third studio album is hailed as a classic concept album, standing alongside giants like The Who and Pink Floyd. It holds a place dear in the hearts of millions. Tonight, Geoff Tate brings his band to deliver the album in full. It’s unsurprising that as the room swells substantially, there is a buzz of expectation but also uncertainty. Tate hasn’t always been on point when he’s played in the past. 

There’s no need to worry about that though. The intro of ‘I Remember Now’ and ‘Anarchy-X’ builds the tension and then Tate is there to a huge ovation. Merely minutes into ‘Revolution Calling’ and the crowd is locked in tight. Tate’s vocals are incredible. The man sounds better than ever. He’s hitting all the same notes he did in 1988 with an ease that belies history, age, and anything else you want to throw at him. 

His band are superb, completely in sync, and reproduce the music faithfully but with a definite flourish of their own style. The evening whizzes by. ‘Suite Sister Mary’ sees female vocals added to the rock opera element, while ‘I Don’t Believe in Love’ has the audience singing along. In fact, the crowd are word perfect throughout this playthrough. It’s emotional for some, especially those with original tour shirts from the band’s legendary Hammersmith Odeon show back in the day. By the time we get to the grand finale, the magnificent ‘Eyes of a Stranger’, there’s a look of sheer joy across the venue. Tate’s words between songs are limited, but he’s always let the music do the talking. His vocals are astonishing, and it is a joy to just absorb. 

A short second set follows, and we are treated to five classic songs from “Empire”, “The Warning” and the band’s first self-titled EP. ‘Silent Lucidity’ is greeted with the adulation it deserves, ‘Empire’ sends those of us who love that album even more than “Mindcrime” into a frenzy. But it’s the two songs that Tate finishes with that nail it. A soaring ‘Take Hold of the Flame’ leads into the final encore, the speed metal of ‘Queen of the Reich’, which has yours truly in raptures. Tate takes the vocals head on and hits every note. It’s an astonishing performance and ends an evening of quality music. Tate demonstrates that the master is still in charge. And if he continues like this, long may he be. 

Geoff Tate

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