Uriah Heep
Ameristar Casino
Kansas City, Missouri
June 25, 2010
By Jeb Wright
Photos by Gary Dean
Set List:
Wake the Sleeper | Return to Fantasy | Only Human | Book of Lies
| Bird of Prey
|Corridors of Madness | Stealin’ | Love in Silence | Rain | The
Wizard | Sunrise
|Free & Easy | Gypsy | Angels Walk With You | July Morning |
Easy Livin'
Encore:
Lady in Black
Uriah Heep
is trekking across the USA for the first time in nearly a
decade. Added to their arsenal of hits are several new songs
from their latest releases Wake the Sleeper and
Celebration. The band are smart enough to base their set on
the classics, yet savvy and proud enough to sprinkle in the new
material. Heep, never forgetting their hardcore fan base, also
throws in a few album cuts from yesteryear as well.
Band
founder, and leader, Mick Box began the show with the intense
title track from their critically acclaimed Wake the Sleeper
album. Mick hit the wah-wah pedal like a madman driving a
four-wheel drive up the Rockies. Next up was the classic Heep
tune “Return to Fantasy.” Shaw is the lead singer for the band,
not simply a replacement for the late David Byron. He deserves
much more credit than he receives for both his vocal
contributions and his ability to work a crowd. Imagining Uriah
Heep without Shaw seems impossible. This says heaps [pun
intended] about his abilities and personality.
Bass player
Trevor Bolder plays the low-end four string like a lead
guitarist. His contributions are essential to the bands’
sound. Keyboard player Phil Lanzon, on the other hand, is front
and center to the Heep sound. He handles the pressure of
replacing founding member, and rock icon, Ken Hensley with
ease. Speaking of tough people to replace, drummer Russell
Gilbrook has the daunting task of filling the drum seat of one
of Heep’s most beloved members, Lee Kerslake. Russell goes
about his business as if he has been playing with the band for
decades. He brings a fresh energy to the band that is thrust
onto the audience whether they want it or not.
The bands'
newest release, Celebration, sees the band celebrating
their 4th decade by re-recording their classics plus two new
tracks, “Only Human” and “Corridors of Madness,” both of which
fit in well with the older tunes. The classic “Bird of Prey” was
sandwiched in between a couple of new tunes and led to a
standing ovation from the Heep hungry crowd. Shaw did not have
to coax the attendance to sing the “oohs” and “ahhs” to the
classic “Stealin’.” This song stands the test of time and, like
a fine wine, gets better with age.
The epic
“Love in Silence” represented Sea of Light, an album
highly praised by fans. After the song only Lanzon and
Shaw remained on stage. They duo performed a touching rendition
of the classic “Rain” from The Magician’s Birthday. The
crowd was in awe of this unexpected performance. Between the
last note of the song, and the applause, one could clearly hear
a fan up front simply say “thank you,” a fitting response to a
poignant song. “The Wizard” and “Sunrise” followed and were the
pinnacle of the show. Both songs were performed with mastery
and left all in attendance with jaws agape.
Heep not
only kept the momentum
going, they shifted the entire evening into overdrive with
“Gypsy,” “July Morning” and “Easy Livin’” all being performed to
end the show. Between “Gypsy” and “July Morning” was a song
from Wake the Sleeper written by bassist Trevor Bolder
titled “Angels Walk With You.” This may be the best Uriah Heep
track written in the last twenty years. The band left the stage
after “Easy Livin’” but returned with Box adorning his acoustic
guitar. The crowd joined in for the chorus of “Lady In Black.”
Shaw even warned the crowd when the high note was coming so they
could be sure to hit it.
At the end
of the day, Uriah Heep not only performed well, they enjoyed
each other and the audience. The best thing one can say about
Uriah Heep is that they are a true band. Their fans are
simply a part of their extended family. After the show they met
with all who wanted to stand in line and signed autographs and
posed for pictures for two hours, even though they had not yet
eaten dinner.
One can
only hope it does not take them nine more years to do the next
USA tour. This writer, for one, simply can’t wait that long.
Long live Heep!
www.uriah-heep.com
