This was a gig that seemed to be doomed from the start. After being cancelled in the original location of the Old Fire Station one week before the show, Dave Ellefson, Jeff Young and the Kings of Thrash were destined to be homeless for the night, that was until Carlisle's longest independent live music venue, The Brickyard unprecedentedly stepped in five days before the show to save the day.
Opening the show were San Antonian power trio Hellgrimm with their own brand of no nonsense rock and roll. Drummer Erica Missey confidently handles vocals and percussion, guitarist Jerry Conner tries his hardest to get some crowd interaction going despite the low ticket numbers for this evening which is understandable given the circumstances. Nevertheless the band plough their way through their 30 minute set, dirty riffs a plenty. This is the type of band that wouldn't be out of place in an American biker bar rocking their way through a Saturday night.
Main support comes from Andry. At first glances you would be forgiven for thinking that you had travelled back in time to the 1980's with the amount of tight black leather worn on stage, that's even before Andry Lagiou's mirrored leotard makes it's appearance. Striking a balance between power and symphonic metal this quintet has an anthemic feel to them which wouldn't feel out of place on a much larger stage. Andry has a commanding presence on stage, gripping the crowd her prowess, confidence and costumes which all add to the experience. Although a relatively unknown band for this crowd and this part of North West England, what Andry lack in notoriety they certainly make up for in energy and performance. Andry Ligiou is most famous for her appearance on the Greek version of The Voice where she covered Deep Purple's Burn, therefore it is no surprise they finish with a blistering cover of it.
You can feel the buzz and chatter of the crowd has just gone up a notch before the Kings of Thrash come out. Opening up with Into the Lungs of Hell and Mary Jane its clear Jeff Young's only Megadeth album, So Far, So Good, So What is going to get some classics pulled from it. With the crowd suitably warmed up Dave Ellefson & Co. celebrate 30 years since the release of Youthanasia. Leading the charge with Train of Consequences and The Killing Road, even throwing in a deep cut in the form of Victory. After a brief drum solo the quartet returned to the stage and proceeded to hammer through classic albums Peace Sells (Black Friday & Wake Up Dead) and Killing is My Business...and Business Is Good (Rattlehead & Skull Beneath The Skin). The crowd is enthralled by Young's ripping solos and if you close your eyes you could be forgiven in thinking this was actually Megadeth. The set concludes with a surprise cover of Ace of Spades and the timeless Peace Sells which is as relevant today as when it was released in 1986. Tonight goes to show despite the unceremonious departure of Ellefson and Young, the love and admiration for their contributions to Megadeth are above everything all the fans really care about.
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