THIN LIZZY: OLDHAM, August 4th, 1998

Returned exhausted last night from the Oldham gig. These boys are still the best around. John Sykes did a superb job filling unfillable shoes. AS did Marco Mendoza. John dedicated "every single note we play to Mr Philip Lynott" Great set, just the right amount of reverence to Phil, the band were enjoying it more than the audience!! Poor Brian was overcome at the end after Black Rose and rushed off the stage

Set list as follows:
Jailbreak
Waiting for an Alibi
Don't believe a word
Cold Sweat
Emerald
The Sun goes down
Are you Ready
Bad Reputation
Suicide
Still in Love With You
Massacre
Cowboy Song
The Boys are back in town

Encore
Rosalie
Black Rose

Only three songs that everyone wanted to hear were omitted, Rocker, Dancing in the Moonlight and Whiskey in the Jar. If you have to sell your house, get a ticket for the London gig.

The band were very tight.  Marco played all the bass lines absolutely note perfect. Scott and John were as tight as any Robbo Line up, and John played all Gary's parts with real style John was in excellent voice and their versions of Still in Love with You and especially Black Rose were mesmeric. They have all matured as players and as individuals and it was obvious just how much they were enjoying things by the huge grins they were all displaying, specially Scott and Darren. There was not a bum note, well Scott did hit one but just laughed and bent the string a bit more! and John came in a bit early on one line, he laughed it off too with Scott pulling a face at him! But it was like they'd never been away.

Interesting too was that Scott played some of Robbos Wah Wah licks such as on Suicide and Rosalie, they also split the solo in Don't Believe a Word.

There was a poignant moment during Cowboy Song when John looked to the heavens to sing "We'll be riding there with you, riding in the rodeo".

We all miss Phil and the genius of his writing, his singing and his stage presence, but we forget just how good a band Phil had surrounded himself with, Brian's drumming was as superb as ever, he even managed Bad Reputation with a single bass drum kit.

If you are new to Lizzy and never saw them first time round this is as good a chance as you'll have to see real pros playing with passion, love and real enjoyment of each others, skill, friendship and sense of carrying on after the loss of a long lost Wild One.

Cheers

Dave

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