{"id":4495,"date":"1986-03-10T00:00:58","date_gmt":"1986-03-10T00:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=4495"},"modified":"2012-02-29T13:23:07","modified_gmt":"2012-02-29T13:23:07","slug":"live-review-rock-goddess-10-03-86","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/live-review-rock-goddess-10-03-86\/","title":{"rendered":"ROCK GODDESS \/ SAMURAI – Town Hall, Lougborough, England (March 10th, 1986) | Live Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

ROCK GODDESS \/ SAMURAI<\/span>
\n\"\"
\nTown Hall, Lougborough, England<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nMarch 10th, 1986<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Len Williams (Samurai)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Pic: Alan Lee<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

A venue struggling bravely to get on its feet (ideal for metal \u2013 spacious stage, adequate standing room and an alcoholic watering hole \u2013 book it!), a fledgling outfit learning to run with the pack and a once lethal trio that has for all intents and purposes shot itself in the kneecaps. I\u2019ll curtail this taster of gloom and doom and introduce you to the sonic boom…<\/p>\n

Samurai \u2013 a band that grinds! The dedicated neckbrace merchants headbanged with the fury of hummingbirds (maybe with a little less grace grant you), some stood and gawped and yet more drained pints in the bar oblivious to the tidal wave of molten metal only next door. Why does this always happen? I\u2019m presciently aware of it every time I set off for a gig, it\u2019s preordained: \u201cThere shall be wankers\u201d.<\/p>\n

Even if Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, Bon Scott and Phil Lynott clawed their way out of their respective coffins, formed a band and went on the road supporting Culture Club, the peacock people would still be found propping up the bar and preening themselves rather than even contemplate a look at the opening act. And people wonder why British metal is having a rough time of it!!!<\/p>\n

\u2018Attack\u2019, \u2018Weapon Master\u2019 and the Savage-like \u2018Fighter\u2019 are all prestigious pounders that forge Samurai\u2019s induction into the Luffy crowd\u2019s memory banks with deadly ease (\u2018Dish\u2019 from Savage: \u2018They sound like UFO don\u2019t they?\u2019 No, they sound like you actually! \u2018Oh!\u2019 he says bemused. Savage used to do UFO covers! Ha! Ha!).<\/p>\n

The fists are shaking, the floorboards tremble; the whole edifice seems to yield awry. I just know those huge blocks of polystyrene-painted-to-look-like-rocks will come tumbling down on my bonce any minute \u00e0 la \u2018Samson and Delilah\u2019 \u2013 its epic!<\/p>\n

Vocalist Len Williams bestirs himself to bound around like a beach ball bestrewn with all manner of flapping rags (obviously been raiding the council tip for stage gear or mugging tramps). He growls, he yelps, and generally sees fit to make an unholy roaring noise over everything. Don\u2019t get me wrong, for Loopy Len is a fine warbler and not into the bestial barrage of burping that lesser \u2018hardcore\u2019 (ooh I\u2019m scared!) bands employ. The man can sing, and the band can play.<\/p>\n

The songs maybe go on a bit too long, but don\u2019t tell me that Judas Priest had their act together in 1968 coz I won\u2019t believe you! I\u2019m sure that the fans tonight got a pleasant surprise with Samurai and will be back again if the band hit our catchment area again. Go see \u2019em!!!<\/p>\n

Rock Goddess \u2013 oh Jesus. I do not want to write this, okay? It\u2019s not enough to stick the knife in here; it needs a wrenching twist to make any impact.<\/p>\n

The three girls came on, Jody Turner in black leather, Dee O\u2019Malley newly coiffured, lights on, tension up \u2013 looking good. Volume down, two crap new songs in a run \u2013 looking bad!!!<\/p>\n

Goddess have elected for the laid back airplay path of Shy, FM and other such scrotal tumours. As far as metal circles go, it\u2019s time to strap a bell on your forehead and shout \u201cunclean\u201d. Any fresh material is supposed to be progression right? This is blatant commercialism, playing Russian roulette with six bullets.<\/p>\n

Rock Goddess are now so lightweight it\u2019s untrue; are they suffering from metallic anorexia? Even the old blazer \u2018Satisfied Then Crucified\u2019 has shed the pounds. Can you believe they\u2019ve hacked out major guitar parts?! Slimming down is one thing, cutting your bollocks off is something else entirely!<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Dee O\u2019Malley (Rock Goddess)<\/em><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Pic: Alan Lee<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Jody introduces a song about Elvis and the crowd boos. There\u2019s an abundance of songs from the forthcoming album that leaves me cold. One was kinda okay, \u2018Gimme Sex\u2019 had some interesting moments, and no, not due to the subject matter, but because as a song it stands up on its own.<\/p>\n

Julie Turner and Dee O\u2019Malley\u2019s harmonies were faultless, but on such limp numbers like fighting a forest fire with a water pistol. Segments of Jody\u2019s vocals were stunning, despite wallowing in muddy tracks. The girl could make millions in Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals if she cut out the Dalek impersonations. Classic voice wasted.<\/p>\n

A recurring focus of embarrassment were the chants of \u201cGetcha tits out for the lads!\u201d It was a distinct and obvious lack of interest in the set that provoked this smut. If a cretin can\u2019t get into the music, his warped mind finds something else to linger on and three attractive girls are an open target.<\/p>\n

Rock Goddess still have the hardware for the job, but their method of employing it is somewhat verging on the ridiculous. You don\u2019t phone up your old pals in the 5th SS Panzer Division, full complement of motorised infantry and tactical air support, just to rid your Mam\u2019s kitchen of mice.<\/p>\n

The band got two encores, but it was half-hearted cheering that incited the return to stage. I\u2019m not normally a vicious bastard, honest, but the truth as I see it is that any coroner\u2019s report on Rock Goddess\u2019 demise would read \u201csuicide\u201d. Sorry girls, truly. Time to investigate life insurance\u2026<\/p>\n

Garry Sharpe-Young<\/strong><\/p>\n

Review taken from Metal Forces, Issue 18 (1986)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ROCK GODDESS \/ SAMURAI Town Hall, Lougborough, England March 10th, 1986 Len Williams (Samurai) Pic: Alan Lee A venue struggling bravely to get on its feet (ideal for metal \u2013 spacious stage, adequate standing room and an alcoholic watering hole \u2013 book it!), a fledgling outfit learning to run with the pack and a once […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[242,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rock-goddess","category-samurai"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4495"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4502,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4495\/revisions\/4502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}