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Uriah Heep The Leadmill - 21/11/05
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| The prospect of seeing two fine bands on the same bill in
the shape of Uriah Heep and Asia was something I had looked forward to for a number
of weeks but the show at Sheffield's Leadmill turned into a major disappointment
due to the strange timing of the show. I arrived at the venue at just after eight o'clock hoping to see most, if not all, of a set from Asia. However, it quickly became apparent as the roadies were clearing a number of instruments from the stage that Asia had already performed. I asked a young lad standing close by to me clad in an Asia T-shirt what time had the gig started, he informed me that Asia had taken to the stage at around 7.15 and the venue was virtually empty with the exception of a minority who had come to the gig primarily to see Asia. Although more than a bit disappointed as I drank my bottle of J2O (driving, so not drinking) I still had the main band Uriah Heep who I had really come to see to look forward to. Uriah Heep was the first band that I ever went to see back in 1973 and only guitarist Mick Box and drummer Lee Kerslake remain while singer David Byron and bassist Gary Thain from that era have sadly both passed away. I have seen the band a number of times since that first show and I have seen the line-up of the band change frequently. Keyboard player, Ken Hensley who was a major writer and driving force in the outfit, left the band many years ago. The band took the stage around 8.45 and performed a good set that included classics such Easy Livin', Return to Fantasy, Sunrise, Gypsy and brilliant version of July Morning. The band left the stage after just over an hour and then performed Lady in Black as the encore and then left the stage at 10.00 pm. A set of only one hour and fifteen minutes left me feeling very short-changed from my ticket price of £19. I cannot understand why the gig could not have started around 8PM, which would have still been enough time for the complete show to finish before eleven o'clock and would have enabled everyone to see the whole show. I'm not sure if the ridiculously early start and early finish to the gig was the decision of the bands involved or the management of the Leadmill, but either way I felt that the gig didn't give good value. It seems crazy in a week that has seen the introduction of extended licensing laws in a venue that usually stays open until well after midnight that this gig should finish so early. | ||
