Tyketto + Romeo's Daughter @ The Robin, Bilston, Wolverhampton - 30th January 2017

Review By Woody

The last time I saw Romeo’s Daughter was right here at The Robin supporting FM and without a shadow of a doubt the best I had ever seen them, with an outstanding all-round performance. Tonight, from a performance point of view they were just as slick and vocalist Leigh Matty just as fired up and energetic in her physical performance. Something I’d noticed about her previously was she seemed quite static on stage, but with her voice I couldn’t care less! But when I saw a fired up all guns blazing Leigh when supporting FM I was blown away and was really glad she had regained that physical element of her live performance since the band’s reformation. The only downside was unlike the FM gig where Leigh was bubbly and confident in her in between song chat tonight she seemed shy and less sure of herself. I’m not sure if the reaction the band had received on their other dates with the Tyke’s was subdued or confidence knocking, I don’t know and fair enough the FM support was to a full on AOR crowd, but there was a core loyal diehard melodic rock fan base amongst tonight’s virtual sell out audience! I felt like shouting ‘We Love ya Leigh’ on a couple of occasions, but after that restraining order, I’m doing my best to keep a low profile!

I love this band and I thoroughly enjoyed their overall performance as they delivered us some of their best songs in a succinctly and flawless manner! They were sonically pleasing, with the mix just right and Leigh’s sensual vocals just an absolute pleasure to hear. I’d pay good money for her to sing to me when I’m suffering with insomnia, but you know, that damn restraining order!

Their set was short but well picked as it gave their performance a great energy and kept the momentum up and the crowd on a high. It was pleasing as a fan of the band’s heyday albums and new post reformation albums that the set list was spread out amongst the lot, therefore been a delight for a true Romeo’s Daughter stalker… I mean FAN…. sorry!

Kicking off with their most famous song the insanely seductive ‘Heaven In The Backseat’ and then ‘Attracted To The Animal’ with its anthemic style chorus. Then we got some newer songs ‘Touch Too Much’, the amazing ‘Bittersweet’ which is one my favourite RD songs ever, the energetic and pop rock anthem ‘Alive’ and ‘Radio’. This short set seemed to contain some of my favourite RD tunes so when they belted out a near perfect rendition of ‘Inside Out’ I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! They then closed out with one the best AOR ballads ever ‘I Cry Myself To Sleep’ and close the set with the bombastic and dramatic ‘Wild Child’. It really made you crave a full set from them!

The crowd were appreciative and vocal and although they might not have received the adulation the Tyke’s were about to receive, I hope they realised they’d made a lot of fans very happy tonight! Here’s to the next time they are in the Midlands (Well the good bit anyway!). Every time I see these guys I just can’t help but smile like a loon!

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Tyketto in a club venue, so I’m like a child who’s just eaten an entire family pack of Haribo in full on anticipation for this show! The past couple of Tyke tours have been wrapped around appearances at the HRH AOR Festival, so when they made their debut show at The Robin and performed the greatest Tyke show on UK soil at the Wulfrun Hall (as people keep reminding me!) I was freezing my nick nacks off in some out the way wilderness in North Wales!

Yes, I did get to see the Tyke’s on the big stage so I shouldn’t complain, but I’ve been to almost all of the Black Country Tyke shows since their comeback in 2004 and there is just something special about seeing the band tear it up in venues like JB’s in Dudley (R.I.P) and the Wulfrun Hall in Wolvo. It’s great to see a virtual capacity crowd here tonight on a cold wet miserable Monday night, but I predicted it would be, Tyke fans are loyal!

With that in mind it’s great to see how the Tyke audience has evolved and grown since 2004. They’ve always managed to pull decent crowds – In my neck of the woods anyway – but initially way back it was the usual suspects the hardcore melodic rock to the core fan base who were the primary audience. Now though there’s lots of new faces, old fans finally rediscovering the Tyke’s and obviously new fans from the multitude of rock festivals the band have played in recent years! I was saying to a few friends the Tyke’s are more popular now than they have ever been! For a Melodic Rock band in this day and age to be as popular of these guys and also inspire such fierce loyalty in their fans is a minor miracle!

I’ve seen the band before with new guys Ged Rylands (Keyboard Warrior) and Chris Green (Guitars) and been impressed by them and what they bring to the Tyke live experience but only on the big stage at HRH AOR. Tonight though it was like I was in a wind tunnel those last few hairs I have left on my bonce blown clean off and firmly chocking the unlucky soul behind me. Ged’s key’s really give the songs that added flair were used to on CD and with them been live giving them some genuine authenticity. I’ve been a fan of Chris Green since his days with Pride whom I actually saw live supporting Danny Vaughn solo many moons ago again at JB’s in Dudley (Surprise Surprise!) but he has definitely grown as a guitar player in the meantime. He brings a real kick and energy to the band’s music delivering those familiar riffs in an even more impactful way than I’ve heard before watching his fingers dance frequently on the fretboard is mesmerising as he struts around the stage like he owns it!

It’s great to see Michael Clayton Arbeeny on the drum kit given his recent upheaval in his personal life with his wife’s continuing battle with cancer. Tonight, he attacks his kit like a man on a mission to give the band a dynamic punch determined to give the show his all! It’s also quite emotional later in the evening during the introductions as he introduces Danny a long-standing friend and we get some bromance appreciation going on! It’s cool to see a friendship and dedication to their band still so spirited after so many years!

Danny is a perfect frontman, because he knows how to keep the audience interested and more importantly fired up and chanting for more. It’s hard to be on form night in night out and as a tour gets towards it’s end not let tiredness get the better of you. Danny though seems to know how to pull it out the fire every time and give every audience his finest, I’m sure there are trip ups and things he’s disappointed with but he always handles it so well that we are left unaware! He also has a very personable manner, talks to the audience like were all personal friends and he is also very inspirational and keen to get everyone into the rock n roll spirit which lifts and enhances the atmosphere.

Talking of the atmosphere, been back in the thick of it all means I’m getting the full force of the wonderful and uplifting Tyketto atmosphere. Bigger venues, especially if you’re not in the thick of it struggle to give you that same intensity and I haven’t experienced that from the Tyke’s since their last show at JB’s! A friend who’d been to a couple of shows on this tour brought up the awesome atmosphere, which always boosts a shows impact even when the band might not have been technically as good as other performances – so a flawed performance could be the better one from audience perspective. Although I could have told you this was going to be the best show of the tour before a single note was played, cause well it’s the Black Country one and I always choose the best show to go to!

There’s a really good mix to the set list lots of classic’s, lots of new stuff and it all flows and mixes well together keeping the audience invigorated and ready to roar at every opportunity. Kicking off with ‘Kick’s Like A Mule’ which highlights the heavy stance of their latest record and definitely gets the motors started on anyone flagging tonight! Then it’s straight into the beautiful anthem ‘Wings’ followed perfectly by ‘Rescue Me’ from Strength In Numbers which is an album I have a strong bond to as it was my introduction to the Tyke’s and holds a lot of important memories for me! Then we get a couple of songs which ramp up the drive and swagger of the evening with ‘Faithless’ and ‘I Need It Now’.

Firm fan favourite ‘Burning Down Inside’ is brought to life to by Ged’s keys before the whole venue erupts on that powerful chorus! Now I’d asked a friend who had been to three (Yes three! Tonight, was number four!) Tyke dates on this tour if one of my favourite songs was on the set list, I was reliably informed no it wasn’t so as the opening riff to ‘Meet Me In The Night’ comes flowing out was a really nice surprise and left me smiling from ear to ear! I love the atmosphere this song creates! My friend obviously didn’t want to spoil It for me!

‘Reach’ come across really well live and with it been one of the smoother tracks on the new album is one of my personal favourites, it’s a very emotive song and Danny delivers it so! The rock n roll energy and inspiring ‘Dig In Deep’ keeps the atmosphere hot and sweaty before the one song almost everyone here has some sort of personal attachment to ‘Standing Alone’ which Danny pours so much emotion into even the hardest coldest soul in the room is struggling to keep their shit together.

It’s great to hear ‘Catch My Fall’ again, it’s one of those songs from back in my youth that I listened to frequently and alongside the other ‘SIN’ tracks always take me back to that time. Stuff from the ‘Shine’ album rarely gets aired, but I have heard ‘Jamie’ before live and tonight we get treated to ‘Let It Go’ which features one of Brooke St James greatest and most infectious riffs faithfully recreated by Chris Green tonight! A rare treat!

As the band ramp it up for the finale we get the energetic ‘Big Money’ followed by the sing along and audience participation live favourite ‘Lay Your Body Down’ which is meet vigorously by the vocal audience!

When people talk about Tyketto, it frustrates me a little when ‘Forever Young’ is brought up as if the band are a one hit wonder. The band are much more than that and its hearting to hear this crowd vocal throughout the night, yes shit does go a little bit crazy during the encore, but the crowd are already invested and rocking! I hate been at gigs where people only come to life and start pushing their way to the front for that one specific song – one of my pet hates and something I think is poor gig protocol as it disrespectful to the people around them as the selfishly battle to the front irrespective of knocks and blocked views!

So, yeah, the band don’t linger off stage long and return promptly for ‘Forever Young’ and the place goes that little bit more mental. As they deliver this song with force and Danny’s vocals are full of fire and gusto as they whip up this crowd up into a frenzy with this immortal melodic rock anthem!

I know a lot of people see this song as a ‘were never going to be old’ song and that’s why they like it and couples like it cause it’s lyrically about devoted unbreakable love. Me I like It cause it’s my ‘Fuck You’ song, it’s not my favourite Tyke tune, but it is my ‘Fuck You’ song. It’s such an inspiring song it’s full of fire and grit in how it’s performed especially live when Danny takes it to that next level. But it’s a song I see as affirmation about my musical tastes, it’s a melodic rock anthem and it’s about devotion and loyalty (albeit to another person in the song). But over the years when anyone has mocked me for my taste in music, belittled me, called me strange or odd, this is my affirmation that the music I love kicks serious ass and when I hear it live I feel like it’s screaming ‘Fuck You’ to everyone who disagrees with my awesome taste in music!

I’ve seen the Tyke’s play some kick ass shows, they always seem to pull off an entertaining show regardless. So where does this show rank amongst them? Well just as equally brilliant as them all because the Tyke’s are always freakin’ awesome!!! Missing a Tyke show is like bitch slapping a Puppy, yeah that shit needs to be frowned upon so do the right thing – remember your dancing shoes and singing voice the Tyke’s are very demanding with audience participation.

On a personal note, it is was really great to see the band at my favourite venue, I’ve become rather attached to the place for many reasons, many not obvious to the average rocker, over the past seven or so years! So, it was a thrilling experience to hear one of my favourite bands perform some of my favourite songs (smiling like a bastard during ‘Meet Me In The Night’) here! In one of his closing speech’s Danny does acknowledge the venue very positively which is uplifting for me because, if a band likes a venue, then they’ll push and want to play their again! Although to be fair I think Danny is here more than me!