Vardis [Review]
Rock
& Blues Festival
Pentrich
Derbyshire
25.07.14.
For
the second weekend running I find myself at a festival in Derbyshire watching a
New Wave of British Heavy Metal band,
last week it was Girlschool, this week it’s the turn of Vardis who have
returned to the fray after an absence of twenty eight years. I last saw Vardis
in November 1986 at the mardi gras Nottingham which must have been one of their
very last gigs, until now that is.
Formed
in the 1970’s Vardis rose to their peak of fame in the early 80’s with their debut
album 100 MPH which uniquely for a first LP is a live recording. I saw them
back then support Hawkwind on the Levitation tour and Slade on
the Till Deaf Do Us Part tour as well as opening up the Heavy Metal
Holocaust festival at Port Vale in 1981.
Rumours
of a reunion began last year and in 2014 it came to fruition with a successful
appearance at Brofest(UK)#2 and the re-release of their 1986 album Vigilante
which has been digitally re-mastered. Today at the Rock & Blues festival we
see Vardis playing their third show since the comeback and lead guitarist and
lead vocalist Steve Zodiac bares little resemblance to his appearance of
yester year, gone is the mane of long blond hair and the bare foot and bare
chest demeanour but not gone is the inimitable guitar sound that so impressed
the NWOBHM audiences back in the day.
Joining
Steve Zodiac on stage is Terry Horbury (bass) and Gary Pearson
(drums) it was Gary
Vardis
are in good company at the Rock & Blues festival being joined on the bill by
Toseland, Eddie & the Hot Rods, Acoustic TV, New
Generation Superstars and many more great live bands. Headlining the main
stage on Friday they follow State of Quo which was good for them as 100%
of the audience have heard of Status Quo, considerably less of them have ever
heard of Vardis.
It’s a testimony to the quality of their songs that not only the ‘hard core’
fans down the front were rockin’ to the hour and a half set but many of the
Vardis initiates were engrossed in the show as well. Songs like ‘Let’s Go’ ‘Out
of the Way’ ‘Destiny’ ‘If I Were King’ ‘100MPH’ and ‘The Lion’s Share’ standing
the test of time and sounding as fresh and relevant as they did over thirty
years ago. On the strength of tonight’s performance I’m sure there are now many
more Vardis fans in the world, if I were king I’d have a lion’s share because
NWOBHM Never Dies… GD Manofmetal.
Visit
The Vardis Wbsite:
Gee It's Steve Zodiac!
All Five of My Videos From Rock & Blues Festival...
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