Saxon - Killing
Ground tour
Kulturbolaget, Malmö, Sweden - November 25, 2001
Review and Photos by Anders Sandvall
A couple of weeks before Saxon arrived to Malmö, Sweden, Judas
Priest played here. I have never been a big Judas-fan but I
really liked the show and the new singer Ripper. Though, some of
the guys are not so good any more with handling their instruments
especially if you compare with Saxon. I have liked Saxon since the
record "Strong Arm of the Law" which came out in the early
eighties and I have followed the band since then.
A bit late, they entered the stage at KB. They opened with the
title-track from the new album. Then the band "ran over" the
audience with both old and new material. Saxon has a big catalogue
of songs to choose from. Though, they played songs mostly from the
new record and 80's material. They played hardly anything from the
nineties. The concert was almost sold out. The audience was
singing with Biff on both the new and old songs. The band has faithful
fans. Tonight, the band was really hot.
Nibbs/Doug/Paul/Fritz and the Icon/Legend/God Biff; Paul/Doug on
guitar impressed a lot of people with their playing. Both shared
solos and leads and they really know how to play. Nibbs on bass is a
real showman and he handles his bass very skillfully and he was banging
his head like a madman through out the whole show! Fritz is good
on drums but his solo was not so good. What to say about Biff? An Icon!
His voice is just as good today as it was in the eighties. He
really knows how to sing.
They have been out on the road for nine weeks and they
didn't seem to be tired at all. Songs they went through were from
the new one: "Court of the Crimson King", "Dragons
Lair" and "Rock is Our Life" and oldies like
"Crusader", "Denim and Leather", "Dallas
1PM", and "Power and the Glory".
Biff spoke quite a lot between the songs. Among
other things, he told us it was nice to be back in Malmö and he
promised us to come back to Sweden next year probably to the
"Sweden Rock Festival" in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Biff
dedicated the song "Rock is our Life" to all the eighties, all
the nineties and all the new fans of Saxon. He invited us to sing along
with him on "Crusader", "Wheels of Steel",
"Princess of the Night", "Dogs of War" and
"Rock is our Life".
This was one of the best shows I have seen this year.
Saxon is needed even in the twenty-first century and had a lot more to
give. The set list is not correct because they didn't have one and
they also played requests from the audience. These are the songs
that I remember and probably I have forgotten some. Two hours and
fifteen minutes of magic especially for an old eighties hard rock fan as
myself. Everybody who hasn't bought the new Saxon record
"Killing ground" ought to do so right now !!
Thanks to SPV for the help.
Thanks to KB for bringing so many metal bands to Malmö!
Set List
Intro
Killing ground
Dogs of war
747 (Strangers in the night)
Court of the crimson king
The preacher
Coming home
The eagle has landed
Rock is our life
Demin and leather
Dragons lair
Dallas 1PM
Drum-solo
Never surrender
Strong arm of the law
Conquistador
Bass-solo
And the band played on
Wheels of steel
Princess of the night
Power and the glory
Heavy metal thunder