Arriving at the venue in plenty of time to review Gun as doors were opening at 18.30 and, given the seemingly new approach to putting on the first band as doors open, I didn't want to risk the chance of missing them. It must be said that one of my favourite parts of any gig is the anticipation of when the band walk on stage and get plugged in and there's that hum of the electric, the buzz of the unknown of what's about to happen puts my neck hairs all the way up to eleven. Which I've missed on a couple of recent gigs and, despite tonight being a seated gig, and I HATE seated gigs, they were back with a vengeance tonight, thanks to Gun. Playing to a two-thirds full hall, the band took no prisoners.

Opening with 'Welcome To The Real World', the old songs sounded refreshed and as vital as their newer counterparts namely 'Popkiller', 'Let Your Hair Down' and 'Seraphina.'

Now the prospect of a Toby Jepson fronted Gun is a strange one that I liken to a triple fried egg sarnie with chilli sauce and chutney, which as one would deduce contains all the wrong ingredients but put them together and it works. You end up with something special indeed. What Toby has brought to the band is a sense of urgency that was sorely missed from the headliner's set later on. The Gizzi brothers have found their diamond in the rough here... although Toby please do not attempt robotics in any shape or form - it was okay back in the nineties (just), but in 2010 kinda looks like you're taking the piss out of Smithy from 'Gavin & Stacey'. A special mention also to drummer Paul McManus who apparently stepped up to the mark and only a few rehearsals later was thrown in at the deep end providing a solid backbone for the songs. Some bass technical difficulties hampered 'Taking On The World' but apart from that the band was on fire!

With Gun hitting all the right notes, this was certainly not a nostalgia act, but a band full of hunger and burning up inside to give the performances of their lives!

After that it was up to headliners Lynyrd Skynyrd to prove themselves worthy of that title.  Opening with 'Skynyrd Nation' and going straight into 'What's Your Name' the band seemed to me to be playing it a bit by numbers and going through the motions. The only one who initially looked to be enjoying himself was drummer extraordinaire Michael Cartellone (ex Damn Yankees) just showing how good a drummer he really is. You might argue that the Skynyrd of 2010 is merely a tribute band in that Gary Rossington is the only surviving member from the original line-up, although Rickey Medlocke (he of awesome Blackfoot fame) did play in the 1970-1971 line up. The players they have got around them however are easily up for to the job.

The quote of the night was actually from my girlfriend, (who, not knowing at all what Skynyrd actually looked like), quipped "Don't they all look like Bill Bailey?" to which I immediately though that Rickey Medlocke also reminded me of a longhaired Neil Diamond!

As things started to liven up another neck hair moment for me was when Johnny Van Zant introduced 'Simple Man' by reminding us of our brothers in Rock 'n' Roll Heaven, and throughout the song various members of the band were seen to be kissing their fingers and pointing them to the sky in honour of their fallen brothers.

Other songs that stood out were the usual suspects 'Tuesday's Gone', 'Gimme Three Steps' and set closer 'Sweet Home Alabama', and I have got to say that a couple of songs took me back to when I was a kid and my cousins used to play these songs to me all of the time.

The encore was always going to be 'Freebird' - the southern rock anthem of all time! - to which Johnny Van Zant replicated his brother's words by saying "What song do you wanna hear?", "Freebird baby" and with that they played a 10 minute plus version for the baying Welsh crowd, leaving them happy to spill out into the night with the 'Freebird' ringing in their ears. 

Me? I was happy to think back to two hours previous and the phoenix-like appearance from that band known as Gun.

Live Pics by Russ P