A last-minute offer of a free ticket brought me out to this gig at the Classic Grand. As such, I was a wee bit underprepared, having only listened to a few tracks from his most recent album.
Support act, Lyin Rampant, have been around for years. Not that I've ever seen them, to my recollection. At the start of their set, the sound was awful, as if I was listening to them through a wall, with only the bass registering. It got slightly better later, but by that time, I'd already tuned out. The lead singer looked as if his mop of a perm was too heavy for his neck, singing most of the songs into the floor. I've seen a few older rock singers do this, but it's usually so they can read their lyrics from a monitor. I don't think that applied tonight.
Robin McAuley is not a name that troubled me in the past. He sang with Grand Prix and Michael Schenker, and had his own solo career, but I couldn't name a single song he sang. That didn't help tonight. The sound was much improved for his set, but still, it's difficult to sing along if you don't know the words. His music is very much generic 80s melodic rock. If this had been a festival show, I'd have wandered off to find a seat.
On the quieter numbers, the club music blasting out in a room on a lower floor muddied the sound. I really don't like the Classic Grand as a music venue.
Still, it was free, it finished just after 9.30, and it reminded me that not every gig can be a winner. Well worth the money I paid, if not the time.
Setlist (assuming it didn't change from the first date of the tour)
Save Yourself (McAuley–Schenker Group song)Standing on the Edge
This Is My Heart (McAuley–Schenker Group song)
Shout (Grand Prix cover)
Keep on Believing (Grand Prix cover)
Take Me Back (McAuley–Schenker Group song)
The Best of Me
Alive
Bad Boys (McAuley–Schenker Group song)
Gimme Your Love (McAuley–Schenker Group song)
Anytime (McAuley–Schenker Group song)
Samurai (Grand Prix cover)
Love Is Not a Game (McAuley–Schenker Group song)
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| Lyin Rampant |
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| Robin McAuley |
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| Both bands on stage for the final song |
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