Alter Bridge, Wolverhampton, 11/11/08
The unfortunate cancellation of Justin Hawkin's new band Hot Leg meant a fortuitous longer support slot for Glaswegian band Logan, who took full advantage of this fact. Having opened for Alter Bridge on a previous tour (and also a one off opener for Bon Jovi), they showed the Wolverhampton crowd exactly what they had to offer, getting a response that most headline bands would be jealous of.
Time now for Alter Bridge, who come out onto stage and immediately launch straight into tracks off their latest offering, Blackbird, pulling no punches. 'Come to Life' gets the crowds a-moving and the heads a-banging.
Then it's back to 2004 with 'Find The Real' and then back into the present with 'Before Tomorrow Comes'. Shredmaster Mark Tremonti is on top form and doesn't miss a note all night.
The pièce de résistance is unveiled about halfway through the show, as vocalist Myles Kennedy is left alone on stage to perform an acoustic version of 'Watch Over You' to an enraptured audience, lit up by the cigarette lighters, mobile phones and cameras waving in the air in support.
Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall come back out onto stage, and launch into a blinding performance of 'The Ties That Bind', following that up with 'Blackbird' and 'In Loving Memory'. The latter song was dedicated to Lauren Wiltshire, a fan killed in a tragic car accident, with an Alter Bridge CD in her car stereo.
It's almost time for the show to end, but not before Myles gets the audience singing along and hitting the high notes in 'Open Your Eyes'.
An encore of 'Broken Wings', 'MudBone' (Myle's Blues number that gets all the hands in the air) and 'Rise Today' leaves the audience on a high note, and is the perfect ending to a fantastic night.
