Airbourne - Rock you through their set at a fast speed!

***1/2
Same old chaos by Airbourne!!!! 

Hard Rock Hell 

Airbourne ***1/2 I have seen Airbourne quite a few times before and their set to day is very similar. They are a chaotic Rock 'n' Roll band from Australia that's balzy type of AC/DC Esq. Rock grabs at the desires of some many Rock fans around the World. Today they are headlining the Saturday and final night of this years Hard Rock Hell in Wales and they have the room packed to the rafters, with rockers from all corners of the UK.

After the amazing Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks) had exited the stage they started preparing for the Airbourne extravaganza by wheeling on the biggest selection of guitar Marshall amps I have ever seen in my life. I think this is like the magic Spinal Tap bring to their stage show, we know their not all real but we don't really care because they look cool as F**K!!!.

Lead singer / guitarist Joel O'Keeffe screams out "Are you Ready to Rock" as they break into opening number 'Ready to Rock', their pace is always speedy and fast and they go at you like the rate of nots!!! this is Rock at a fast pace and everyone seems to love it. The band have even wrote a song about how fast they play, simply going by the name 'Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast'. This song goes by in the wink of an eye, you would have missed it if you had gone to the bar or turned your head.

This all continues with 'Girls in Black' which is very similar to the track before, maybe a little too similar and it is quite cool when Joel goes into the crowd and plays to fans in each part of the audience, but I don't think he needs to do this so many times in the set.

Once per gig is enough, it just is not as fun if you keep doing it and it get's far too repetitive like some of the riffs they produce. On to last single 'Back in the Game' which is the best moment in today's set and really has given a new depth to what the band can do, and it has a killer bass line to delivered by bassist Justin Street.

The way Airbourne play you wouldn't believe they have been going for ten years now because they go all out to put on a frantic big live show. One of these big sounding songs is 'Diamond in the Rough' off their 2010 Roadrunner Records released album 'Black dog Barking'. "You can't get enough of your diamond in the rough!" and for a lot of fans in the audience in the crowd who came down especially for Airbourne this is true. This is one of the bands most AC/DC sounding polished tracks and it is delivered in a brilliant way, lifting the band to a more commercial level. 

The next song they play is the title track off this record and it is equally as potent as 'Diamond in the Rough' but a little more anthem Esq. 'Black dog Barking' for a lot of fans of the band is their favourite and you can see why because every song is a Rock gem and a little more complexed than some of the bands other material.

Hard Rock Hell was definitely not full of cheap wine and I can't really know if they were cheaper women their because most of them were almost twice my age. The strange thing is whoever was their expensive women, cheap women, older women, every one of them seemed to love the track that Airbourne played for every one of them 'Cheap wine and cheaper Women' which was one of the high points of the set and went down really well. 

Airbourne took a long time to record their first album 'Runnin' Wild' which saw so many singles used on the Guitar Hero game which brought them to stardom so it's nice when they end the main set with the infectious 'Stand up for Rock 'n' Roll' off this record which everyone in the venue bops their heads to in time with the guitar melody.

The encore is a mad segment including singer Joel going crazy smashing bear cans into their heads with a little help from the Black Spiders while the go through favourites 'Live it Up, Raise the Flag' and the ever popular hit 'Runnin' Wild'. This brings a Rock 'n' Roll explosion of a set to an end, Ok this band are nothing new but I am really impressed about how much heart and soul and energy they put into each performance. I would not personally pay to see this but it's not my genre if you like AC/DC, Dead city Ruins and other forms of Australian Rock you will love Airbourne so what are you waiting for go and see their frantic Rock show. 

Airbourne - Setlist 
------------------------------
Ready to Rock
Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast
Girls in Black
Back in the Game
Diamond in the Rough
Black dog Barking
Cheap wine and cheaper Women
Stand Up for Rock 'N' Roll
--------------------------
Live it Up
Raise the Flag
Runnin' Wild

Review and Photo's by Dan Devour 

Check Out! the Video for 'Back in the Game' Below...