meister1Have you ever heard and felt heavy metal thunder?  Well, you will if you are able to get out and catch the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” headliners Saxon on their Sacrifice & Sin tour with Halcyon Way and Fozzy (led by ex-wrestler Chris Jericho) for support. The Brits storm North America during a monthlong tour with stops in many markets that they have not visited for years. In fact, two years ago, the Call to Arms tour saw Saxon’s first visit to Toronto in some 27 years!

While Saxon may not be the household name in North America that Metallica or Megadeth is, as pioneers of the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” movement, Saxon were a big influence on many such bands, especially Metallica, whom Biff Byford joined onstage for their 3oth Anniversary shows to perform Saxon’s “Motorcycle Man” in 2012.

With early beginnings traced back to 1976 in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, Saxon began with the conglomeration of two bands, Son of a Bitch (consisting of bassist Steve “Dobby” Dawson and guitarist Graham Oliver) and Coast (containing vocalist Biff Byford and guitarist Paul Quinn), rounding out the roster with Pete Gill on drums. They retained the S.O.B. moniker at first, but shortly afterwards they were signed to French record label Carrere, P1050530changed their name to Saxon and expelled their self-titled debut recording in 1979.

Since then, Saxon has put forth a whopping 20 full-length studio albums and many more live, compilation and DVD releases. While vocalist Biff Byford and guitarist Paul Quinn are the sole original members, drummer Nigel Glockler has been with Saxon off and on since 1981, when he stepped in for Pete Gill, who had a hand injury. Glockler had only a day and a half to learn the entire set list prior to the first night of the Denim & Leather tour!  Bassist Tim “Nibbs” Carter joined in 1988, after the departure of Dawson. Guitarist Doug Scarratt, an old friend of Glockler’s, took over for Oliver in 1996, creating the very stable (aside from Glockler’s approximately five-year hiatus, due to injury) line-up that we see today.  Graham Oliver had been released from the band for selling bootleg copies of recordings of the band’s inaugural Donnington Monsters of Rock Festival performance from 1980.

meister 3Legal trouble came in 1999 as Oliver and Dawson took the Saxon name on the road, totally confusing fans, an issue present today in the much publicized feud between bands such as Great White / Jack Russell’s Great White and Queensryche / Queensryche where two incarnations are touring under the same name.   It took four years, but British courts declared that it was Biff Byford and the current band that owned the rights to the name and Oliver and Dawson were forced to rename their group Oliver/Dawson Saxon.

With their latest effort, Sacrifice, the “Barnsley Boys” of Saxon have released one of the strongest recordings of their career, heralded by critics and fans P1050572alike. Byford announced during their performances on the Monsters of Rock cruise that it is the best-selling Saxon album in North America in a very long time. The “Heavy Metal Thunder” rolled into Toronto with the Sacrifice & Sin tour, September 15, 2013 on the third night of the monthlong North American trek with support from Halcyon Way and Fozzy. Coupled with a very reasonably priced ($50) “Meet & Greet” package, the Toronto show was mind-blowing in my fifth time seeing them live.
They have never disappointed, always mixing up the song selection and this time delivering a blistering set list (see below).
The boys played for about two hours sounding clear, tight and obviously well-rehearsed as they pounded through the set. They had the entire crowd singing along, most seeming to know all the words as fists and “horns” were thrust high in the air. If you’re only going to a few concerts this year, mark this one on your list, trust me you will be impressed, this is the show of the year!

If you’re interested in more on the history of Saxon, I highly recommend the Heavy Metal Thunder-The Movie documentary DVD or Blu-Ray, available from UDR Music.

Cheers,

The Meister

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LINK TO FULL PHOTO GALLERY

SET LIST

“Sacrifice”

“Wheels of Terror”

“The Power & the Glory”

“To Hell and Back Again”

“Made In Belfast”

“Dogs of War”

“Motorcycle Man”

“Rock & Roll Gypsy”

“Guardians of the Tomb”

“Dallas 1PM”

“The Eagle Has Landed”

“747 (Strangers in the Night)”

“Denim & Leather”

Encore:

“Wheels of Steel”

“Strong Arm of the Law”

“Princess of the Night”

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