Unusually for us it’s been a few weeks since we’d last graced the splendour of KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, so we were looking to dust of the cobwebs and enjoy some classic rock and metal courtesy of the modern day legend Ronnie Romero.
Supporting Romero on this UK leg of his tour are hard rocking veterans Absolva (8). The Manchester quartet have built a solid fanbase and have a reputation for putting on a slick, hard hitting show.
Spearheaded by the Appleton brothers, Chris and Luke, the band have an extensive back catalogue of six studio albums and hundreds of shows across Europe and this experience shows with a great gig full of well honed songs that are heavy but melodic. They’re currently promoting their upcoming new album Justice which will feature a number of guest vocalists including tonight's headliner and former Iron Maiden frontman Blaze Bayley (who’s here in the crowd tonight). The album is out in May and you can pre-order a copy through the bands Big Cartel page.
Tonight’s main course is served up in the form of the incredibly talented singer, Ronnie Romero (10). Known for his work with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and MSG, Romero is a powerhouse of a singer. When you have the confidence and ability to perform songs that were made famous by some of the biggest legends in rock, then you have my attention! His most recent outing has seen him hook up with Judas Priest guitarist Ritchie Faulkner for the Elegant Weapons supergroup and their excellent 2023 album Horns For A Halo, but he has a CV that shows what a much sought after artist he is.
This tour sees him dipping into the Rainbow and MSG archives with some solo stuff and the odd Deep Purple track thrown in for good measure. It’s with consummate ease that he tackles songs made famous by the likes of Dio, Coverdale and Gillan, his range is incredible. It’s spooky how much he sounded like the late, great RJD as they opened up with Stand Up And Shout.
Stargazer and Kill The King induced goosebumps and Child In Time was sublime. The finale of Burn was the icing on an already overleavened cake of rock indulgence. This really was a truly impressive performance.
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