Simon Rushworth
@ Newcastle O2 Academy, September 30 2011
Is there a better value rock show doing the rounds right now than that delivered by the born again Y&T?
On this evidence you’d be hard pressed to find one.
A healthy crowd, given the band’s swift return to Tyneside, guaranteed a crackling old school atmosphere – with familiar faces and long-lost friends enjoying a glorious trip back to the future.
More than two hours of polished hard rock thrilled the masses and 30 years since the landmark Earthshaker record highlights from that career-defining album came thick and fast.
And such was the clamour for more that the band later asked for requests from one of their finest releases to date.
An early highlight was Dirty Girl with many of those present perfectly reciting every word. Mean Streak and Midnight In Tokyo proved to be back-to-back belters and by now this brilliant gig was in full swing.
Y&T’s newer material already fits seamlessly into a set which barely lets up. And even a moving tribute to the late Phil Kennemore failed to subdue the atmosphere – huge cheers and applause celebrating the life of a much-missed and talented musician.
Squeeze, from Earthshaker, gave Meniketti’s voice a break as vocal duties were momentarily shared. But the main man was back to guide his band through a four-song encore – finishing with the fantastic Forever. And that’s exactly how long Y&T’s fans will stick with these rock n roll heroes.
Niall Lumley