Simon Rushworth
@ Newcastle O2 Academy, May 25 2012
With the tragic death of Robin Gibb this week it seemed fitting to pay tribute to the former Bee Gee by attending the latest show by the all-metal tribute band Tragedy.
What was so surprising was how a slew of 70s disco classics translated so well into full metal blasts.
This was Tragedy’s sixth visit to Newcastle and it didn’t disappoint.
The rockalicious music played included Islands In The Stream, To Love Somebody and the ‘77 anthem Grease Is The Word!!!
Tragedy also threw in a tribute to Abba with their own take on Dancing Queen and finished with Jim Steinman’s Bright Eyes.
But the performance of the night simply had to be a stunning version of Stayin’ Alive – the track that’s just topped the US college charts.
A super-tight set, coupled with some comedy crowd interaction, made this the ‘must see’ concert the masses had hoped for.
There was rock carnage at the end with crowd surfing and Geordie girls bombarding the stage: the band wisely made a quick exit.
Tragedy aren’t playing at Download this year. But they should be. Fans of spoof metal everywhere should prove how deep their love is by uniting to bring these boys to Castle Donington in 2013. See you there next summer.
Claire Finn & Helen Mackie